I find it amusing that anyone would keep their cable subscription nowadays, considering the vast number of streaming services available.
If you are interested in being well-informed, you have an interest in politics, or just want to know what’s going on in the world, live news is likely important to you. Still, you don’t need cable to enjoy it each evening. There are several ways to watch live news online without cable.
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You’d be surprised how easy it is to stream live news. You can get access to news at every level from local channels to international offerings. You can use tools like streaming services, free apps, and digital antennas. It’s cheaper and easier than ever to watch live news online, so keep reading to find out how.
Of course, if you’re not familiar with streaming options you might be wary of giving up access to your favorite programs and channels. This is especially true of live news coverage.
How to Watch Live News Online Without Cable: At a Glance
There are ways to watch just about every news channel online without cable. This includes local channels, ABC, NBC, FOX, and CBS. From a nationwide angle, you can also watch networks like CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, and others.
Luckily, many of these channels come in the same services, so you can order one service and have multiple channels to watch live news. Two popular services offering plenty of news options are fuboTV and Hulu Live.
FuboTV: fuboTV offers over 110 channels and that includes a variety of news channels. Of the channels just mentioned, fuboTV offers all of them except ABC, which is not available. Local channels are available in most areas, which means you’ll have access to local and cable news in most homes. This package is available for $79.99/month.
Hulu Live: Another great option is Hulu Live. They offer all of the local channels in most areas and all of the major cable news networks. In fact, Hulu Live comes with over 85 channels and all of the classic on-demand Hulu content. This package is $76.99/month and it’s contract-free. This means you can cancel anytime you wish.
Stream Live News using a Streaming Service
If you’re new to streaming the idea of choosing a streaming service might seem intimidating. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. In fact, since all streaming services are available without contracts, you can cancel them whenever you want.
In other words, if you choose a service and you’re not happy with your choice, you can cancel and find another service more suited to your needs.
All services are cheaper than cable, allow you a wide range of streaming options (you can watch at home or from anywhere with a mobile device and internet), and come with features like cloud-DVRs, on-demand libraries, and access to network TV Everywhere apps.
It’s easy to see why it’s becoming the preferred way to watch all kinds of TV. You get the same access to your favorite channels and you can spend less money at the same time. With that in mind, let’s look at the services you can use to watch live news without cable.
Fubo
Fubo (formerly FuboTV) is an excellent option if you want to watch live news online. In most areas, you’ll have access to NBC, FOX, CBS, and The CW. You’ll also have all three cable news networks and more independent options like Cheddar. You’ll have over 150 channels offering live TV, an on-demand library, a cloud-DVR, and much more. Fubo is available for $79.99/month.
More Fubo features include:
- $79.99/month
- 110+ channels
- Local channels are available in most cities, making it a great way to watch local news without cable
- 3-Day Replay comes with the on-demand library
- Watch TV Everywhere apps or save live content to your cloud-DVR
- Stream on iOS/Android, Apple TV, computers, Chromecast, Fire TV, and other devices
- 1000 hours of cloud-DVR is featured and offers upgradeable space
Remember, you have nothing to lose when you try Fubo. If you sign up and aren’t happy, just cancel before the end of the trial and you won’t be charged. Our Fubo review has many additional details.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV NOW) offers a few packages, but your cheapest option is available at $79.99/month. Local channels are included in many areas, but it all depends on location.
Roughly 80 channels are included to start. All your local network affiliates and popular news channels are included. There are additional packages that cost more and include even more news and other channels.
Here’s more on DIRECTV STREAM:
- Multiple package options from $79.99/month
- 75+ channels to start
- HBO is in the base package
- Local channels are available based on location
- Unlimited cloud-DVR as long as you sign up online
- Watch on Apple TV, Roku, computers, mobile apps, and more
DIRECTV STREAM is more expensive than the average streaming service, but some people love it. It’s reliable, which is important. You can find more details in our DIRECTV STREAM review. (Black Friday deal)
Sling TV
Sling TV is the best cheap option if you’re interested in live news. Three packages are available, but the lowest priced option with the most news channels is Sling Blue. This package comes with over 40 channels and includes FOX News, CNN, NBC, and in very limited areas NBC and/or FOX.
Sling TV doesn’t offer a free trial, but they are a contract-free service.
Here is more on Sling TV:
- Sling Blue is $40.00/month
- 40+ channels are available
- Get more channels like Newsmax TV with the News Extra upgrade
- Many add-on channels are available for a fee
- An on-demand library is included, and you can stream most TV Everywhere apps
- 50 hours of cloud-DVR offers some space to get you started
- Stream on iOS/Android, Amazon Fire TV, computers, Roku, Apple TV, and more
Sling TV might not offer a free trial, but you’ll be sure to get some sort of deal. This is the cheapest streaming service offering cable news, so if you want live news content it’s a service worth considering. You can learn more in our Sling TV review.
Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV comes with more than 85 channels or you can add movie channels for a small fee. The main package is $76.99/month. In addition, to live content, you receive Hulu’s on-demand service, making it a great choice if you want a selection of live and on-demand TV.
Get Hulu + Live TV for $59.99 Monthly
Hulu Live offers ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and even CW in most homes. You also get the main cable news networks and some smaller options. Here are some more highlights:
- 85+ channels and Hulu on-demand
- Disney+ and ESPN+
- Most homes receive local channels
- $76.99/month
- Cancel anytime
- A free Hulu Live trial is available for a full week
- Watch Hulu Live on computers, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, iOS and Android devices, Amazon Fire TV, and more
- Unlimited cloud-DVR with 9 months of storage
If you’re looking for live news, Hulu Live is a good choice. You can also visit our Hulu + Live TV review for more details.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV offers most local channels to most homes in the country. In addition to local news content, you’ll have CNN, FOX News, and MSNBC. Smaller news networks may also be available. YouTube TV offers more than 85 channels. You can also add additional channels for a fee. YouTube TV is available for $72.99/month. There are no contracts, so you can cancel anytime. This is one of the few services offering an unlimited cloud-based DVR with your account.
Here are some added details about YouTube TV:
- Watch 85+ channels for $72.99/month
- Most homes receive local channels
- YouTube TV is a contract-free service
- Watch TV on Apple TV, computers, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, and mobile devices
- The cloud-DVR features unlimited space
Our YouTube TV review has more details.
Paramount+
Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access) is a good choice if you only want access to CBS news and content.
You also get on-demand access to everything that airs live. Over 10,000 episodes of popular and classic CBS shows are also included. While content is limited compared to some services, you get quite a lot for just $7.99/month.
Here are the highlights:
- The CBS live stream with the Paramount+ with Showtime plan ($12.99/month)
- Live Sports on all plans
- More than 10,000 episodes of CBS shows, and more available on-demand
- Stream on computers, Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, mobile devices, and more
- $7.99/month
- A free one-week trial is available
Paramount+ may only offer CBS, but if that’s all you need, this is the cheapest way to get it. You’ll begin your subscription with a free one-week trial. You can learn more in our Paramount+ review.
Antenna Options to Get You Live News
Streaming options are great, but if you’re only looking for local channels, you can get those for free with a digital antenna. If you don’t have an antenna, they are easy to setup and they are relatively inexpensive.
Depending on where you live, there’s a good chance that you can get several channels. After you pay for the antenna, all of the channels you get are free, so it’s not a bad investment if you’re a cord cutter.
If you don’t have an antenna, here are some recommendations to get you started on your search.
The Mohu Leaf 30 is great for indoor use. Some key features include:
- The ability to search for channels in a 40-mile range
- Inexpensive
- Small enough to work in an apartment or small space
- Hundreds of good reviews
- 4k compatible
If you want something for outdoor use, we recommend the ClearStream 2MAX UHF/VHF Indoor/Outdoor HDTV Antenna with 20″ Mast. This antenna features:
- Search for channels for 60+ miles
- Great if you’re in a rural area and need more area to search
- Quality construction making it more reliable
- A digital amplifier ensures better quality signals
- Great reviews
There are other options out there, but if you don’t know where to get started in your search, these two antennas are fairly priced and offer some of the highest reviews and ratings for the antennas that are available.
Other Ways to Stream the News without Cable
If you’re interested in other ways to stream the news, you’re in luck. You don’t necessarily have to order an entire streaming service or a digital antenna if you’re just interested in live news coverage.
In fact, most local channels offer news broadcasts online for free. ABC News and CBS News are just two options. Even the cable news channels often offer free content on their websites. You won’t always find full broadcasts, but many full shows and/or clips are made available on a limited-time basis for free.
Roku users can check The Roku Channel for live stream options for a variety of news broadcasts including ABC News, Cheddar, and others. There’s also the NewsOn app, which gives you access to hundreds of local broadcasts all over the country. You can use the NewsOn app on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, or mobile devices.
Wrapping Up
Regardless of whether you’re a politics junkie or just someone who likes to stay informed, you don’t have to pay hundreds of dollars a month to the news you need. As we’ve seen today, all you need is an antenna and/or streaming service, an internet connection, and a device to watch it on.
We hope that has answered all of your questions on how to watch live news without cable. If you have any questions, feel free to let us know.
More on Watching Live News without Cable TV
Looking for more info on how to watch the news without cable? Don’t miss these guides:
- BBC World News
- C-SPAN
- CNBC
- CNN
- Fox Business
- Fox News
- Headline News
- MSNBC
- Newsmax
- NewsNation
- One America News
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My expertise in sports coverage, particularly for out-of-market games and regional sports networks, stems from years of hands-on experience as an early adopter of streaming services and my work addressing fans' viewing challenges. As a longtime cord-cutter and subscriber to multiple streaming platforms, I combine my technical knowledge with practical user experience, making me a leading expert in the field of sports streaming and entertainment technology.
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