TruTV has changed a lot over the years, but it now stands as one of the best overall channels for entertainment with a focus on comedy with a healthy dose of sports. Although it is one of the base “cable channels,” it is not necessary to have cable to enjoy it. Read on to learn your options.
In a hurry? Any of the following services will provide you with access to TruTV and many other channels:
- 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
TruTV was launched in 2008, rising phoenix-like from the ashes of CourtTV. At the time, it was still very much a drama- and action-based reality network — so “real” that the channel’s staff felt the need to coin a new word for it: “actuality.”
Courtroom coverage was reduced to the “In Session” programming block from 9 am to 3 pm, then whittled away until it was removed altogether.
By 2014, the station’s content had completely shifted to comedic-themed reality shows, semi-scripted docuseries, sketch comedy, and reality competitions aimed at “funseekers.” Some syndicated series and films were also thrown into the mix.
The joke is on your cable company, though, if they think you need their expensive contracts to catch the latest Backyard Bar Wars. Just check out the streaming services discussed below, and you’ll be the last one laughing.
March Madness on TruTV
March Madness 2024 is on. TruTV will be showing First Four and first- and second-round coverage.
- Selection Sunday: March 17
- First Four: March 19, 20
- First/Second Rounds: March 21, 22, 23, 24
- Sweet 16/Elite 8: March 28, 29, 30, 31
- Final Four: April 6
- NCAA Championship: 9 p.m. Monday, April 8 (ET)
Here’s the full schedule:
| Round | Date | City |
| Selection Sunday | March 13 | N/A |
| First Four | March 15 and 16 | Dayton, Ohio |
| First/Second | March 17 and 19 | Buffalo, New York |
| First/Second | March 17 and 19 | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| First/Second | March 17 and 19 | Fort Worth, Texas |
| First/Second | March 17 and 19 | Portland, Oregon |
| First/Second | March 18 and 20 | Greenville, South Carolina |
| First/Second | March 18 and 20 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| First/Second | March 18 and 20 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| First/Second | March 18 and 20 | San Diego, California |
| Sweet 16/Elite Eight | March 24 and 26 | San Antonio, Texas |
| Sweet 16/Elite Eight | March 24 and 26 | San Francisco, California |
| Sweet 16/Elite Eight | March 25 and 27 | Chicago, Illinois |
| Sweet 16/Elite Eight | March 25 and 27 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Final Four | April 2 and 4 | New Orleans |
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How to Watch TruTV Live Without Cable
TruTV is currently marketed together with its closest sibling stations, TBS (more standard scripted comedy) and TNT (scripted drama), which were in turn part of the Turner Broadcasting family, which also included CNN, HLN, Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, Boomerang, and Turner Classic Movies. Turner Broadcasting is currently owned by WarnerMedia, making TruTV a step-sibling of HBO, Cinemax, and The CW.
Unfortunately, you can’t get TruTV with an antenna, because it’s not an over-the-air network (think NBC, ABC, CBS). It’s considered a “pay” or “cable” channel because you can only watch it if your local cable or satellite provider — like Xfinity or Verizon — makes it available.
At least, that’s how it used to work.
These days, more and more people turn to OTT (over-the-top) services that find alternate methods to deliver the same TV channels. No year-long commitments, no hidden fees, no waiting around all day for the cable guy to come just to plug in a few cords.
You can get all your favorite shows, live, just like you watch them on cable, through a streaming service that provides all the TV you love over the internet.
Streaming Services With TruTV
Another great advantage to streaming services is that you have choices. Usually at least two or three (and sometimes up to six or more) give you access to the channels you want.
Each service has its own pros and cons. You can choose one that works best for you. TruTV is carried by several of the biggest services: Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV).
Let’s talk details.
Sling TV
The great strength of Sling TV is its flexibility. You can get around 40 channels or over a hundred. It’s the most customizable service out there. It’s cheap too. Sling Blue gives you TruTV plus 40+ other channels for just $40.00/mo!
This plan also comes with Cartoon Network (Adult Swim), Comedy Central, FX, TBS, and TNT. You also get your local NBC and Fox affiliates in most areas. Plus, you can watch on up to three devices at the same time if your household doesn’t always agree on what to watch. And you get 50 hours of cloud DVR.
Sling TV doesn’t have a free trial. Save 50% on Sling TV now! Read our thorough review for more information. You can also check out our guide to March Madness coverage and schedule.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) carries TruTV and all the Warner sister stations (including TBS) in its base Entertainment package. You get Comedy Central, FXX, TV Land, and TLC.
DIRECTV STREAM offers four tiers of service. The lowest level is the Entertainment Plan with 75+ channels for $79.99/mo. The top-level is the Premier with 140+ channels for $164.99/mo. That plan might sound expensive but it comes with a ton of premium channels from HBO, Showtime, Starz, and MGM+.
All packages come with an upgradable unlimited cloud DVR (as long as you sign up online) and the ability to watch on unlimited different devices in the same home (and remotely). All TV packages also come with a full slate of local broadcast channels.
For details, see our DIRECTV STREAM review.
Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days
Hulu + Live TV
Good old reliable Hulu + Live TV has got your back when it comes to Turner-WarnerMedia channels: it’s got them all. You get TruTV plus over 85 other channels, unlimited Cloud DVR with 9 month storage, and the ability to watch on up to 2 screens at a time, for $76.99/mo.
But wait, there’s more! They’ll even throw in access to their huge on-demand library, and Disney+, and ESPN+. Still not convinced? In most areas, your local network affiliates are included in the deal (including The CW). And, HBO and Cinemax are available as premium channels for a little extra.
If you’re still hunting up laughs, they also carry Comedy Central, FXX, and TV Land, plus TLC for more reality-based escapism. Read our Hulu + Live TV review for more information.
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. |
Other Ways to Stream TruTV
Searching for more ways to keep up with Fast Foodies? Here are more ways to stream TruTV:
- YouTube TV: Similar to Hulu + Live TV, you can get TruTV, TBS, TNT, plus over 80 other channels, including local networks.
- On-demand: TruTV’s shows are available to stream on several services. The most comprehensive collection is on HBO Max (since both HBO and truTV are part of WarnerMedia’s Entertainment division). You can also find some series on Amazon Prime Video and Vudu.
- TruTV App: Offers a live-stream of the channel plus on-demand content of former and current original series. It requires you to sign in with your TV provider so if you don’t already have a cable TV subscription or compatible streaming service it won’t do you much good.
TVs and Other Devices for Watching TruTV
Most modern TVs and streaming devices will allow you to watch TruTV with the services we’ve discussed. In particular, all of the following are supported:
- Smartphones/Tablets
- Android
- iOS
- Casting
- Chromecast devices
- Chromecast-enabled TVs
- TV Stick Devices
- Amazon Fire TV
- Apple TV
- Roku
- Samsung TVs
- Web browsers
- Chrome
- Edge
- Safari.
DIRECTV STREAM offers its own device (like a cable box), which is expensive ($120), but may make the transition from cable to streaming easier.
Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV support Android TV devices and smart TVs from LG and Vizio. They also both support the Xbox One. There are a number of less popular devices that are also supported; see our streaming reviews for more details.
Today’s TruTV Schedule
Here is today’s schedule in Eastern Time:
| Impractical Jokers – The Prize Fighter Q, Sal, Murr, and Joe get their checks bounced by customers who notice unusual charges, then help out coworkers with some peculiar trust exercises; the big loser finds himself balls-deep at a carnival game that's rigged for him to lose. | |
| Impractical Jokers – Fast Feud Four longtime friends compete to embarrass each other with a series of hilarious dares, if they refuse, they lose and at the end, the big loser must endure an epic punishment. | |
| Impractical Jokers – Dog Days of Bummer Joe, Sal and Q get creative with French fries; compete to see whose invention will win over a focus group; serve up burgers at the Jersey Shore. | |
| Impractical Jokers – Sorry for Your Loss The guys compete to attach the most balloons to unsuspecting grocery shoppers; absurd tasks at a music store; trying to get compliments on some unique outfits. | |
| Impractical Jokers – All The Wrong Moves The guys blindly follow each other's humiliating directions at a water park, compete to sell their ridiculous book ideas. | |
| MotoGP Racing – Gran Premio Estrella Galicia 0,0 de España, Sprint Race From Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto in Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia, Spain. | |
| Impractical Jokers – Cyber Buddies The guys revive some classic jokes at their own expense; they go head-to-head debating nonsense in a humiliating elimination challenge. | |
| Impractical Jokers – Trouble Shoot The guys get eaten alive leading a business luncheon, and trip over their own feet selling running shoes. | |
| Impractical Jokers – Look Out Below The Jokers lack customer service skills as bumbling bellhops, pitch strange inventions to a confused focus group, and serve lunch with a side of "awkward" when they man a hot dog stand. The guys reach high to surprise tonight's big loser. | |
| Impractical Jokers – The Great Escape The guys strike the wrong chord as music instructors and try to save face in a humiliating focus group face-off. | |
| Impractical Jokers – Field of Screams The guys call it quits with a cringe-worthy public announcement, and act as dinosaur experts with preposterous prehistoric lessons. | |
| Impractical Jokers – Nationals Disaster The guys fumble through the aisles of a grocery store, and re-gift the kooky contents of a mystery bag; the guys must seek out the chosen one, in an embarrassing needle-in-a-haystack challenge. | |
| Impractical Jokers – Toasted Joe, Murr, Sal and Q serve up tasks as deli waiters; deli customers are asked to settle debates; an embarrassing toast leaves everyone speechless. | |
| NHL Pregame On TBS Hockey experts analyze the pregame. | |
| NHL Hockey – Carolina Hurricanes at New York Islanders The Islanders try to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Hurricanes in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round set. In Game 3, goaltender Frederik Andersen made 29 stops to guide Carolina to a 3-2 victory and a 3-0 series lead over New York. | |
| NHL Hockey – Florida Panthers at Tampa Bay Lightning The Lightning try to stave off elimination in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Panthers. Florida pushed Tampa Bay to the brink with a 5-3 victory in Game 3. Matthew Tkachuk (FLA) scored twice, while Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves. | |
| NHL Hockey – Boston Bruins at Toronto Maple Leafs The Maple Leafs try again to knot up their first-round set against the Bruins in Game 4. Brad Marchand recorded two goals and an assist in the third period of Boston's 4-2 victory over Toronto in Game 3, pushing the B's ahead 2-1 in the series. | |
| NHL Hockey – Dallas Stars at Vegas Golden Knights The Golden Knights triumphantly return home, up 2-0 entering Game 3 of their first-round series with the Stars. Vegas outscored Dallas 7-4 in Texas, with Jonathan Marchessault and Jack Eichel each posting a goal and an assist in a 3-1 Game 2 win. | |
| NHL Post-Game on TNT Liam McHugh, Anson Carter and Paul Bissonnette recap the night in the NHL. | |
| NHL Gaming World Championship The world's best eSports gamers compete at EA Sports NHL 18. | |
| NHL Gaming World Championship Nicola Bruna and Matthew Grenier, finalists of the 2018 NHL Gaming World Championship, catch up and discuss how they made it to the finals. | |
| Impractical Jokers – The Marathon Man Sal, Murr, Q and Joe climb to the Top of the Rock for some awkward interactions, then "wet" their appetites at a bagel shop; the evening's loser takes a run across the Brooklyn Bridge that is anything but inspiring. | |
| Impractical Jokers – Guilty as Charged Murr, Sal, Joe, and Q enlist shoppers to help them avoid a rogue security guard; the big loser faces the wrath of a crowd of rockers. | |
| Impractical Jokers – Turning the Tables Sal, Joe, Murr and Q take a spin in a motorized chair, hoping the kindness of strangers will keep them on track; the night's big loser walks away bruised and battered after being forced to clear some tables in an unusual way. | |
| Impractical Jokers – Lords of the Ring Joe, Murr, Sal and Q skirt the law while posing as receptionists, then go fishing at an unlikely locale; the night's big losers attempt to give one unlucky customer the deal of a lifetime. | |
| Impractical Jokers – Inside the Vault Sal, Joe, Murr and Q meet after the show to talk about their favorite moments during the show not to mention the most uncomfortable, most embarrassing, most humiliating and most outrageous. |
Wrapping Up
So whether you love the hilarious firefighter hijinks of Tacoma FD or you go in more for the mind-bending street magic of Big Trick Energy, you don’t have to put up with your cable bill any longer.
Make the switch to one of these streaming services, and keep right on laughing with Impractical Jokers and all your other TruTV favorites.
FAQ
What TV shows can I watch on TruTV?
TruTV stays pretty true to its current theme of taking a standard reality premise and giving it a comedic twist.
The network’s two oldest original shows are still running and still popular: Impractical Jokers (four friends issue and complete outrageous public dares) and The Carbonaro Effect (a magician catches people’s reactions to spontaneous tricks on a hidden camera). Other current top original series include:
- Adam Ruins Everything
- Backyard Bar Wars
- Big Trick Energy
- Double Cross with Blake Griffin
- Fast Foodies
- Hot Ones: the Game Show
- It’s Personal with Amy Hoggart
- Tacoma FD
- Tirdy Works
- Top Secret Videos.
TruTV, because of a deal between Turner Sports and CBS, also airs NCAA Division I Championship games (March Madness) “First Four” and parts of the first and second rounds. Or, as SBNation puts it, “You’re watching college hoops on a comedy channel that used to cover courtroom proceedings.”
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