TBS is an iconic all-around TV channel. With a diverse range of programming from comedy shows to live sporting events, TBS is a channel that appeals to everyone. Even more appealing?
You don’t need an expensive long-term contract with a cable or satellite provider to enjoy TBS. You have lots of other options!
In a hurry? There are lots of things to consider when choosing a streaming service. But these three are our favorites. They give you TBS and lots more:
- 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% with Sling TV.
- Hulu + Live TV: This total entertainment streaming service provides a great on-demand selection and all the essential live TV channels.
If you can’t watch your favorite movies and shows because of your location, try ExpressVPN to get access to the content you deserve.
Table Of Contents
TBS earned its popularity through a combination of movies and syndicated network shows, and also with some notable live sports like the NCAA basketball tournament, March Madness.
Today, it remains a place where you can reliably catch reruns of popular series from the eighties and nineties such as Seinfeld, Friends, Family Guy, and The Big Bang Theory, in addition to movies, sports, and original comedy series.
So if you want to cut the cord, but don’t think your Wednesdays would be the same without Samantha Bee at the end of the day, you can still enjoy all her sarcastic charm without cable on TBS. Read on to learn how!
How to Watch TBS Live Without Cable
TBS began as an independent Atlanta broadcast station before becoming the nation’s first “superstation” via satellite distribution, pioneering the use of satellite to transmit cable channels.
Through the magic of corporate mergers and acquisitions, Turner Broadcasting (TBS, TNT, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, CNN/HLN, Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, and Boomerang) is now a division of WarnerMedia (HBO, Cinemax, and The CW). Warner recently merged with Discovery to form Warner Bros.-Discovery.
TBS, TNT, and truTV are still marketed together, with TBS branded as the home of comedy, TNT specializing in drama, and truTV featuring reality and lifestyle shows with a comedic bent.
TBS may have started out as a broadcast station, but it was officially converted into a conventional basic cable network back in 2007, so even if you do happen to live in the Atlanta area, you still couldn’t pick it up on an antenna. You would need a paid subscription service, which used to come in the form of cable or a home satellite dish.
But now there are several services that stream the same channels live over the internet at a fraction of the price. These over-the-top services are cheaper, more flexible alternatives to traditional cable, with no contracts, commitments, or extra mystery fees.
Below you’ll find more detail on each of these services that carry TBS.
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.
Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.
Streaming Services with TBS
Channels tend to be licensed in bundles, so if one is missing, chances are you aren’t going to find its sister channels, either. For example, FuboTV and Vidgo don’t carry any of the Turner-WarnerMedia channels like TBS. The same goes for bargain provider Philo.
Don’t worry though. You still have lots of options for TBS, TNT, truTV, and all their other sister channels.
Sling TV
| Relevant Channels | Cartoon Network, CNN, TBS, TCM*, TNT, truTV |
| Total Channels | 40+ |
| Cloud DVR | 50 hours |
| Simultaneous Screens | 3 |
| Free Trial | ❌ |
| Sling TV Price** | $40.00/mo |
Sling TV is the oldest OTT service and remains one of the best values. The Sling Blue plan has got a little bit of everything, from shows to movies to sports to family, plus NBC and Fox (depending on your market). All for $40.00/mo.
The plan includes CNN, TBS, TNT, truTV, and Cartoon Network/Adult Swim. If you want Turner Classic Movies (TCM), you will need to get the Hollywood Extra add-on for $6/mo. The CW is not available from Sling TV.
Sling Blue comes with a total of over 40 channels, 50 hours of cloud DVR storage, and 3 simultaneous streams.
Find out more about Sling TV here:
You can also check out our guide to March Madness coverage and schedule, or how to watch AEW every week.
DIRECTV STREAM
| Relevant Channels | Cartoon Network, CNN, TBS, TCM, TNT, truTV |
| Total Channels | 75+ |
| Cloud DVR | Unlimited* |
| Simultaneous Screens | unlimited |
| Free Trial* | 5 days |
| DIRECTV STREAM Price | $79.99/mo |
DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) has all the Turner/WarnerMedia channels in its 75+ channel Entertainment package. It also includes The CW and other local channels. HBO and Cinemax come optionally as premium channels for extra.
The base package is $79.99/mo with a 5-day free trial.
If you subscribe to the Choice ($108.99/mo) or higher package, regional sports channels based on your area are included, and you get 3 months of HBO Max for free.
See our DIRECTV STREAM review for all the details.
Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days
Hulu + Live TV
| Relevant Channels | Cartoon Network, CNN, TBS, TCM, TNT, truTV |
| Total Channels | 85+ |
| Cloud DVR | Unlimited* |
| Simultaneous Screens | 2 |
| Free Trial | ❌ |
| Hulu Price | $76.99/mo |
Hulu is known for its hyper-current library of on-demand TV series (typically offering episodes the day after they air, rather than having to wait a year for the most recent season to get to Netflix).
This library includes a few TBS original programs, plus a lot of the shows TBS syndicates. But the important part is that TBS is included in Hulu’s Live TV service.
For $76.99/mo, you get 85+ channels to stream on up to two devices at a time and unlimited cloud DVR (9 month storage). All the Turner and WarnerMedia channels are present and accounted for, except for HBO and Cinemax, which are available as premium channels for an additional fee.
Local stations, including The CW, are available based on location. Learn more:
Other Ways to Stream TBS
Those aren’t the only ways to watch Miracle Workers and other TBS shows. Check out these other ways to stream TBS:
- TBS, TNT, and truTV are all included on YouTube TV, which is currently $72.99/mo.
- Much of TBS’s original programming is available on various services, such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, iTunes, and Vudu. These vary; you can watch by either buying the show by episode or season, and/or subscribing to the service.
- The TBS live stream is available on most devices with the TBS app. You still need a subscription via a cable, satellite, or streaming service.
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 TBS on Your TVs and Streaming Devices
All the streaming services we’ve discussed support the major devices in use today:
- Samsung Smart TVs: select models from 2017 through 2020
- TV Devices: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku
- Android: smartphones and tablets
- iOS: iPhones, iPads, iPod Touch units
- Chromecast: units and built-in systems
- Web browsers: Chrome, Edge, Safari.
Sling TV and Hulu support TVs with the Android TV operating system. They also support LG smart TVs, Amazon Fire tablets, and gaming consoles like Xbox.
Sling TV supports the Oculus VR device. And Hulu supports the PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.
Today’s TBS Schedule
Here is today’s schedule in Eastern Time:
| Family Matters – Just One Date Steve commemorates his 1,000th attempt to date Laura with a sit-in on the roof of the Winslow home; Richie has an admirer. | |
| Family Matters – The Oddest Couple Eddie's sloppy habits and Steve's scientific experiments don't make for domestic bliss when the two become roommates. | |
| Young Sheldon – A Pineapple and the Bosom of Male Friendship After being released from the mental hospital, Dr. Sturgis unexpectedly breaks up with Meemaw. | |
| Young Sheldon – A Parasol and a Hell of an Arm A church carnival leads Missy to try out for the baseball team; Meemaw struggles after her breakup with Dr. Sturgis. | |
| Young Sheldon – Pongo Pygmaeus and a Culture That Encourages Spitting Sheldon starts an internet flame war; Missy stands up to the boys on her baseball team; Meemaw is unhappy when George Sr. spends time with her new boyfriend. | |
| Young Sheldon – The Sin of Greed and a Chimichanga From Chi-Chi's The University makes George Sr. a lucrative job offer in hopes of recruiting Sheldon; Georgie gets a job working for Meemaw's new boyfriend; Mary is determined to rid her home of greed. | |
| Young Sheldon – A Party Invitation, Football Grapes and an Earth Chicken Mary gets Pastor Jeff involved when Sheldon isn't invited to Billy's birthday party; George Sr. has male bonding time with Dr. Sturgis. | |
| Young Sheldon – Teenager Soup and a Little Ball of Fib Sheldon fakes being sick to avoid a swim test at school; Dr. Sturgis spies on Meemaw's new boyfriend. | |
| Friends – The One With Monica's Thunder Monica feels that Rachel is trying to steal the spotlight from her engagement; Chandler worries about his performance in the bedroom. | |
| Friends – The One With Rachel's Book Monica learns what her parents have done with her wedding fund; Joey teases Rachel about her late-night reading material. | |
| Friends – The One With Phoebe's Cookies Chandler's efforts to bond with Monica's father (Elliott Gould) backfire during a racquetball game; Rachel tries to teach Joey how to sail; Monica tries to replicate Phoebe's grandmother's cookie recipe. | |
| Friends – The One With Rachel's Assistant Rachel considers hiring an inexperienced but handsome man over a better qualified woman as her executive assistant. | |
| Friends – The One With the Engagement Picture Rachel makes her handsome new assistant (Eddie Cahill) hang out with Joey rather than the women in her office. | |
| Friends – The One With the Nap Partners Monica makes Chandler apologize to an old girlfriend (Stacy Galina) for leaving her because she was fat; Monica struggles to select a maid of honor. | |
| Friends – The One With Ross' Library Book Ross' doctoral dissertation is stored in a remote corner of the university library frequently used by students having sex; Rachel and Phoebe bond with Joey's date (Kristin Davis), then try to convince him to continue seeing her. | |
| Friends – The One Where Chandler Doesn't Like Dogs Joey may have ruined Rachel's chances with Tag (Eddie Cahill) when he opens his mouth during Thanksgiving dinner. | |
| Friends – The One With All the Candy Rachel finds it embarrassing that she is paying the way for her hunky new boyfriend (Eddie Cahill), who is also her assistant at work. | |
| Friends – The One With the Holiday Armadillo Ross' attempts to introduce his son, Ben, to Hanukkah are thwarted by the tyke's like of all things Christmas. | |
| Friends – The One With All the Cheesecakes Phoebe and Joey are at odds when she tries to cancel their weekly dinner plans so she can meet an old beau. | |
| Friends – The One Where They're Up All Night During their first night together, Rachel and Tag realize they forgot to ship out an important package at the office. | |
| The Big Bang Theory – The Rhinitis Revelation Sheldon finds himself competing with the gang for his mother's (Laurie Metcalf) attention when she visits. | |
| The Big Bang Theory – The Good Guy Fluctuation An attractive comic book artist tests Leonard and Priya's relationship; Sheldon tries to scare his friends. | |
| The Big Bang Theory – The Isolation Permutation Amy is devastated when Penny and Bernadette shop for wedding dresses without her. | |
| The Big Bang Theory – The Ornithophobia Diffusion Leonard and Penny spend time alone; Sheldon tries to face his fear of birds. | |
| The Big Bang Theory – The Flaming Spittoon Acquisition Sheldon is jealous when Stuart (Kevin Sussman), a guy from the comic book store, asks Amy out on a date. | |
| The Big Bang Theory – The Speckerman Recurrence Leonard must face the bully who targeted him in high school; Penny confronts her past actions. | |
| The Big Bang Theory – The Shiny Trinket Maneuver Amy is upset with Sheldon when he isn't impressed with her recent accomplishment; Howard struggles with Bernadette's aversion to children. | |
| NHL Hockey – Vancouver Canucks at Nashville Predators Nashville hosts Vancouver for Game 3 of this West quarterfinal. The Canucks were dealt a tough blow prior to Game 2, as it was announced Thatcher Demko is questionable for the remainder of the series. The Predators evened the set with a 4-1 victory. | |
| NHL Hockey – Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings The Kings look to take control of their first-round series with the Oilers as they host Game 3. Los Angeles captain Anze Kopitar buried the game-winner just 2:07 into overtime of Game 2, sealing a 5-4 decision and stealing home ice for the Kings. | |
| NHL on TBS Postgame Postgame analysis of an NHL game. | |
| Movie – Kong: Skull Island Scientists, soldiers and adventurers encounter the mighty Kong and other monstrous creatures after traveling to an uncharted island in the Pacific Ocean. | |
| Family Matters – 3J in the House The Winslows realize their true feelings for 3J when he runs away from his group home. With JoMarie Payton Noble and Reginald VelJohnson. | |
| Family Matters – Getting Buff Eddie's (Darius McCrary) girlfriend reveals the details of her part-time job; Carl (Reginald VelJohnson) battles a nasty neighbor (Ron Orbach). | |
| Family Matters – Stevil Steve (Jaleel White) is spooked when his ventriloquist dummy comes to life and sets out to torment the Winslows. With Reginald VelJohnson. | |
| Modern Family – Kiss and Tell Haley looks to Mitch and Cam for relationship advice; Gloria suspects Manny's Canadian girlfriend is made up and tries to find out the real truth. |
Wrapping Up
So if you love tuning in equally to a random 90s sitcom like Seinfeld and an offbeat game show like The Misery Index, don’t give up on TBS just because you’re ready to throw in the towel with your cable company.
Sign up for one of the streaming services listed here, and never miss new episodes of American Dad! again!
FAQ
What is the cheapest way to get TBS?
Sling TV is your cheapest option to get TBS for $40.00/mo. You can also get extras like Kids, News, Lifestyle, and Comedy add-ons, all for just an extra $13/mo. If you absolutely cannot live without TCM, you can add the Hollywood Extra for $6/mo. That’s still only $54/mo for 90+ channels!
The drawback with Sling is its lack of local channels like The CW. However, Hulu + Live TV helps for $76.99/mo, offering The CW in most areas.
Can I get TBS by itself?
You cannot get TBS by itself. If you are an existing customer with a service that supports TV Everywhere, you can sign into TBS’s website or app to watch live or on-demand content. But there’s no service that offers TBS alone, or even just a package of the three Turner-branded channels TBS, TNT, and truTV. At least not yet!
Is TBS on any streaming service?
Yes! It’s actually on several. Your cheapest option is Sling TV at $40.00/mo. You’re most cable-like option is DIRECTV STREAM starting at $79.99/mo. Be careful, though, since several streaming services do not carry any of the Turner channels (such as fuboTV). You can check out our section “Streaming Services with TBS” for more information.
How can I stream TBS for free?
You can’t, not really. DIRECTV STREAM offers a 5-day free trial to new subscribers, which you could take advantage of, and YouTube TV gives you a free week. Some content (very little) is available on the TBS website or app for free (most of it requires a TV provider login).
Sling TV is the cheapest streaming option at $40.00/mo.
Note that TBS may have originated as a over-the-air (OTA) channel in Atlanta, but its current form is a regular cable channel, no longer connected at all with the original Atlanta-based station.
How much does TBS streaming cost?
Since you can’t get TBS just by itself (see above), it costs as much as the service that carries it. The cheapest service that carries TBS is Sling TV, which starts at $40.00/mo. The other services that carry it are all in the $64.99-$69.99 range.
Is TBS free on Roku?
TBS costs the same on Roku as it does on any other device. YouTube TV and DIRECTV STREAM have free trials for their streaming services (seven and five days, respectively), but there is no truly free option for TBS. The cheapest streaming platform that carries TBS is Sling TV, which starts at $40.00/mo
Is TBS on Amazon Prime?
No, but it’s easy to get confused. The TBS app is available in the Amazon App Store (similar to the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store), and this is basically the same app you’d get for Android or iOS, but for Amazon Fire tablets (or phones). It requires a TV provider login.
If TBS were available to watch through Amazon Prime Video, it would be on Amazon Prime Video Channels, which it is not.
To sum up: you cannot get the live TBS channel through Amazon Prime Video.
What are the TBS streaming options?
Streaming services that carry TBS: Sling TV, DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV. Sling TV is best for people who want to be able to fine-tune a small number of channels. DIRECTV STREAM has a cable-esque large package of channels, and has the biggest selection of regional sports networks.
Hulu + Live TV comes with Hulu (on-demand), Disney+, and ESPN+ included. And YouTube TV is similar to Hulu Live, but with slightly more channels and no Disney+/ESPN+ love.
What are the best TV shows on TBS?
TBS has a wide variety of TV shows, though it specializes in comedy. It has some popular original comedies (Chad) and a satisfying selection of oddball unscripted programs, like AEW Dynamite and Celebrity Show-Off, but some of its most popular shows are its syndicated favorites, like The Big Bang Theory. Here’s a rundown of some of their biggest draws:
- Chad
- Miracle Workers
- The Big Bang Theory
- Celebrity Show-Off
- AEW Dynamite
- American Dad!
- 2 Broke Girls
- Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses
- Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
- The Cube
- Friday Night Vibes
- Conan
What sports are on TBS?
TBS, through its history as a Turner network, has the rights to several important sporting events. As mentioned, it airs a lot of March Madness games. It’s also joint-home to the Stanley Cup playoffs and Final and the NBA playoffs and Finals. Check out our Stanley Cup Playoff Schedule guide for more info on NHL championship channels.
Ditch “Big Cable” Now – 3 Simple Steps to Cut the Cord
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