How to Stream Nickelodeon Online Without Cable

I’m hooked on Nickelodeon shows like Paw Patrol and iCarly. The thought of cutting the cord made me worried I’d lose access to Nick. But I discovered there’s no need to fear – it’s possible to ditch cable while keeping Nickelodeon in my channel lineup.

In a hurry? Many streaming services offer Nickelodeon and its sister channels. These are our favorites:

Why You Need a VPN Today

However, first you need a VPN to unblock US streaming services from . Our favourite is ExpressVPN. It’s definitely not the cheapest option at $4.99/month, but it just works – and across all your devices.

They have servers in 25+ US cities/states and 105 countries, which unblock access to premium streaming platforms available only in the US, as well as free “on demand” TV services worldwide.

You’ll have access to local platforms as if you were in the country, meaning you can watch BBC iPlayer as if you were in the UK, CBC Gem as if you were in Canada, plus hundreds more worldwide.

Sign Up for ExpressVPN

Hotdog users get three months free at ExpressVPN, so it’s a “no-brainer” for us. Decide for yourself with their 30 day money-back guarantee.

IMPORTANT: Once you’ve installed your VPN and connected to a US server, you’ll still need to subscribe separately to access premium streaming services.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

How to Watch Nickelodeon Live Without Cable

Nickelodeon, or “Nick” for short, is the original kids cable channel. Beating the House of Mouse to the punch by a few years, Nick has been entertaining kids ages 2 to 17 since 1979.

Part of the Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS) family of networks (which includes CBS, Paramount, MTV, BET, Comedy Central, and Showtime), Nick’s had several spin-off channels over the years. Currently, in addition to the original Nickelodeon channel, there’s Nick Jr for the preschool set, NickMusic for the junior MTV set, NickToons for the young animation connoisseurs, and TeenNick for the teens.

Nick is a pay TV station, meaning you need a pay TV service in order to watch. That used to be a cable or satellite provider, but now you have another option: the internet.

Streaming live TV over a broadband internet connection is becoming more popular, because the plans are generally cheaper and more flexible than their cable counterparts, And they are month-to-month with no locked-in period or contracts.

Streaming Services with Nickelodeon

So which services carry Nick? Of the major live TV streaming services, Sling TV is the only one that doesn’t. That means you have lots of options, depending on your other “must-have” channels. Details below.

FuboTV

Live sports are roughly one-third of FuboTV’s 130+ channels, but even without them, it’s still competitively priced with other full cable-replacement services at $79.99/month for the base plan. A generous unlimited cloud DVR storage are included in all plans and you can stream on up to 10 screens at a time.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

Unusual among streaming services, 4K for over a hundred events is included in the subscription price. They also have a great Spanish-language plan. What’s the catch? They’re missing the WarnerMedia channels (which includes the Turner stations) and A&E (which also owns Lifetime and History).

Nick and Nick Jr are in the base plan, along with the Disney channels and Universal Kids. If you upgrade to with Fubo Extra ($7.99/mo), you’ll get NickToons, NickMusic (the only streaming service to carry it), and TeenNick too.

For more information, see our FuboTV review.

Philo

Philo is the live TV streaming service that dares to ask, if we took away sports and local news, would anyone still subscribe? The answer is, yes, when the price is only $28.00/month. It offers 60+ live TV channels along with a great interface, unlimited DVR, and streaming on up to 3 devices at a time. Also, if you set up an antenna, the no local stations thing becomes a non-issue.

Try Philo for Free

There are no tiers. If Philo carries a channel, you get it — no having to shell out for more expensive packages or add-ons. (They do, however, offer some well-priced movie channel add-ons.) In addition to Nick, Nick Jr, NickToons, and TeenNick, they also have pocket.watch and family channels such as Hallmark, INSP, and pretty much every channel Discovery has. Try Philo free for 7 days.

Get more details in our Philo review.

DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) is an entertainment powerhouse. With over 75 channels in its $86.99/month base subscription tier, it is on the pricier side, both overall and on a per-channel basis. On the plus side, they do carry all the broadcast networks, plus the biggest bunch of regional sports networks (starting with the Choice package, $114.99/month). Also, you can stream on unlimited devices in your home for no extra charge, and you get unlimited DVR storage as long as you sign-up online.

Get DIRECTV STREAM Free Trial

As far as channels for the kiddies, Nick and TeenNick are in the base Entertainment package, along with Cartoon Network, Boomerang, several Disney channels, Freeform, and PBS Kids. Nick Jr and NickToons can be found in the aforementioned Choice package.

See our DIRECTV STREAM review for more.

Hulu + Live TV

Hulu + Live TV recently upped the ante by including Disney+ and ESPN+ together with its already legendary on-demand library in its base plan. They also upped their price by $5/mo, raising them to the hitherto DIRECTV STREAM only level of $82.99/month starting price. But that’s a price most people are willing to pay.

Get Hulu + Live TV Free

All local networks are included in its 85+ channel selection. It comes along with unlimited cloud DVR, up to 9 months of storage and streaming on up to 2 devices at a time. The one glaring omission is that they don’t carry AMC channels.

But it does have Nickelodeon and Nick Jr in their base package, along with Cartoon Network, Boomerang, the Disneys, Freeform, and Universal Kids. NickToons and TeenNick are in the Entertainment Add-on for $7.99/mo.

Our Hulu + Live TV review has all the details.

Other Ways to Stream Nickelodeon

• YouTube TV: Well-rounded service similar to Hulu + Live TV; slightly cheaper, but without any of the on-demand perks. Carries Nick, NIck Jr, NickToons, and TeenNick, or at least, until it gets into a carriage dispute with Paramount Global.
• Paramount+: If your kids don’t care about live channels, and they probably don’t, this all-encompassing Paramount Global on-demand streaming service would probably scratch their SpongeBox itch. $4.99/mo with ads ($9.99/mo to remove them), it offers content from CBS, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Smithsonian Channel, and Paramount Pictures. And all things Nick, including an extremely impressive backlibrary of Nick shows extending back to the 1990s. Yes, they have Ren & Stimpy and Hey Dude.
• Hulu: Hulu’s on-demand library by itself starts at only $7.99/month, but it’s got a very small section for Nick shows (not surprising considering it’s owned by main competitor Disney).

Apps

Note that while the Nick and Nick Jr apps have some full episodes unlocked, you have to log in with a TV provider to access most of them — that includes all of the live TV streaming services listed above.

The Nick and Nick Jr websites also have free interactive content and some full episodes free to watch.

Nick

Nick’s app is available on both mobile and big-screen platforms. It has some full episodes and a lot of promo clips free to view, along with quizzes, games, and other interactive goodies featuring Nickelodeon characters from SpongeBob SquarePants, The Loud House, Henry Danger, and more.

Nick Jr

Similar to its older sibling Nick’s app, Nick Jr’s interface is more little-kid friendly, with picture menus that pre-reading children can use and character tiles and alphabet letters for them to find in interactive scenes. Featured shows include PAW Patrol, Shimmer & Shine, Blaze and the Monster Machines, and Nella the Princess Knight.

Noggin

Noggin is an ad-free learning app featuring Nick Jr-themed games and e-books for kids 2 and up. It has episodes available, but the focus is on ABCs and 123s, problem solving, and so forth. It requires a separate monthly subscription to use after 30 days.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

Streaming Devices and TVs for Nickelodeon

All the streaming services we’ve discussed support most TVs and devices in use today:

All the services except DIRECTV STREAM also support Android TV-powered TVs. All but Philo support Samsung smart TVs. FuboTV and Hulu support Xbox gaming systems. FuboTV supports Hisense smart TVs. Hulu supports the PlayStation and Nintendo Switch gaming systems.

Many other less popular devices are supported. See the individual streaming reviews for details.

Wrapping Up

So if your little ones can’t live without The Thundermans or Blues Clues & You, it doesn’t mean you have to stay attached to your cable or satellite company. Sign up for one of the services above and still enjoy Nickelodeon and the rest of the Nick channels whenever you want.

Alternative Family and Kids Channels

See other related channels:

• Author
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Alanna Baker

Alanna Baker was the Streaming Content Editor at Hotdog.com, specializing in comprehensive streaming coverage across various genres, with a particular focus on sports and Sling TV offerings. With a background in literature and education, coupled with extensive experience in media and law, Alanna brings a unique perspective to the streaming industry.

Her expertise stems from being an early adopter of various entertainment technologies, from mail-order Netflix to modern streaming platforms. Alanna's in-depth knowledge of Sling TV's modular service and her ability to cover diverse streaming content make her a key expert in navigating the complex landscape of modern streaming options, especially in sports and entertainment.

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