TCM Channel Live Stream: Watch Movies Without Ads or Cable Cheaper Online

Movie fans love TCM because it runs unedited films without commercials. At one time, you needed a cable subscription to get the channel. But no more! Read on to learn all your options to watch TCM.

In a hurry? If you want to start watching TCM without cable now, these three streaming services provide immediate access, and a lot more.

Save 50% on Sling TV Now

How To Watch TCM Live Without Cable

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is unusual in the “basic cable” world. It doesn’t run any commercials. The channel is funded primarily on carriage fees, the money that cable, satellite, and streaming companies pay for rights to provide the channel to their customers.

As a result of this, TCM is not as widely available as, say, Discovery or Hallmark. But it is still available for one main reason: there are a lot of TCM fans! Famed director Martin Scorsese plays it in his editing room for inspiration. Like him, most TCM viewers are older. But this is changing with more and more young people tuning in.

Since TCM is not broadcast over the air, you can’t get with an antenna, or for free. You need to purchase it through a third-party provider. And for those who want to avoid long contracts with cable and satellite companies, streaming services are the only option.

All you need is an internet connection and a supported streaming device. If you’re reading this, you likely already have both. All you need to do is sign up with the right streaming service — you can decide which one that is below.

Sling TV

Movie Channels	AMC, Bravo, Disney, SyFy
Total Channels	40+
Cloud DVR	50 hours
Simultaneous Screens	3
Free Trial	❌
Sling TV Price*	$40.00/mo

Sling TV does not offer TCM with either of its base plans. Sling Blue does, however, provide you with AMC, Bravo, Disney, SyFy, and almost 40 other channels for just $40.00/mo.

One of the selling points of Sling TV is how easy it is to personalize with add-ons. For $6/mo, you get the Hollywood Extra add-on, which includes TCM, FXM, Cinémoi, and 7 other film-oriented channels. That’s $41 per month and you have TCM with a bunch of other channels.

For another $6/mo, you can get the Lifestyle Extra add-on, which includes Lifetime Movies, the 3 Hallmark channels, and 6 others.

This plan comes with 50 hours of DVR storage and the ability to stream on up to three screens at one time.

Check out these in-depth articles on Sling TV for more:

• Sling TV Review
• Sling TV Packages
• Sling TV Local Channels
• Sling TV Devices.

Save 50% on Sling TV Now

DIRECTV STREAM

Movie Channels	AMC, Bravo, Disney, SyFy, TCM
Total Channels	75+
Cloud DVR	Unlimited*
Simultaneous Screens	Unlimited
Free Trial*	✅
DIRECTV STREAM Price	$79.99/mo

The DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) base (Entertainment) plan offers 75+ channels for $79.99/mo. It comes with TCM as well as AMC, Bravo, Disney, and SyFy. If you also want FXM and Lifetime Movies, you will need to choose the Ultimate plan. It comes with 130+ channels (including HBO MAX free for a year) for $119.99/mo.

The cloud DVR that comes with DIRECTV STREAM is unlimited as long as you sign-up online.

On the other hand, DIRECTV STREAM has the best deal in the industry when it comes to sharing an account. You can use your account on unlimited devices simultaneously in one household and away.

Read more about DIRECTV STREAM in our detailed review.

Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days

Hulu + Live TV

Movie Channels	AMC, Bravo, Disney, FXM, LTM, SyFy, TCM
Total Channels	85+
Cloud DVR	Unlimited*
Simultaneous Screens	2
Free Trial	❌
Hulu Price	$76.99/mo

Hulu is known for its on-demand streaming service. It is extremely popular with cord-cutters who don’t care about watching live TV but want to stay up on recently aired shows. Hulu + Live TV adds to that 85+ live channels for $76.99/mo.

In addition to TCM, Hulu + Live TV offers other movie channels like AMC, Bravo, Disney, FXM, Lifetime Movies, and SyFy. And you get Disney+ and ESPN+. They also provide access to premium movie channels like Cinemax, Showtime, HBO, and Starz.

Hulu + Live TV comes with unlimited cloud DVR (9 month storage). You can also stream on up to two screens at one time. The simultaneous screens can be upgraded.

Find out more from these guides:

• Hulu + Live TV Review
• Hulu + Live TV Packages
• Hulu + Live TV Local Channels.

Try Hulu + Live TV Today!

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.

Other Ways to Get TCM Online

There are other ways to watch TCM live:

• TCM.com: You can watch both the east and west coast feeds of TCM as well as a huge collection of movies on-demand. This requires a login from your streaming service. It doesn’t work with Sling TV, however.
• TCM App: This is the same as the TCM.com website but it runs on Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku devices.
• YouTube TV: a general streaming service similar to Hulu + Live TV.

TVs and Devices That Support TCM

The three streaming services that we’ve discussed above support most of the streaming devices that are currently in use.

All of them support the main “stick” devices: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku. They also support Chromecast, which allows your TV to accept casts from mobile devices and web browsers (if the TV doesn’t already support this).

Hulu and Sling support smart TVs with Android TV. DIRECTV STREAM and Sling TV support recent Samsung smart TVs. They also support a number of other devices including LG smart TVs, Xbox One gaming consoles, and Oculus VR devices.

DIRECTV STREAM supports its own device, which can be an easy way to move away from cable, without having to mess with third-party devices.

And finally, all the streaming services support web browsers. This has an advantage — most devices that run web browsers can be connected to a smart TV for display.

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.

Today’s TCM Schedule

Here is today’s schedule in Eastern Time:

3:00pm	Movie – Stage Door New York chorus girls (Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers) room at a theatrical boardinghouse while waiting for their big break.
4:45pm	Movie – Fifth Avenue Girl An unhappy millionaire (Walter Connolly) with a wife (Verree Teasdale) and family has a girl (Ginger Rogers) from Central Park pose as his mistress.
6:15pm	Movie – Primrose Path A shantytown tomboy's (Ginger Rogers) straight-arrow sweetheart (Joel McCrea) discovers how her mother (Marjorie Rambeau) makes a living.
8:00pm	Movie – Woman of the Year A New York sportswriter (Spencer Tracy) marries a political columnist (Katharine Hepburn) whose career comes first.
10:00pm	Movie – The In-Laws A New York dentist (Alan Arkin) lands in a Central American hot spot with a shady guy who soon will be his daughter's father-in-law (Peter Falk).
12:00am	Movie – Christmas in Connecticut The publisher (Sydney Greenstreet) of a women's magazine has his best columnist (Barbara Stanwyck) play holiday host to a Navy hero (Dennis Morgan).
2:00am	Movie – Breakfast for Two An heiress (Barbara Stanwyck) saves a playboy (Herbert Marshall) from a gold digger (Glenda Farrell), then buys his steamship line for fun.
3:15am	Movie – The Bride Walks Out Budgeting newlyweds (Barbara Stanwyck, Gene Raymond) split over money, then reunite after her fling with a rich guy (Robert Young).
4:45am	Movie – Gambling Lady A rich man's son (Joel McCrea) marries a gambler's daughter (Barbara Stanwyck) who makes her living with cards.
6:00am	Movie – Boys Town Father Flanagan (Spencer Tracy) reforms a pool shark (Mickey Rooney) at his Omaha, Neb., home for wayward boys.
7:45am	Movie – I Confess A priest honors the sanctity of the confessional when he stands trial for a murder committed by one of his penitents.
9:45am	Movie – Black Narcissus Anglican nuns face a variety of pressures as they attempt to maintain a convent school and hospital in the Himalayas.
11:45am	Movie – Stars in My Crown Man of God Josiah Gray (Joel McCrea) is determined to bring religion to the people of Walesburg, a dusty southern town still healing from the Civil War.
1:30pm	Movie – Angel Baby A Southern girl (Salome Jens) turns exploited faith healer after another (George Hamilton) restores her speech.
3:30pm	Movie – The Night of the Iguana In Mexico, a defrocked clergyman (Richard Burton) juggles relationships with three women of disparate personalities.

Wrapping Up

TCM has thousands of ad-free movies for you to enjoy, and now you can do it without cable.

We recommend Sling TV for streaming TCM. Save 50% on your first month of Sling TV.

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Get comfortable and start streaming while enjoying more for less money!

FAQs

How do I watch TCM for free?

TCM is a pay-TV station. It isn’t broadcast over the air and isn’t available for free. You must get it from a third-party provider. There is no way to get TCM free long-term.

How do I get TCM on-demand?

“TCM on-demand” or “Watch TCM” is available through the TCM website or app. These give you access to the east and west coast live streams of TCM. But they also give you on-demand access to TCM’s large collection of classic films. To use this, you must log in with your streaming services using TV everywhere. 

What type of shows does TCM offer?

TCM doesn’t have much in the way of shows — they just air movies. This is one reason that many film fans like it so much. They present one film after another with introductions by the hosts. What’s more, there are no adverts on TCM, so films run uninterrupted.

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