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Discovery Channel Without Cable: Live Stream Online or Watch With Discovery App

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Discovery is one of the iconic cable TV stations. It isn’t most people’s favorite channel, but it’s one that most people want around because of its consistently interesting high-quality content. Thankfully, it isn’t necessary to have cable to include Discovery in your channel lineup.

In a hurry? If you just want to make sure you have Discovery and related channels, these streaming services are great choices:

  • Fubo: With 150+ channels, it offers something for everyone. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial!
  • Philo: Super inexpensive live TV streaming service with 7-day free trial.
  • Sling TV: Probably the best streaming service in terms of customization with a 50% discount your first month.

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

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.

Debuting in 1985, the Discovery Channel almost immediately became one of the important sources of information for those who enjoyed topics such as history and science. In 1988, the first iteration of Shark Week was seen by viewers in hundreds of thousands of households throughout the United States.

Today, Discovery is available to more than 50 million households. And it is available on a number of streaming platforms. In addition, there are a number of offshoots such as Investigation Discovery, Discovery Family, and Discovery Life.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

Discovery Family and Discovery Life

Discovery has two other channels that are usually (but not always) available with it:

  • Discovery Family: Cartoons such as Transformers, Pound Puppies, Littlest Pet Shop, Super Monsters, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic reign until evening. Then live-action shows the whole family can watch together take over. These include Too Cute! (puppies), America’s Cutest Cat, and Chopped Junior, a pint-sized cooking competition.
  • Discovery Life: Originally a health and fitness channel, now runs mostly TLC shows with a spotlight on emergency room horror stories, addiction, mental illness, sex, pregnancy, and childbirth. Popular series include My Strange Addiction, Untold Stories of the ER, I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant, and Sex Sent Me To The ER.

How to Watch Discovery Channel Live Without Cable

Watching content via a streaming service may be ideal for those who want the flexibility to watch television on their terms. Most platforms allow you to cancel service whenever you want or take your plan to a new home or apartment without the need to go through a formal transfer process.

The Discovery Channel is a premium “cable” network, which means that you won’t be able to watch it with an antenna. The same is true of the other channels that fall under the Discovery umbrella of networks.

To watch these channels without a cable or satellite subscription, you will need to subscribe to one of the several streaming platforms that offer it as part of their base or premium packages.

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.

Get ExpressVPN Today

Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.

Streaming Services with Discovery Channel

Most major streaming platforms provide access to content produced by Discovery and its sister networks. Therefore, it should be relatively easy to find a plan that meets both your needs and your budget.

FuboTV

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Discovery is available in the base (Pro) FuboTV plan for $79.99/mo. You can also get Discovery Life and Discovery Family with the Fubo Extra ($7.99/mo) plan that includes 48 total channels. It has 1000 hours of cloud DVR storage and allows streaming up to 10 devices.

If you want to watch this channel in Spanish, you can acquire Discovery Familia, Discovery en Español, and 14 others with the Latino Plus add-on for an extra $19.99 per month.

If you are a sports fan, FuboTV is the way to go. Of its 130+ channel lineup, a third are sports-oriented. It also features what we consider the best interface in the industry.

For all the details, see our FuboTV review.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

Philo

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Philo comes with Discovery, Discovery Life, and Discovery Family as part of its base 65+ channel lineup. You will pay $25/mo for this service, and you can add various movie and entertainment options for an additional monthly fee.

Philo may be the best option for those who don’t watch sports or don’t want to pay extra for local channels. The absence of these kinds of channels is what keeps its price so low.

But apart from relatively limited channel selection, Philo is a first-class streaming service with a great interface, unlimited DVR, and streaming on up to 3 devices.

See our Philo review for all the details.

Try Philo Free for 7 Days

Sling TV

Sling TV Logo (2021 100x50)

Discovery Channel is available along with 40+ others with the Sling Blue package for $40.00/mo. You also get Investigation Discovery as well as the local affiliates of Fox and NBC. Unfortunately, there is no way to get Discovery Family and Discovery Life with Sling TV.

But if Discovery Channel is enough, Sling TV is an awesome service with 50 hours of DVR, streaming on 3 simultaneous devices, and a great interface. Save 50% on Sling TV now!

See our Sling TV review for more information.

Save 50% on Sling TV Now

Sling TV Discovery Channel
Sling TV with Discovery Channel and others.

DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) offers Discovery Channel and Investigation Discovery with its base Entertainment play with 75+ channels for $79.99/mo. If you upgrade to the Ultimate plan ($119.99/mo), you get 130+ channels including Discovery Family and Discovery Life. Discovery en Español is also available as an add-on.

Read our DIRECTV STREAM review for details.

Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days

Hulu + Live TV

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Hulu + Live TV offers Discovery Channel along with 85+ others for $76.99/mo. It also comes with unlimited cloud DVR (9 month storage). This includes a bunch of sports channels and network affiliates in almost every location. You also get Disney+ and ESPN+. Try one month for $76.99.

You can get Discovery Family and Discovery Life through the Entertainment add-on ($7.99/mo), which includes 14 other channels. In addition, Discovery Familia and Discovery en Español can be yours by signing up for the Español add-on ($4.99/mo).

Get all the details in our Hulu + Live TV review.

Try Hulu + Live TV Today!

Vidgo

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Like Sling TV, Vidgo offers both the primary Discovery network as well as Investigation Discovery as part of its base package for $69.99/mo for a total of over 100 channels.

For $84.99/mo, you can upgrade to the Vidgo Premium package, which includes Discovery Life and Discovery Family. Discovery Familia and Discovery en Espanol are both available as part of the Vidgo Mas package, which offers 25+ channels for $39.99/mo.

Check out for Vidgo review for more information.

Try Vidgo Today!

Other Ways to Get Discovery Channel

There are other ways to watch Discovery without signing up for a cable or satellite subscription.

  • Discovery+: This $4.99/mo plan allows you to stream most Discovery shows. You do not get the live stream, however. But you also get content from the sister channels.
  • YouTube TV: Its base plan comes with Discovery and Investigation Discovery along with 100+ other live TV channels for $72.99/mo. None of the other Discovery channels are available.
  • Discovery App: You can stream Discovery through its app, but you will need a streaming subscription to log in.

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.

TVs and Streaming Devices for Discovery Channel

FuboTV Discovery Channel
Android fun running FuboTV with Discovery Channel.

You’ll need a device capable of installing streaming apps to watch Discovery Channel. This should be easy enough because you almost certainly own one or more of them. For example, all the services support the standard “stick” devices:

Mobile devices running Android and iOS (iPhone/iPad) are also supported. And you can use them to cast Discovery to your TV using Chromecast.

All the services (except DIRECTV STREAM) support Android TV-based devices. And, of course, you can use a web browser, which can be connected to a TV.

All the services except Philo and Vidgo support Samsung smart TVs. Hulu + Live TV, FuboTV, and Sling TV support LG and Vizio smart TVs. FuboTV supports Hisense TVs. Hulu, Sling, and FuboTV also support the Xbox One gaming console.

There are other devices supported. See our individual reviews for a complete list.

Today’s Discovery Schedule

Here is today’s schedule in Eastern Time:

Discovery On Demand

Airplane RepoPanic at 10,000

While grabbing a Learjet, an imbalance in the fuel load forces Kevin and Heather to make an emergency landing in a building storm.

Airplane RepoBlood and Mud

Kevin snatches a $1 million Falcon 20; Mike repossesses a Cessna 208 Caravan which was used to traffic exotic animals.

Airplane RepoFlying Blind

Mike loses electrical power after repossessing a Piper Arrow, and must find his way home from the Bahamas; Ken and Danny try to obtain a plane from a bike rally.

Discovery On Demand

Airplane RepoArmed on Arrival

Mike Kennedy gathers his best team to obtain a Czechoslovakian fighter jet; Ken Cage and Danny Thompson go after a $2 million Citation CJ1 and end up under fire; Kevin Lacey has a confrontation with an old adversary at the Sundance Air Show.

Naked and AfraidParadise Lost

Alana Barfield and Keith Busch attempt to survive on a Fijian island with minimal water and little food.

Naked and AfraidDunes of Despair

A wilderness instructor and a go-getter battle both hunger and dehydration in the sand dunes of Brazil.

Naked and AfraidBiting Back at Africa

In a unique four-person challenge, a lion-attack survivor returns to Africa to face her fears; surrounded by lions, crocodiles and cape buffalo, the group members struggle against constant threats and each other as they try to survive in a kill zone.

Discovery On Demand

Naked and AfraidTrying to Deal with the Devil

Deep in Mexico's Baja desert lies the scorching wasteland of the Devil's Canyon; a Canadian mountain man teams up with an experienced homesteader to take on the canyon's triple-digit heat, scarce water, and venomous predators.

Naked and AfraidAll or Nothing

A hunter from Louisiana and a surfer girl from California must survive on a deserted island in the Philippines.

Naked and AfraidRumble in the Jungle

Christina and Steve tackle the Mexican jungle of Quintana Roo for 21 days, but tensions rise between them.

Discovery On Demand

Naked and AfraidA Tangled Web in Texas

After surviving a near-fatal car crash, an impulsive adventurer is paired with a cautious archaeologist in the Texas desert; stalked by mountain lions and tarantulas, this odd couple must work together to endure scorching days and frigid nights.

Naked and AfraidMile-High Clubbed

The mile-high altitude of Colorado's Rockies tests two strangers' ability to adapt and survive; black bears are not only a predator threat; storms roll in, bringing hailstorms and hypothermic conditions.

Naked and AfraidUSA vs. World

For the first time, two teams of international survivalists converge in South Africa for the ultimate challenge -- USA versus the World.

Naked and AfraidWelcome to America!

Two foreigners try to become the first survivalists to endure 21 days on U.S. soil; rattlesnakes, unfamiliar terrain and plummeting temperatures threaten to send them back across the pond.

Discovery On Demand

Naked and AfraidUSA vs. World

For the first time, two teams of international survivalists converge in South Africa for the ultimate challenge -- USA versus the World.

Naked and AfraidWelcome to America!

Two foreigners try to become the first survivalists to endure 21 days on U.S. soil; rattlesnakes, unfamiliar terrain and plummeting temperatures threaten to send them back across the pond.

Discovery On Demand

Gold Rush: White WaterRisky Business

In desperate need to find gold, both crews must dive to survive, leading them to make risky decisions that almost cost crewmembers their lives; still, at every turn, Dustin and crew continue to fight the demons of Nugget Creek to reach a big payday.

Gold Rush: White WaterMouth of the Dragon

Last week's gold haul has the miners seeing nothing but dollar signs; they are venturing straight into the mouth of the dragon on a quest for more; Dakota Fred returns to find the crew pushing themselves too far.

This Is Mark RoberAttack of the Squirrels

In his quest to understand terminal velocity, Mark carefully studies some furry friends before jumping out of an airplane to become a flying human squirrel.

Discovery On Demand

This Is Mark RoberSwimming in Orbeez

Mark helps viewers dive into three pools; one is filled with 25 million Orbeez, one is filled with liquid sand and one is filled with jello; he unveis a never-before-seen, top-secret blaster.

Wrapping Up

Over the past 35+ years, Discovery has been helping people learn more about the world around them. Whether you want to learn how to cook, renovate your home, or complete other tasks, it is likely a channel that you will enjoy watching.

The same is true if you are a science, history, or general education buff who likes to watch content that is thoughtful and exciting at the same time.

You can get Discovery through most general streaming services. And you can get most of its content by signing up for Discovery+.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

FAQs

How many channels are part of the Discovery brand?

In addition to Discovery, Discovery Life, and Discovery Family, Discovery Inc owns the Science Channel, Food Network, and almost a dozen other channels. Most of the channels are available through your favorite streaming service. They also own the Spanish-language channels Discovery Familia and Discovery en Español

Do I need to adjust my device’s settings to watch content in Spanish?

As a general rule, Discovery channels that broadcast in Spanish will stream just like channels that broadcast content in English. However, it may be possible to watch Spanish content with subtitles if you need help following along for any reason. Alternatively, it may be possible to watch content with Spanish subtitles if that makes it easier to meet your content consumption needs.

How to stream other family and kids channels?

Here are our guides for watching related channels:

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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