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How to Watch A&E Online Without Cable

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If you are a fan of reality shows, A&E is probably essential. But due to the channel’s popularity, it is widely provided by live TV streaming services. Read on to learn how you can get it without a cable provider.

In a hurry? Several of the top streaming services offer A&E. These are the best:

  • DIRECTV STREAM: Makes it easy to switch from cable to streaming with their 75+ channel Entertainment plan and options for much more. A 5-day free trial is now available for DIRECTV STREAM.
  • Sling TV: The top low-cost streaming service provides a great base channel lineup in both its plans. Save 50% your first month with Sling TV.
  • Philo: This service gives you 60+ live TV channel for just $25/mo!

If you can’t watch your favorite movies and shows because of your location, try ExpressVPN to get access to the content you deserve.

In a hurry? Unfortunately, we don’t know a streaming service in that offers this TV channel/sport. But if you’ve already paid for the right service, and just can’t watch because of your location, there is an easy way to get the sports, movies, and TV you deserve. You need a VPN, like one of the following.

ExpressVPN

1. ExpressVPN: Established VPN provider in 105 countries. Smart DNS, a built-in ad-blocker, and unlimited bandwidth. Try it with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Private Internet Access

3. Private Internet Access: The only no-logs VPN with a location for every US state. Get 82% off + 2 months free.

If you’re overwhelmed and not sure where to begin, you’ll find all the answers in our full VPN guide.

A&E is the flagship cable TV channel of A+E Networks, which also encompasses History, Lifetime, Crime + Investigation, and Spike Jonze’s Vice.

The channel is still trying to recover from the cancellation in 2020 of its biggest hit Live PD, and it has a couple of brand new series starting in early 2022 to help it do that: the reality drama Adults Adopting Adults and documentary serial Secrets of Playboy.

You can stream pay TV channels like A&E through the internet at a fraction of the price of cable or satellite, with no contracts or inconvenient installation appointments. Read on for more details.

Try Philo Free for 7 Days

What Is A&E

Once the Arts & Entertainment Network, the A&E channel used to be up there with PBS as a source of cultural, academic, intellectual programming — such as its Emmy- and Peabody-award-winning series, Biography and British co-productions and imports.

Over the years, it has succumbed to the same channel drift that claimed its sister channel History and most of the Discovery channels. Now, its content is largely a mixture of reality shows like Storage Wars and true crime documentaries like Killer Cases.

A&E was riding high as the #8 cable channel in ratings in 2020 when George Floyd was killed, prompting the network to put its top-rated show Live PD on indefinite hiatus.

With the controversy around the Austin, TX police department’s handling of Javier Ambler’s death while in custody while filming the show, A&E decided to make the hiatus permanent. Given it was many viewers’ favorite show, half its audience left overnight and the network dropped to #20.

It didn’t help that the show occupied multiple primetime evenings, giving A&E channel a giant hole in its programming schedule that they had to scramble to fill.

It’s not the first time A&E has canceled a show amid political controversy and experienced a viewer backlash. In 2013, after one year on the air, Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson was first put on hiatus, then reinstated, ticking off viewers on both sides of the controversy.

The network announced last year that it was going to focus on “total-audience metrics” versus the traditionally coveted 18-54-year-old group. According to entertainment analysts, this means they’re going to be focusing on the 55-and-over crowd.

However, a recent documentary on Janet Jackson that aired on both A&E and Lifetime did very well across all age groups, so things could be looking up again.

A&E Shows

The top TV shows on A&E include:

  • Biography
  • Cold Case Files
  • Court Cam
  • Hoarders
  • Intervention
  • Secrets of Playboy
  • Storage Wars
  • Voices Magnified.
DIRECTV STREAM - A&E
John Wick playing on A&E through DIRECTV STREAM.

Unblock Your Favorite Movies and Shows With a VPN

If you can’t watch your favorite movies and shows because of your location, a VPN will allow you to get the access you are entitled to, plus extra security and unequalled privacy. Check out our VPN Guide for everything you need to know, including our top pick ExpressVPN.

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Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.

How to Stream A&E

A&E’s sister channels at A+E Networks are FYI, History, Military History, Lifetime, LMN (Lifetime Movie Network), and Crime + Investigation. You can watch similar content — unscripted reality and documentaries — on Discovery’s TLC, NBCUniversal’s Bravo, and AMC Networks‘ WE tv.

Most of the major streaming services offer the A&E channel. The two major exceptions are FuboTV and YouTube TV.

Philo

philo logo

Philo is a huge bargain, especially if you like the A+E channels. For $25/mo, you get over 60 channels, including all the A+E channels (except Military History) plus TLC and WE tv.

It doesn’t carry WarnerMedia, NBCUniversal (no Bravo), or Disney-owned channels. It’s also missing sports and your local networks. But it does come with a great interface, unlimited DVR, and streaming on up to 3 devices at once. And only Frndly is cheaper (see below).

Get all the details in our Philo review.

Try Philo Free for 7 Days

Sling TV

Sling TV Logo (2021 100x50)

Sling TV lets you create your own custom package. It’s as close to a la carte cable as you’ll ever get. But you don’t even need that. A&E, Bravo, History, Lifetime, TLC, and Vice are all right there in the Sling Blue base plan for $40.00/mo. (Alternatively, you can get Sling Orange, which comes with fewer channels but does include ESPN and Disney Channel.)

Grab the Lifestyle Extra add-on for $6/mo to get FYI, LMN, WE tv, and more. 50 hours of cloud DVR are included, and you can watch Sling Blue on up to 3 devices at the same time.

Learn everything in our Sling TV review.

Save 50% on Sling TV Now

DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM

If it’s in the top 50 cable channels, it’s likely that DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) carries it. So it’s not surprising at all to find A&E, Lifetime, History, TLC, Vice, WE tv, and Bravo all in the base tier, the Entertainment Package, which runs $79.99/mo.

DIRECTV STREAM also gives you all your local stations, as well as unlimited cloud DVR and unlimited devices streaming in your home at the same time.

For more, see our DIRECTV STREAM review.

Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days

Hulu + Live TV

hulu logo

Hulu + Live TV offers over 85 live TV channels, and, as the name says, Hulu. That means thousands of on-demand shows and movies. But that’s not all! It also comes with Disney+ and ESPN+.

The base plan is $76.99/mo and includes A&E, Bravo, FYI, History, Lifetime, LMN, TLC, and Vice. If you toss on the Entertainment Add-on, you can get Crime + Investigation and Military History — it’s the only service that carries the latter.

Check out our Hulu + Live TV review for details.

Try Hulu + Live TV Today!

Vidgo

vidgo logo

Vidgo undercuts a lot of the competition, while still keeping sports and news in the mix. Not especially strong on local networks, it does carry A&E, FYI, History, Lifetime, LMN, TLC, and Vice in its Plus package, which is $69.99/mo.

You can stream on up to 3 devices, but Vidgo does take a pass on WarnerMedia, NBCUniversal, and AMC Networks channels. And it includes no DVR and on-demand content.

See our Vidgo review for more information.

Try Vidgo Today!

Other Ways to Stream A&E

None of those grab you? Don’t worry, there are more ways to stream The Art of Entertainment:

  • Frndly TV: Frndly TV is a skinny bundle of over 30 general information, educational, and family live and on-demand channels starting at $7.99/mo. They recently reached an agreement with A+E to carry all of A&E’s sister networks. Other channels include the Hallmark Channel, Weather Channel, INSP, and BYU TV. (Frndly TV review)
  • A&E Crime Central: A&E’s on-demand collection of 900+ true crime and justice system series and specials curated from A&E, History, and Lifetime/LMN. Featured shows include Dog the Bounty Hunter, After the First 48, 60 Days In, and Female Forces.
  • Hulu: Hulu’s on-demand library starts at only $6.99/mo and contains over a dozen of A&E’s juiciest true crime and legal documentaries and series, as well as Storage Wars and Duck Dynasty.
  • A&E App: Most devices allow you to watch A&E live and on-demand with this app. It requires that you have a TV provider to use it via TV Everywhere. You can similarly watch right on the A&E website.

Superpower Your Live TV Streaming With a VPN

You can’t beat a VPN for privacy, security, and access. We have used them for years as an important part of our streaming toolkit and we recommend ExpressVPN. Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.

i See our VPN Buyer’s Guide for complete information on how to choose the best VPN for your needs.

Supported Devices to Stream A&E

Sling TV History Android
Sling TV displaying A+E Entertainment channels on an Android phone.

Most of the streaming services listed above support the devices in use today. We’ll just go over the most popular devices but you can find complete lists in the streaming reviews.

Android TV-based televisions are not supported by DIRECTV STREAM but they are by the other services. In contrast, DIRECTV STREAM allows you to use its own device, which can make the switch to streaming easier.

You can also cast to your TV from a smartphone, tablet, or web browser using Chromecast that is either built-in or added as an external device. This is supported by all services.

Samsung smart TVs are supported by Hulu, Sling, and DIRECTV. Sling and Hulu also support LG and VIZIO smart TVs.

All the services support the popular TV “stick” devices: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku. They also support mobile devices with iOS (iPhone, iPad) and Android.

The Xbox One gaming system is supported by Sling and Hulu. PlayStation and Nintendo Switch are supported by Hulu. And finally, Sling TV supports the Oculus VR system.

Today’s A&E Schedule

Here is today’s schedule in Eastern Time:

Parking Wars

Rookie encounters an irate citizen; uncooperative partiers.

Parking Wars

April Fool's Day is no joke in Philly when Garfield and Sherry face off with a man trying to block the boot; in Detroit, veteran ticket-writer Norman demands respect, even when cursed out by angry women.

Parking Wars

Woman faced with a boot won't stop crying; an enraged wife makes getting an impounded car back hard.

Parking Wars

Citizens become irate after their cars are booted; Marylin issues tickets in a rowdy neighborhood.

Parking Wars

Pizza shop employees think they are above the law; an exotic dancer calls on ex-lovers for help.

Customer WarsFull Moon Brawl

One customer's kind gesture sparks an all-out brawl in a Florida convenience store; cops are called after shoppers duke it out over toilet paper; a retired police officer in California blocks an alleged shoplifter from leaving the parking lot.

Customer WarsDeli Derriere

In a Michigan grocery store, a woman frustrated with the deli counter wait-time displays her derrière; fists fly at a luxury resort in Rio when one couple doesn't get their way; on a plane in Miami, a woman hits her husband with a laptop.

Customer WarsChaos on the Conveyor Belt

A woman demands a refund, allegedly after hearing Spanish at her local pizzeria; a donut shop customer hurls a pot of coffee at an employee during an argument over her order; a brawl breaks out among a group of tourists at a fast food restaurant.

Customer WarsCart Crusader

An irate resident in Omaha, Neb., intentionally strides through freshly poured cement; in Miami, Fla., a disruptive passenger who refuses to switch seats on a commercial flight causes turbulence even before takeoff.

Customer WarsFast Food Frenzy

A brawl erupts in a restaurant between employees and a customer; a car rental agent deals with a difficult customer; a delivery driver's car is stolen; a pro wrestler and a spectator come to blows; a utility worker is confronted by a property owner.

Customer WarsDrive-Thru Debacle

In Augusta, Ga., disaster unfolds as a truck attempts to purchase food at a drive thru; at a Dallas airport, a passenger's rudeness sparks a chaotic brawl among travelers; in Melbourne, Australia, a rideshare driver gets a very pleasant surprise.

Customer WarsBeer Run

A woman in Idaho tries to steal a chainsaw by stuffing it in her pants; disgusted customers watch a woman eat directly from the serving ladle at restaurant buffet; a teenager struggles to outrun security in California.

Customer WarsNo Backup Needed

At a fast food restaurant in South Carolina, a man stands up to a customer and things become physical; when two rowdy spring breakers cause some trouble at a beach in Florida, a lone officer arrives and takes immediate control of the situation.

Customer WarsRage Against the Rideshare Driver

A stubborn moviegoer refuses to give up his seat, causing employees to stop the movie and intervene; a woman throws a tantrum after being ordered off a flight for not complying with the airline's pet policy.

Customer WarsEmergency Exit

A bus driver on the job in Las Vegas speaks his mind; in Atlanta, an altercation during the breakfast rush at a drive-thru escalates to a dangerous point; a zoo visitor in Indonesia gets up close and personal with an Orangutan.

Customer WarsCustomer Support

A hungry customer at a Florida restaurant draws the ire of other customers; Police confront a young man with a gun inside a Wisconsin Convenience store; purported seating kerfuffle escalates to an all out brawl.

Customer WarsNot a Dog Person

In Delaware, a restaurant customer takes issue with the proximity of a man's service dog; in Minnesota, a customer loses control of his vehicle at a car wash; disappointment with a meal prize leads to blows in Nova Scotia.

Customer WarsConstruction Crusaders

In Bakersfield, Calif., a pair of heroic contractors helps a homeowner recover a bike taken from her yard; an angry customer in Bay Shore, Long Island blames a fast food restaurant for a fire in his microwave.

Customer WarsJust Plane Wrong

Parents in Florence, Ky., find an unexpected and unpleasant surprise in their child's chicken nuggets; an overbooked flight in Chicago leads to the forced removal of an unwilling passenger.

Road WarsTireless Chase

At a red light in Phoenix, a man gets out of his car to confront another motorist, who ends up driving directly into him; when a large truck slows traffic on a small road in New Jersey, an angry driver gets out of his car with a baseball bat.

Road WarsBurning Rubber

A driver burning rubber in Times Square nearly runs over an NYPD officer; a Florida police officer clings to the open door of a speeding vehicle when a suspect attempts to flee; a plane is forced to make an emergency landing.

Road WarsRed Light Rumble

Good Samaritans assist a lone police officer after a traffic stop turns violent; a driver fires his gun through his own windshield after an aggressive driver allegedly flashes a firearm; two drivers come to blows at a red light.

Road WarsMy Way or the Highway

In Torrance, Calif., an alleged fender bender leads to a roadside fight, leaving one driver unconscious; in Baltimore, a reported stolen vehicle fleeing from police crashes into a building causing it to collapse.

Road WarsTwo-Wheel Terror

A property manager in California is hit by a car after an altercation with its driver; in Oklahoma, a semi hauling cars gets stuck at a crossing with a train fast approaching; a routine call for two ambulance workers in Chicago is interrupted.

Road WarsGas Station Blowout

In Woodland Hills, Calif., good Samaritans attempt to box in a driver involved in multiple wrecks near a freeway overpass; a woman in Louisiana is berated by another driver who believes she is not driving fast enough.

Road WarsWake-Up Call

An altercation in an Ohio parking lot spirals out of control; disaster strikes when a bus driver in Atlanta appears to fall asleep at the wheel; an irate driver's wrath is unleashed on two friends in Oklahoma.

Road WarsRoadside Standoff

In Apollo Beach, Fla., a woman brandishes a gun after an alleged altercation on the road; after a wild chase through downtown Los Angeles, a man attempts to flee from police on a skateboard.

Road WarsAll Blocked Off

A heated argument over a merge in Indiana leads to a collision; in Portland, Ore., an enraged driver barrels through a street parade; in China, a pickup truck reverses into a young boy.

Road WarsHigh Stakes Chase

An apparent rear-ending in Myrtle Beach leads to a frightening confrontation with a gun; a motorcyclist on a New York highway has a devastating head-on collision with a sedan; a driver in London is hit with a belt during a street fight.

Customer WarsHomeowner vs. Handyman

In Coram, N.Y., a homeowner confronts a handyman over his allegedly unsatisfactory work; in Oakland, Calif., a heated argument between two women on a train spins out of control; an alligator handler's routine in the Everglades goes very wrong.

Customer WarsArgument in the Air

A heated argument breaks out on a mid-air flight to Los Angeles.

Road WarsYou Shall Not Pass

On a rural highway in Iowa, a driver and his passenger both fall asleep while on the road; in a San Francisco parking lot, a woman berates another driver who she claims parked too close to her car.

Road WarsParking Lot Pandemonium

In Vernon, Calif., a motorcyclist escalates an altercation on the road by smashing a driver's rear windshield; when a driver in Flushing, N.Y., allegedly blocks a mobility van from unloading wheelchair passengers, bystanders intervene.

Road WarsWake-Up Call

An altercation in an Ohio parking lot spirals out of control; disaster strikes when a bus driver in Atlanta appears to fall asleep at the wheel; an irate driver's wrath is unleashed on two friends in Oklahoma.

Road WarsRoadside Standoff

In Apollo Beach, Fla., a woman brandishes a gun after an alleged altercation on the road; after a wild chase through downtown Los Angeles, a man attempts to flee from police on a skateboard.

Road WarsAll Blocked Off

A heated argument over a merge in Indiana leads to a collision; in Portland, Ore., an enraged driver barrels through a street parade; in China, a pickup truck reverses into a young boy.

Road WarsHigh Stakes Chase

An apparent rear-ending in Myrtle Beach leads to a frightening confrontation with a gun; a motorcyclist on a New York highway has a devastating head-on collision with a sedan; a driver in London is hit with a belt during a street fight.

Customer WarsHomeowner vs. Handyman

In Coram, N.Y., a homeowner confronts a handyman over his allegedly unsatisfactory work; in Oakland, Calif., a heated argument between two women on a train spins out of control; an alligator handler's routine in the Everglades goes very wrong.

Customer WarsArgument in the Air

A heated argument breaks out on a mid-air flight to Los Angeles.

Road WarsYou Shall Not Pass

On a rural highway in Iowa, a driver and his passenger both fall asleep while on the road; in a San Francisco parking lot, a woman berates another driver who she claims parked too close to her car.

Road WarsParking Lot Pandemonium

In Vernon, Calif., a motorcyclist escalates an altercation on the road by smashing a driver's rear windshield; when a driver in Flushing, N.Y., allegedly blocks a mobility van from unloading wheelchair passengers, bystanders intervene.

Car accident? Free Legal Consultation

Legal professionals standing by to answer your questions.

Who Stole My Life?

Every 3 seconds an American's identity is stolen. Just how safe is your 401k? Your bank account? Your home? Your credit? Crime Reporter Tom Morris Jr. investigates the identity theft epidemic. Find out how you can help protect yourself with LifeLock.

Inogen Portable Oxygen - No More Tanks!

Regain independence and enjoy greater mobility with the compact design and long-lasting battery of portable oxygen.

House Stealing - The Latest Cyberthreat and How To Protect Your Home

Home Title Lock - Title Theft is Real and Your Equity is at Risk. Protect the Title to Your Home Today with America's Leader in Home Title Monitoring, Change Alerts and Title Restoration.

David Jeremiah

Dr. David Jeremiah's goal is to deliver the unchanging Word of God to an ever-changing world.

Joni: Table Talk

Joni and guests tackle a wide range of relevant issues, controversial subjects and hard-hitting news topics with candor and wit.

Parking Wars

Garfield and Sherry go on the chase when a Philly citizen speeds off with the boot on; all bets are off when Ponytail confronts two screaming women who gamble with illegal parking in Detroit.

Parking Wars

Kim runs into verbal abuse from angry Detroit citizens who think the city is to blame for their tickets; in Philly, a young man tries to alter his expired registration to free his impounded car.

Wrapping Up

So don’t miss out on any of your favorite A&E programs. Sign up for one of the services above, and you can go ahead and sweep your cable bill right under the rug without missing any episodes of WWE’s Most Wanted Treasures or Extreme Unboxing.

Our top recommendation to watch A&E is Philo. Try Philo free for 7 days.

Try Philo Free for 7 Days

FAQs

Are A&E shows available on-demand?

A&E shows certainly are available on-demand! All of the services above except Vidgo have at least some on-demand content, which generally contains at least recent episodes of current shows. In addition, Hulu has a number of A&E series available and Amazon Prime Video has some included as well (and some you have to buy).

You could also subscribe to A&E Crime Central, A+E Networks’ on-demand library of true crime-related programming from across its major channels, either by itself directly through A+E or through Amazon Prime Channels, Apple TV Channels, or Roku Channels.

Is A&E available on FuboTV?

Sadly, FuboTV (and YouTube TV) have not reached an agreement with A+E Networks to carry any of its channels, which is why you won’t see FYI, Crime + Investigation, either of the History channels, either of the Lifetime channels, or Vice on those services either.

What is the cheapest way to get A&E?

That would be Frndly TV at $7.99/mo. It’s a mix of on-demand and live channels including Local Now, UPtv, Outdoor Channel, Game Show Network — basically a lineup of cable TV’s Most Inoffensive Channels, ranging from completely neutral (The Weather Channel) to religious-tinged (Dove Channel, BYU TV) to determinedly wholesome (Hallmark, INSP). They just acquired the A+E Networks channels, including A&E.

Ditch “Big Cable” Now – 3 Simple Steps to Cut the Cord

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That’s it — you’ll save money, take back control, and enjoy TV more!

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