Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is my favorite channel. I’m a classic movie buff and I prefer movies to be unedited and without commercials. Here I’ll use my expertise to show you how to stream TCM without cable.
In a hurry? These streaming services provide immediate access to TCM:
- Sling TV: The Blue plan gives you TCM and provides a great base channel lineup if you combine both its plans. There’s also an add-on for more movie channels.
- DIRECTV STREAM: Since this service allows for a 5-day free trial (unlike Sling), it can be a good choice for those who aren’t ready to commit. In addition to TCM, they offer unlimited screens and a 90+ channel Entertainment plan.
- Hulu + Live TV: This service has broad appeal for TCM fans due to its combination of original programming, live TV, and great on-demand options. Hulu has a 3-day free trial.
Table Of Contents
How To Watch TCM Live Without Cable
Since TCM is not broadcast over the air or for free, you must purchase it through a third-party provider. Many streaming services provide TCM, here are the ones that do:
| Service | Price | Channels | Reviews |
 | $40.00/month (Blue) | 40+ (Blue) | Sling |
 | $108.99/month | 125+ | DIRECTV |
 | $76.99/month | 95+ | Hulu |
 | $72.99/month | 100+ | YouTube TV |
More Streaming Details
With DIRECTV STREAM, YouTube TV, and Hulu, you get unlimited cloud DVR storage. Sling TV offers 50 hours of cloud DVR storage.
The number of screens you get depends on the service and plan.
- Sling Blue: 3 screens
- DIRECTV STREAM: Unlimited screens
- Hulu: 2 screens
- YouTube TV: 3 screens
These streaming services also support most devices and smart TVs as well as streaming via the Xbox gaming console — check our reviews for more details.
Sling TV’s Hollywood Extra Add-On
One of the selling points of Sling TV is how easy it is to personalize with add-ons. For $6.00 monthly, you can get the Hollywood Extra add-on which includes:
- TCM,
- FXM,
- Cinémoi, and
- 7 other film-oriented channels.
Other Ways to Get TCM Online
There are other ways to watch TCM live:
- TCM.com: There’s a section of TCM’s website called Watch TCM where you can watch both the East and West Coast broadcast feeds as well as select from a huge collection of movies on-demand. This requires a login from your cable or streaming service. It doesn’t work with Sling TV, however.
- TCM App: The app has the same login restrictions as TCM.com but it runs on Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku devices.
The above streaming services also support most devices and smart TVs as well as streaming via gaming consoles. See our streaming reviews for more details about devices.
What’s on TCM Now?
| Movie – The Barkleys of Broadway Half of a husband-and-wife dance team (Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers) wants to be an actress, so they split up. | |
| Movie – Cheaper by the Dozen Time-and-motion-study pioneers Frank and Lillian Gilbreth (Clifton Webb, Myrna Loy) run their brood of 12 efficiently. |
Our Choice
Editor’s Choice: Sling TV’s Blue Plan ($40.00/month)
Best for: Most people who love classic movies
- Sling’s Blue plan comes with 40+ channels
- To get TCM, you’ll need the Hollywood Extra add-on for $6 more per month.
- The Blue plan comes with 3 screens and 50 hours of cloud DVR
Runner Up: DIRECTV STREAM ($108.99/month )
Best for: People who need a lot of screens or want a free trial
- 5-day free trial
- 125+ channels
- Unlimited cloud DVR and unlimited screens for all your devices
FAQs
What is TCM?
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.
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.
Page Updates ▼▲
-
Overhauled the page and streamlined it. Added services to the comparison table. Added streaming services and more details.
-
Added links to streaming services. Misc changes. Small layout changes.
-
Added buttons for streaming services. Image changes. Changed a few bits of content. Reformatting.
-
Added VPN info. Added buttons for streaming services. Added a few links. Mentioned offers. Changed a few bits of content.
-
Added buttons for streaming services. Mentioned channel info. Updated some sub-sections. Pricing updates. Image changes.
-
Pricing updates. Image changes. Mentioned offers.
-
Updated some sub-sections. Updated some section headings. Pricing updates. Cleaned up list.
-
Updates to a section.
My expertise in sports streaming stems from my long-standing interest in technology, early adoption of streaming services, and extensive experience writing for major tech publications. My background in marketing for Fortune 500 companies, combined with my hands-on experience with various streaming platforms, makes me a valuable expert in understanding and explaining the complexities of sports streaming to audiences.
2 Comments