Cable alternatives have become incredibly well-established over the past ten years or so. Eventually, most people realized that being locked into a cable contract wasn’t the right set of circumstances for them. But, that doesn’t mean that they don’t want to enjoy cable television anymore – it just means they don’t want to fall into the parameters set by the cable companies. Some of the alternatives are free, but you might have to do a little more heavy lifting to pick up broadcast signals near you with asmart TV antenna.
However, even an antenna doesn’t always give you the strongest signals, and you don’t get to choose which channels you want. You have to settle for what it can pick up.Pluto TVhas live channels and is free, but they are curated channels that aren’t going to give you the ones that you may be used to. If you don’t mind paying for some form of entertainment but don’t want to lock in a cable contract, there are plenty of options available.Hulu + Live TVgives you access to both Hulu Originals, plus live TV channels to keep you in the know.
My secret to catching local channels without cable
Hint: I use this free streamer.
YouTube TV is another popular option that allows you to stream TV channels that you want, not all the ones you don’t. It’s completely unique because it lets you pick a package and then add on a variety of different channels. So, what are the channels that are available on YouTube TV in general to choose from?
YouTube TV
What channels are included in the YouTube TV Base Plan?
It’s the plan that you have to start with
What is included in YouTube TV base plan?
YouTube TV has a robust base plan that may save you some money if you’re switching from cable.
The channel list includes:
For the most part, these channels stay the same. But there are occasional tweaks with new channels added and the deletion of some channels from the lineup.
Yes, Tubi is free, but there is a different kind of cost to using this service
The free, ad-supported streaming service is a treasure trove of movies and TV, but I still avoid it like the plague.
What channels are available as add-ons?
You can choose individual channels to add to your Base Plan
Once you settle into your Base Plan, there are other channels that you can add to your subscription. It’s similar to your ability to add premium channels to your cable packages – a lot of which are available to add to YouTube TV as well. With the option to add channels or packages, you get to customize your package more than almost any other streaming service that offers live TV.
YouTube TV is far better than traditional cable, and it’s not even close
If you’re conflicted about ditching a traditional cable plan for YouTube TV, don’t be
Some of the add-on channels can also be purchased as standalone channels, meaning you don’t need the Base Plan for them.
The add-on channels or packages are as follows:
With the option to add channels or packages, you get to customize your package more than almost any other streaming service that offers live TV.
What channels are included only with special packages?
The biggest draw for YouTube TV is NFL RedZone
YouTube TV is an ideal choice for sports lovers. As I’ve listed above, there are a number of sports channels that are included in different packages. But, you can also choose packages based completely around sports. The most popular one is NFL RedZone, which allows fans to take a look at every NFL game in the ‘red zone’ so they don’t miss any touchdowns or field goals.
You can choose the YouTube TV Base Plan plus NFL Sunday Ticket, which gives you access to every single NFL game each Sunday. You have to pay four monthly payments of $168 and then the monthly payments become $73 per month.
You can get NFL Sunday Ticket without having to purchase the RedZone package.
My secret to streaming sports for free
It feels like you’re outsmarting paid subscription services when you use this streamer.
But if you just want RedZone, you can choose the NFL RedZone with Sports Plus Add-on package. That package includes:
If sports is not your thing – but you are interested in Spanish or Filipino packages – there is a Spanish Plus add-on, a Spanish Plan, and a Filipino Plus add-on.
The channels included in the Spanish Plan versus the Spanish Plus add-on are as follows:
Channel name
Spanish Plan
Spanish Plus add-on
beIN Sports ñ
Nuestra Tele Internacional
TyC Sports
Discovery en Español
Familia Discovery
ESPN Deportes
Estrella TV
Fox Deportes
Cine Latino
Wapa America in Puerto Rico
Cine Mexicano
Tastemade en Español
CNN en Español
D Pelicula
D Pelicula Clasico
Galavision
HGTV Hogar
Telehit Musica
The Weather Channel en Español
NBC Universo
Finally, the Filipino Plus add-on includes:
I compared YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV – here’s which one I’d ditch cable for
In the world of cable alternatives, Hulu and YouTube reign supreme, but one may be better for you.
