As someone who used PlayStation Vue, I know many others shared my disappointment when the service ended. Fortunately, there are alternatives.
In a hurry? If you just want to start streaming live TV and don’t want to dive into details or history, these streaming services should make you happy:
- Hulu + Live TV: In addition to its outstanding on-demand streaming and 85+ live channels, you can use your PlayStation to watch live TV — even with the PS3. Try the Hulu Live free 3-day trial.
- FuboTV: Although it doesn’t work with any PlayStation devices, its 110+ channels are hard to beat — especially for sports fans. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.
Table Of Contents
What Happened to PlayStation Vue?
PlayStation Vue used to be one of the best general streaming services around. But in late 2019, it shut down. Up to that point, it had been steadily building its offerings but ultimately, it wasn’t enough.
The exact reason for its failure is not known. One well-known problem with the service was its name. It was called PlayStation Vue and so people assumed it was only for PlayStation. But that wasn’t true. As early as 2015, it supported the Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast. Roku devices as well as iOS and Android were also supported.
PlayStation Vue sure was the go-to service for PlayStation users. That’s because few streaming services have supported the console at the time. Things are a little better now.
What PlayStation Vue Was
PlayStation Vue was an online live TV streaming service — much like FuboTV or Hulu + Live TV. It aimed to provide an alternative to cable or satellite plans, which continue to be expensive and limited. Vue offered a similar experience to cable — with a wide selection of channels.
It offered four plans ranging in price from $44.99/mo up to $79.99/mo, which included a broad selection of channels spanning sports, entertainment, and family content. These also included local network affiliates in most areas.
All the plans came with unlimited cloud DVR for 28 days and the ability to stream on up to 5 devices at once.
Basically, PS Vue was a total cable TV replacement that gave customers the channels you know and love, without the outrageous cost and long-term commitment of a cable provider. Since its start in 2015, it has consistently ranked high in customer satisfaction scores.
PlayStation Vue Alternatives
People looking for a replacement for PlayStation Vue will fall into two categories. There are those who just want a comparable streaming service. There are a few who fit this bill.
But there are also those who want a streaming service that will run on their PlayStation. The options here are more limited.
Hulu + Live TV Supports the PlayStation
Hulu + Live TV is our choice to replace PlayStation Vue. It is the only major streaming service with full support of PlayStation consoles. You can even stream on PS3 (although you are limited to on-demand content). Other services like YouTube TV offer more limited support.
Get Hulu + Live TV for $59.99 Monthly
- Hulu + Live TV Plan Price: $76.99/month
- Channels: 85+
- Simultaneous Screens: 2
- Cloud DVR Storage: Unlimited (9 month storage)
Hulu Live provides you with the standard Hulu on-demand library in addition to 85+ live channels. These include a good selection of sports, entertainment, and children’s programming. You also get access to local channels and even some regional sports networks.
And Hulu + Live TV isn’t just a good replacement because of its support PlayStation consoles. It also supports most other devices including iOS and Android mobile devices, Samsung smart TVs, and Amazon Fire TV, and Roku devices.
See our full Hulu + Live TV review for more.
FuboTV Is Great for Sports Fans
Unfortunately, FuboTV does not offer support for the PlayStation. But if you use a different device and simply want a comparable service to PlayStation Vue, FuboTV is an excellent choice.
- FuboTV Starter Plan Price: $79.99/month
- Intro Deal: Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.
- Channels: 110+
- Simultaneous Screens: 10
- Cloud DVR Storage: 1000 hours.
FuboTV offers over 110 channels including 35+ that are focused on sports. But they also offer great support for local channels including less common ones like The CW and UniMas.
More, there are 13 news and information channels, along with many familiar cable channels like Animal Planet, Comedy Central, Discovery, Disney, Hallmark, HGTV, Nickelodeon, TLC, and lots more.
You can use FuboTV on the vast majority of devices and smart TVs. They even support the Xbox.
See our full FuboTV review to learn more.
Sling TV Is a Good Low-Cost Option
Like FuboTV, Sling TV does not support the PlayStation device. But it’s an excellent streaming service that is more customizable than any of its competitors. So, you can use it to create exactly the service you want.
- Sling Orange + Blue Plan Price: $55.00/month (or $40.00/month for just one)
- Intro Deal: Save $25 on your first month of Sling TV.
- Channels: 50+
- Simultaneous Screens: 4
- Cloud DVR Storage: 50 hours.
The Sling Orange + Blue plan combo comes with 50+ channels, including the local NBC and FOX affiliates in most areas. These include the usual cable favorites like Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, Discovery, HGTV, Lifetime, SyFy, TBS, and more. And they offer a good selection of sports channels like FS1 and NFL Network.
Sling TV supports more or less the same devices that FuboTV does. But it also supports the Oculus VR device, which may appeal to gamers.
Here’s the full Sling TV review.
On-Demand Alternatives
The big players in on-demand streaming all support the PlayStation:
- Amazon Prime: supports PS3 with up to HD video quality and later versions up to Ultra HD.
- Hulu: Unsurprisingly, the on-demand Hulu streaming service supports the same PlayStation devices as their live TV service.
- Netflix: supports PS3 and beyond but provides no specific information.
Channel Lineup Comparison
In the following lists, the channels provided by FuboTV (F), Hulu + Live TV (H), and Sling TV (S) are indicated with the appropriate letter. Note that most of the missing channels are available from FuboTV and Sling TV via reasonably priced add-ons. Also, some of these channels (eg, Cheddar Business) no longer exist.
Access
PlayStation’s base, Access, plan included the following:
- ABC (F,H)
- CBS (F,H)
- FOX (F, H, S)
- NBC (F, H, S)
- MyNetworkTV (F, H)
- Telemundo (F, H)
- AMC (F, H, S)
- Animal Planet (F, H)
- BBC America (F, S)
- Bravo (F, H, S)
- Cartoon Network (H, S)
- Cheddar Business
- CNBC (F, H)
- CNN (H, S)
- Cozi TV (F, H)
- Destination America (F)
- Discovery (F, H, S)
- Disney (F, H, S)
- Disney Jr (F, H)
- Disney XD (F, H)
- E! (F, H, S)
- ESPN (F, H, S)
- ESPN2 (F, H, S)
- Food Network (F, H, S)
- FOX Business (F, H)
- FOX News (F, H, S)
- Freeform (F, H, S)
- FS1 (F, H, S)
- FS2 (F, H)
- FX (F, H, S)
- FXX (F, H)
- HGTV (F, H, S)
- HLN (H, S)
- Investigation Discovery (F, H, S)
- MSNBC (F, H, S)
- National Geographic (F, H, S)
- NBCSN (F, H, S)
- OWN (F)
- Oxygen (F, H)
- PlayStation Emerging Filmmakers Program
- Sci
- Spotlight
- StartTV (H)
- SyFy (F, H, S)
- TBS (H, S)
- TLC (F, H, S)
- TNT (H, S)
- Travel Channel (F, H, S)
- TruTV (H, S)
- USA (F, H, S)
- WE TV (F).
Core
The Core plan took everything in the Access plan and added the following:
- Big Ten Network (F, H)
- CBS Sports Network (F, H)
- Comet (F, S)
- Cooking Channel
- NBC RSNs (F, H)
- Magnolia Network
- Bally RSNs
- ESPN College Extra (H)
- ESPNews (H)
- ESPNU (H)
- Golf Channel (F, H)
- Hallmark (F)
- IFC (F, S)
- Law & Crime
- MLB Network
- Nat Geo Wild (H)
- NBA TV
- NFL Network (F, H, S)
- POP (F, H)
- SEC Network (H)
- Smithsonian (F, H)
- SNY (F, H)
- Sundance TV (F)
- Tastemade (F)
- TCM (H)
- YES.
Elite
The Elite plan included everything in Access and Core, plus:
- AHC
- BabyTV
- BBC World News
- Boomerang (H, S)
- Cheddar News (F, H, S)
- CNBC World
- Discovery Family
- Discovery Life
- MGM+ Marquee
- ESPN Deportes
- FOX Deportes
- Fusion
- FXM
- GiNX eSports TV
- Hallmark Drama (F)
- Hallmark M&M (F)
- MotorTrend (F, H, S)
- Sony Movie Channel
- Stadium (S)
- Tennis Channel
- Universal Kids (F).
Ultra
Ultra included everything in the previous three packages, and added 2 premium channels:
- HBO
- Showtime.
Wrapping Up
In its day, PlayStation Vue was an excellent live TV streaming service. Like many in the industry, we were sad to see it go. But there are many options that have built on and improved what it had to offer.
The best overall replacement for it is Hulu + Live TV. But if you don’t plan to stream on a PlayStation, and if you are a sports fan, you should really check out FuboTV.
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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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