Best Live TV Streaming Services (2026): YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, Sling TV and Philo

Live TV streaming services replace a cable package with an app: live channels, a cloud DVR, and no box or contract. Channel counts look similar, so compare the four things that differ — local stations, sports, how many screens can watch at once, and how long recordings last.

There are no prices in this article on purpose. Each service’s page shows the current price with the date it was checked, and Sling TV and Fubo prices also depend on your ZIP code and first-month offers.

Short answer

• Most complete cable replacement: YouTube TV — ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC by your ZIP code, an unlimited DVR, 6 accounts and a 10-day trial.
• Most sports and screens: Fubo Pro or Elite — broadcast networks, local NBA, NHL and MLB games, ESPN Unlimited and up to 10 screens. Check the regional sports fee for your area.
• Live TV with Disney+ and ESPN: Hulu + Live TV — 100+ channels with Disney+ and ESPN Select included, but 2 screens unless you add Unlimited Screens.
• Lowest price for a few channels: Sling TV — Essentials for ESPN, Select or Blue for FOX News and NFL Network.
• Entertainment on a budget: Philo — 70+ channels, recordings kept for up to a year, 3 streams and 10 profiles.

Local channels

• YouTube TV — ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC with local sports and news; your home ZIP code decides the lineup.
• Hulu + Live TV — local and national channels for your area; NFL games on ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC.
• Fubo — ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC on Pro and Elite.
• Sling TV — FOX, ABC and NBC on Select and Blue in select markets.
• Philo — its plan pages don’t list local broadcast stations; check its channel list for your area.

More detail, including single-network options: Which streaming services have local channels?

Sports

• Fubo — local NBA, NHL and MLB games, ESPN Unlimited and the broadcast networks on Pro and Elite; 4K on Elite.
• Hulu + Live TV — college football and NFL games on ESPN, ABC, BTN, FOX, FS1, CBS, ACC Network, SEC Network and NFL Network; ESPN Select is included, and the Sports Add-on adds NFL RedZone.
• YouTube TV — the broadcast networks in its lineup, Multiview for up to 4 games at once, and NFL Sunday Ticket as an add-on.
• Sling TV — ESPN on Orange and Essentials; FS1 and NFL Network on Blue and Select; Sports Extra adds NFL RedZone.
• Philo — its plan pages don’t list sports networks such as ESPN or FS1.

If you only need one sports network, ESPN Unlimited has every ESPN network and FOX One has FOX Sports, FS1, FS2, BTN and your local FOX station — and they’re sold together as one bundle.

Screens at once

• Fubo — up to 10 on Pro and Elite, 2 on Latino.
• YouTube TV — 3, with up to 6 accounts; unlimited at home with the 4K Plus add-on.
• Philo — 3, with up to 10 profiles; a fourth stream stops the longest-running one.
• Sling TV — 1 on Essentials and Orange, 3 on Select and Blue, up to 4 on the bundles.
• Hulu + Live TV — 2; the Unlimited Screens add-on allows unlimited screens at home and 3 on the go.

Recordings

• YouTube TV — unlimited storage; recordings are kept for 9 months.
• Hulu + Live TV — unlimited DVR; recordings are kept for up to 9 months.
• Fubo — unlimited cloud DVR; recordings expire after 9 months.
• Philo — recordings are kept for up to a year when you pay Philo directly.
• Sling TV — 50 hours; unlimited storage is a paid add-on.

Free trials

• YouTube TV — 10 days.
• Philo — 7 days, Essential only.
• Fubo — 5 days.
• Hulu + Live TV — 3 days.
• Sling TV — none; Freestream has 600+ free channels instead.

Canceling and pausing

None of the five has a contract: each bills monthly, and access lasts to the end of the period you paid for. Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, Sling TV and Philo all say they don’t refund partial months.

• Pause: YouTube TV for 4 weeks to 6 months; Sling TV for up to 6 months, or 1 to 3 months with Pause Extra.
• Where to cancel: online in your account, or with the app store or partner that bills you. Fubo doesn’t accept cancellations by email or mail.

Step-by-step guides: YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, Sling TV, Philo.

Which one to pick

• You’re replacing cable for the whole household: YouTube TV — or Fubo if you watch a lot of sports or need more than 3 screens.
• You want Disney+ and ESPN anyway: Hulu + Live TV.
• You want one or two cable channels for the lowest price: Sling TV.
• You mostly watch entertainment and record a lot: Philo.
• You only need one network: FOX One for FOX, ESPN for the ESPN networks, Paramount+ Premium for your local CBS station, Peacock Premium Plus for your local NBC channel.