History Channel: Cable Replacement Streaming Services With the Best Deals

History is a fun channel! Does it have anything to do with what we normally think of as history? Does it matter? History channel airs some of the most popular shows on TV. If you can’t live without it, you aren’t alone. Luckily, it’s easy to get it without resorting to cable or satellite providers.

In a hurry? If you are just looking for a great cable replacement service that includes History, these will make you very happy:

In 2008, the channel formerly known as The History Channel was rebranded as simply “History,” and much of the documentary content was replaced with reality shows of questionable historical merit, such as Pawn Stars and Ice Road Truckers, and speculative pseudo-documentary series like Ancient Aliens.

Reality TV and sensationalist documentaries get a bad rap, but there’s a reason they’re popular — vicarious thrills and secret conspiracies are fun! Ancient curses might be hoaxes (Or are they? You decide!), but the high-priced, locked-in curse that is your cable bill is all too real. Fortunately, it’s one that’s super easy to break.

Read on to learn how you can continue enjoying American Pickers while sending your cable bill to the dustbin of…

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How to Watch History Live Without Cable

History is owned by A+E Networks, which also owns A&E, Vice, FYI, Crime + Investigation, and Lifetime in addition to History, Military History, and History en Español. Other channels often watched with History are Discovery, American Heroes Channel, MotorTrend, Science Channel, and Curiosity Stream.

History is a pay channel, meaning it’s not available over the air (OTA). You can’t watch it for free with an antenna. Instead, you need to subscribe to a paid service from a TV provider to watch it. That TV provider doesn’t have to be a cable or satellite company, though.

Over-the-top (OTT) services deliver the same channels through the internet, for lower prices with no contracts, commitments, or installation visits. Read on to find out which services carry History.

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Streaming Services with History

Sorry, sports fans; the sports-oriented FuboTV does not carry History. The same goes for YouTube TV. Neither offers any of the A&E channels. But the rest of the major streaming services all do!

Most of the services that carry History also have the Spanish-language History en Español available as well. Unfortunately, their hawkish brother Military History is not as ubiquitous — it only shows up in Hulu + Live TV’s lineup.

Philo

Philo is the one you want if you’re #1 priority is to save money while still having some selection in your viewing. If you want over 60 channels, it doesn’t come any cheaper than this: $25/mo, with a 7-day free trial.

The channel lineup includes History, American Heroes Channel, Discovery, FYI, MotorTrend, and the Science Channel. It also comes with unlimited cloud DVR storage and streaming on up to 3 stations.

Philo’s drawbacks include pretty big gaps in their channel lineup. They provide no WarnerMedia, no NBCUniversal, and no local networks. And they offer limited premium channels. They do not currently carry Curiosity Stream, Military History, and they are the only major service to not carry any Spanish-language stations.

See our Philo review for more information.

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Sling TV

Sling TV divides their channels up a bit differently, with a Blue and an Orange package, $40.00/mo each for both for $55.00/mo. History is available with both, but Discovery is only on Blue and MotorTrend is only on Orange. These plans come with 50 hours of DVR storage.

Sling TV gives you great latitude in customizing your lineup with Extras — add-on packages of 5-10 channels for $6 each (except for Sports Extra, which is $11).

American Heroes Channel is included in the Heartland Extra, FYI is in the Lifestyle Extra, and the Science Channel and Newsmax are in the News Extra. You can get each one separately (for a total of $18/mo extra), or go for the Total TV Deal for $21/mo extra, which gets you all the Extras (including Sports) and bumps your DVR storage from 50 to 200 hours.

Sling TV also has premium channels like Curiosity Stream available a la carte starting at $3/mo each. History en Español is part of the “Best of Spanish TV” package, including 6 Spanish-language channels for $10/mo.

With Sling Blue, you can stream on up to 3 devices at a time. The Orange-only channels are limited to a single device.

Learn more in our Sling TV review.

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DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) is the priciest option on here, but, without FuboTV, it’s your best one if you’re hardcore into sports, especially local sports.

It offers a four-tiered system starting with the Entertainment package at $79.99/mo. It includes well over 75 channels, including History, Discovery, MotorTrend, and your local network affiliates.

If you upgrade to the Choice package ($108.99/mo), you also get the Science Channel included, plus all the regional sports channels in your area and 3 months HBOMax free. Go up to the Ultimate for $119.99/mo and you get everything in the lower packages as well as American Heroes Channel and FYI.

Military History and Curiosity Stream are not available, History en Español is available as an add-on.

See our detailed review for more information.

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Hulu + Live TV

Hulu has over a dozen History original series and specials available on their low-cost on-demand service, including multiple seasons of Ancient Aliens and Pawn Stars. Hulu + Live TV combines this library with over 85 channels and ESPN+ and Disney+ for $76.99/mo.

The live channel lineup includes History, Discovery, FYI, and MotorTrend. You can top it off with American Heroes Channel, Military History, and Science Channel by getting the Entertainment Add-on for $7.99/mo (and, as mentioned, this is the only service that offers Military History at all). History en Español is available with the Español Add-on.

Hulu + Live TV offers unlimited cloud DVR with 9 months of storage and streaming on two devices at once, plus all your local network stations are included.

See our complete review for more information.

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Vidgo

Vidgo features lots of family-friendly movie channels, includes your local ABC and Fox stations in most areas, and streams on up to 3 screens at a time.

It’s a mid-level service with over 100 channels for $69.99/mo, including History, Discovery, FYI, MotorTrend, Newsmax, and the Science Channel. History en Español is available in the Spanish-language package. 

A big plus is that it has the documentary channel Curiosity Channel, but it’s a trade-off; American Heroes Channel and Military History are not available. Another downside is that they don’t offer any cloud DVR service. There’s also no free trial.

For more information, see our Vidgo review.

Try Vidgo Today!

Other Ways to Stream History

Some streaming services have offered History Channel content in the past. For example, there are many pages that claim Netflix has tons of History shows, but that’s not as true as it once was. The following services do currently provide select History shows and documentaries. Only Frndly provides the live History Channel, the rest are on-demand only.

• Frndly TV: The A+E Networks channels, including History, are among Frndly’s most recent additions. The price has gone up, but it’s still hardly breaking the bank at $6.99/mo for 40 family-friendly channels full of information, documentaries, and entertainment. (Frndly TV review)
• Discovery+: A+E made a deal with Discovery to share some of its older content on Discovery+, including History shows and specials. Plans start at $4.99/mo.
• History Vault: History has its own streaming service that has commercial-free on-demand classic History documentaries and shows for $4.99/mo. It’s not live-streaming, but it’s the next best thing, and new subscribers get a 7-day free trial.
• A&E Crime Central: Brings together true-crime content from all of A+E’s networks into one library for $4.99/mo, with History series such as America’s War on Drugs, The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer, and Kingpin.
• Pluto TV: A free on-demand streaming service that carries several History shows, such as seasons 14-16 of Modern Marvels and 2 seasons of Ancient Aliens.
• Hulu On-Demand: Hulu has over a dozen History titles in their expansive on-demand streaming library, including all six seasons of the popular Vikings series.
• Peacock: NBCUniversal’s low-cost on-demand streaming service has several History series, including Ancient Aliens, The Curse of Oak Island, Pawn Stars, and American Pickers.

Note that none of these will have new episodes of current shows. The only way to get those is to sign up with a TV provider that carries History.

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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.

Watch History With Popular Streaming Devices and TVs

If you have a recent TV or other streaming device, chances are that it will be supported by most of the services we’ve discussed here. Here are some of the details; for more, see our individual stream service reviews.

Strangely, DIRECTV STREAM does not support Android TV-based televisions. But all the other services do. In its defense, DIRECTV STREAM supports its own device that you can purchase for $5/mo (for 24 months).

One of the more popular ways to stream video is to cast to your TV from a smartphone, tablet, or web browser. This is done with Chromecast either built-in as an external device. All services allow you to do this.

Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and DIRECTV STREAM support Samsung model smart TVs. Both Sling TV and Hulu also support LG and Vizio smart TVs.

All the services support the TV “stick” devices: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku, as well as Roku TV. And the same goes for phones and tablets based on iOS (iPads and iPhones) and Android.

Hulu and Sling TV support the Xbox One gaming console. The PlayStation and Nintendo Switch are both supported by Hulu. And VR fans who sign up with Sling TV can use the Oculus.

Today’s History Schedule

Here is today’s schedule in Eastern Time:

4:00pm	Pawn Stars Do America – Texas Treasures Rick, Corey and Chum wrangle some wild deals in the Lone Star State; the guys test-drive a 1968 Buick Riviera, become riveted by a blacksmith's anvil collection, and meet up with NFL legend Emmitt Smith.
6:00pm	Pawn Stars Do America – Michigan Moolah Rick, Corey and Chum are headed to the Wolverines' lair this week. Along the way, Rick is struck by a Ford Thunderbird convertible, Corey uses the force to win over a Star Wars action figure collection, and Chum scores a jersey.
8:00pm	Pawn Stars Do America – Minneapolis Mementos Rick, Corey, and Chum are hoping to strike it rich in the Mill City, Minneapolis, Minn.; while there, the guys have a brush with a happy little Bob Ross painting, tackle a jersey signed by the Minnesota Vikings' Purple People Eaters.
10:03pm	Pawn Stars – Pawn the Test of Time Rick is presented with a handmade cuckoo clock from the 1800s. A seller comes in with a vintage Rolex mirror. A Rolex water pressure tester comes in. Will Corey make time for an offer? And later, Chumlee gets caught faking his timecard.
11:05pm	Pawn Stars – May the Miniforce Be With You A seller comes in with two "Star Wars" Lego minifigures; Rick and Chum mosey on down to Texas, where WWE Champion Booker T helps them authenticate a pair of wrestling boots; Rick checks out a Jeff Koons Balloon Dog statue.
12:03am	Pawn Stars Do America – Minneapolis Mementos Rick, Corey, and Chum are hoping to strike it rich in the Mill City, Minneapolis, Minn.; while there, the guys have a brush with a happy little Bob Ross painting, tackle a jersey signed by the Minnesota Vikings' Purple People Eaters.
2:03am	Pawn Stars – Pawn the Test of Time Rick is presented with a handmade cuckoo clock from the 1800s. A seller comes in with a vintage Rolex mirror. A Rolex water pressure tester comes in. Will Corey make time for an offer? And later, Chumlee gets caught faking his timecard.
3:04am	Pawn Stars – May the Miniforce Be With You A seller comes in with two "Star Wars" Lego minifigures; Rick and Chum mosey on down to Texas, where WWE Champion Booker T helps them authenticate a pair of wrestling boots; Rick checks out a Jeff Koons Balloon Dog statue.
4:01am	Rare Silver Eagle Set Add the Complete Set of 40: 1986-2024 American Silver Eagles graded in Mint State 69 to your numismatic collection. This set includes the first year of issue in 1986, the final year of issue Type 1 and first ever Type 2 with the new design in 2021!
4:31am	Rare Silver Eagle Set Add the Complete Set of 40: 1986-2024 American Silver Eagles graded in Mint State 69 to your numismatic collection. This set includes the first year of issue in 1986, the final year of issue Type 1 and first ever Type 2 with the new design in 2021!
5:01am	Rare Gold Coins Add the ground-breaking 2009 Ultra High Relief Saint Gaudens 1oz Gold Double Eagle in perfect Mint State 70 condition to your collection today. Only 114,427 of these Ultra High Relief coins were struck using Saint Gauden's original plaster models.
5:31am	Rare Gold Coins Add the ground-breaking 2009 Ultra High Relief Saint Gaudens 1oz Gold Double Eagle in perfect Mint State 70 condition to your collection today. Only 114,427 of these Ultra High Relief coins were struck using Saint Gauden's original plaster models.
6:00am	Amazing Facts With Doug Batchelor Pastor Doug Batchelor reveals "Amazing Facts" of biblical events and brings new insight to frequently asked questions in Christian faith.
6:30am	David Jeremiah Dr. David Jeremiah's goal is to deliver the unchanging Word of God to an ever-changing world.
7:00am	American Pickers – Beg Borrow Pick Mike makes a perfect trade, scoring a motor for his 1911 Indian; Mike and Frank have a ball, trading and swapping their way across the country.
8:00am	American Pickers – Crazy Creations The pickers stumble across Dr. Evermor's Forevertron, designed for intergalactic travel, the legendary Michigan Man's powerful V-8 bikes, an ultra-rare vintage Edison fan and more.
9:00am	American Pickers – Extreme Collectors Mike and Frank meet unique collectors and discover that the most interesting people have the coolest stuff.
10:00am	American Pickers – Man Cave Heaven Mike and Frank strap on their picking boots and travel deep into Man Cave Country to dig for rusty gold.
11:00am	American Pickers – Double DeLorean Delight On a ramshackle New Jersey estate, Mike and Danielle go on a "Back to the Future" joyride in a DeLorean.
12:00pm	American Pickers – Say Sohio Frank falls super hard for a '63 Corvette Stingray and he keeps raising his offer, which makes Robbie wonder if this is really Frank; Mike and Mefford kick off an ambitious restoration project.
1:00pm	American Pickers – Hollywood Honey Hole The guys find a Hollywood honey hole when they meet a stuntman from Hollywood's Golden Age; Al's California garage is overflowing with mind-blowing memorabilia.
2:00pm	American Pickers – Dani's Picker-versary Danielle's 10th anniversary with Antique Archaeology becomes a surprise party for Mike when she turns the milestone into a major league event complete with a Hollywood ending.
3:00pm	American Pickers – Midwest Mayhem A super-sized Chicago machine shop leaves the guys breathless, while Danielle and Robbie search for curios at an Odd Fellows Home-turned-winery.
4:00pm	American Pickers – Bombshells and Silk Mike and Jersey John visit a collector in Cape Cod, while Danielle and Robbie uncover American souvenirs and Queen Victoria's silk stockings in Pennsylvania.
5:00pm	Swamp People – Swamp Jaws As gator season enters the homestretch, Troy and Pickle chase a hook breaking monster; Wille and Little Willie set an ambitious goal to turn their season around; Ashley uses a tip from the King of the Swamp to target a giant.

Wrapping Up

Whether you’re a fan of the few straight-facts shows left, like Modern Marvels or you just can’t get enough of Giorgio Tsoukalos attributing anything and everything to aliens, you can watch History’s Greatest Mysteries without cable.

Sign up for one of the streaming services listed here, and it’ll be your cable bill that’s history.

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FAQ

What kind of TV shows can I watch on History?

Once upon a time, back in the mid-1990s, there was a cable station called The History Channel, and it got ribbed a little bit for showing a bit too many World War II documentaries. But on the whole, its content was educational and fact-based. (You can still find some remnants of “The Hitler Channel” on History’s sister channel, Military History.)

History was one of several educational channels from the 80s and 90s to gradually but inexorably succumb to the siren song of inexpensive, unscripted “reality” programming and paranormal investigation shows after the turn of the millennium.

It’s currently mainly known for two things: investigative docu-series and specials on various paranormal topics, such as Bigfoot, UFOs, aliens, and ancient curses; and non-history-related reality shows covering such diverse subjects as pawn shops, low-temperature ground shipping, wetlands-dwelling alligator hunters, wilderness survival, dumpster-diving for antiques, and auto repair.

The most popular shows currently are:

• American Pickers
• Ancient Aliens
• The Curse of Oak Island
• Pawn Stars
• Swamp People.

Other shows featured on the History.com webpage include:

• 9/11: I Was There
• Alone
• Forged in Fire
• History’s Greatest Mysteries
• Modern Marvels
• Mountain Men
• The Men Who Built America
• The Unxplained

Does HISTORY Channel have a streaming service?

Yes. It’s called History Vault, and it contains thousands of History specials and series, all available on-demand ad-free. If you’re curious about what’s available, it’s free to download and browse, though you will need a subscription to actually watch anything. Sign up for $4.99/mo, or save 15% by paying $49.99/yr.

Note that History Vault only provides on-demand library content. You cannot watch the live History Channel through it, nor will you get brand new episodes of current shows as they air.

Is HISTORY Channel free with Amazon Prime Video?

No. Prime Video is still basically an on-demand service with some live sports events; it doesn’t have live channels like a cable, satellite, or live streaming TV service does. You can subscribe to History Vault ($4.99/mo) through Prime Video Channels, which gives you access to thousands of favorite shows and documentaries from History, but it’s not the live channel and you can’t watch brand new episodes.

Is HISTORY Channel on Netflix or Hulu?

Some of its shows are, emphasis on “some.” Netflix used to have a lot more, but as the licensing deals expire, A+E (History’s parent company) is keeping them for its own streaming services. Hulu has a dozen or so. Neither of them will probably satisfy a true hardcore History fan.

Is HISTORY Channel on Disney+?

No, History currently doesn’t have any content deals going with the House of Mouse. However, if you’re looking for documentaries, check out the National Geographic section of Disney+— it’s got lots of good stuff. Or if nothing but History will do, take a look at Discovery+ or History Vault — they both have large History collections and are just $4.99/mo each.

Where can I watch HISTORY Channel?

If you want to watch the live History Channel (instead of watching History shows on-demand), you’ll need a live TV provider. That means a cable or satellite company, or online streaming. We at Hotdog.com are big fans of the live TV streaming services — you can see our rundown of the ones that carry History above.

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Is HISTORY Channel on YouTube?

Yes! It’s almost all clips, but there is the odd full episode of various shows (currently Swamp People S2:E16, Big History S1:E1, Battles B.C. S1:E7, MonsterQuest S3:E24, and others). There are also previews of new shows, behind-the-scenes peeks, and 20-30 minute clip collections like Forged in Fire‘s “Devastating Decapitations” or The Proof Is Out There‘s “Bigfoot is Real!” (yes, seriously.)