YouTube TV is the best live TV streaming service for most people in 2026. In our check of 40 ZIP codes it listed local ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and PBS stations in every one, and its $82.99 main plan carries 17 of the 19 national sports networks we looked for, ESPN Unlimited and all 15 everyday cable channels, with no added fees. If your local baseball, basketball or hockey team plays on a regional sports network, choose DIRECTV Choice instead: it listed a regional sports network in 39 of our 40 ZIP codes to YouTube TV's five, but costs about $110 a month with its sports fee. Sling TV is the cheapest at $60.99 to $69.99 for Orange & Blue, but it carries no CBS station anywhere and no local stations at all in 22 of our 40 ZIP codes.
Prices moved a lot in 2026: Fubo went from $73.99 to $88.99, Hulu + Live TV from $89.99 to $99.99, and DIRECTV's regional sports fee from $3.99 to as much as $23.99. Many AI answers in October 2026 still give the old figures; the corrections are in what many answers get wrong.
The best live TV streaming services, ranked
YouTube TV
YouTube TV ranks first and suits most households replacing cable, especially football fans. It is the only service that scored full marks on both local channels and everyday channels: its own lookup listed ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and PBS stations in all 40 ZIP codes we checked, and the main plan carries CNN, Fox News, HGTV, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, AMC and the rest of our list of 15 (YouTube TV's channel list).
For football it carries every TV channel that shows NFL and major college games: local stations for the NFL's Sunday games, ESPN and ESPN2, FS1, NFL Network, and the Big Ten, SEC and ACC networks, plus ESPN Unlimited at no extra cost. Like every service here, it doesn't carry the games that stream only on Prime Video, Netflix or Peacock, and NFL Sunday Ticket and RedZone cost extra. The main plan has 17 of our 19 national sports networks; MLB Network and NHL Network aren't on YouTube TV at all.
The gap is regional sports. YouTube TV carries the NBC Sports regional networks, and its lookup listed one for only five of our 40 ZIP codes (Boston, Bangor, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Sacramento) and none in the other 35, so fans of most local MLB, NBA and NHL teams won't see their games. See regional sports networks below.
The main plan is $82.99 a month, unchanged since December 2024, and new users pay $59.99 a month for the first two months on an offer that ends November 16, 2026. It includes unlimited DVR, six household accounts and three screens at once; the 4K Plus add-on unlocks unlimited screens at home. Since February 2026 YouTube TV also sells cheaper plans, such as Sports + News at $71.99 (YouTube's announcement); see cheaper ways to get live TV.
DIRECTV
DIRECTV (formerly DIRECTV Stream) ranks second, and its Choice plan is the pick for fans whose MLB, NBA or NHL team plays on a regional sports network. It is the only plan here whose lookup listed regional sports networks in nearly every ZIP code we checked: 39 of 40, all but Philadelphia. Choice also includes ESPN Unlimited and 15 of our 19 national networks, including MLB Network, which YouTube TV lacks (DIRECTV's internet TV channel lineup, effective November 1, 2026). It also carries all 15 everyday channels, and DIRECTV's lookup listed PBS in all 40 ZIP codes we checked. Its lookup listed no FOX station for Little Rock and no ABC station for Lubbock. Every plan includes unlimited cloud DVR and unlimited screens at home, with three at a time away from home (DIRECTV's packages).
Price is where DIRECTV loses points. Choice costs $94.99 a month, and DIRECTV adds a regional sports fee to Choice and above that depends on your ZIP code (DIRECTV's fee page). At the end of June 2026 that fee rose from $3.99 to as much as $23.99, about $15 on average, as Cord Cutters News reported in August 2026. With a $15 fee, Choice comes to about $110 a month, the most expensive plan we scored. If your fee is about $18 or more, Hulu + Live TV scores higher than DIRECTV.
We first scored DIRECTV's cheapest plan, Entertainment at $89.99, which put DIRECTV third with 6.6. We switched to Choice because Entertainment drops the NFL Network, the college conference networks and every regional network, so it isn't a plan this reader would buy; Choice is DIRECTV's cheapest plan with regional sports networks, the same rule we used for Fubo. Entertainment has no sports fee and still includes ESPN Unlimited, so it suits a household that wants a full cable lineup and unlimited screens but doesn't follow a local team. DIRECTV shows the fee for your address when you sign up, and there is a five-day free trial.
Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV ranks third and is the pick for households that already pay for Disney+, Hulu and ESPN, because all three come with it. The $99.99 plan includes Disney+ with ads, Hulu's on-demand library and ESPN Unlimited in the ESPN app, alongside the live channels (Hulu + Live TV). Its lookup listed ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and PBS stations in all 40 ZIP codes we checked, and it charges no regional sports or broadcast fees.
The channel list Hulu's site returned for New York has 15 of our 19 sports networks, including NFL Network and the Big Ten, SEC and ACC networks, but no NBA TV, MLB Network or NHL Network, and no regional sports networks in most markets. It has 14 of our 15 everyday channels; AMC is the one missing.
Two things hold it back. Disney raised the price by $10 to $99.99 on September 23, 2026, for new subscribers, with existing subscribers moving on their next bill (Variety). And only two screens can watch at once unless you add Unlimited Screens, which Cord Cutters News puts at $9.99 a month. DVR is unlimited, with recordings kept up to nine months. Disney sells Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Unlimited with ads for $35.99 a month on their own (Variety), so if you would pay for those anyway, the live channels cost you about $64 a month.
Fubo
Fubo ranks fourth and suits sports fans who want regional sports networks and don't watch TNT or TBS. Pro includes regional sports networks where Fubo carries them, such as MSG and YES in New York, plus ESPN Unlimited, unlimited DVR and unlimited screens (Fubo's plans). NBC returned to Fubo under a deal announced on June 10, 2026, and was back in every market by September 4 (Cord Cutters News), so Fubo's station table listed ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC for all 40 ZIP codes.
What Fubo leaves out is the reason for its place. It has no Warner Bros. Discovery channels, so no TNT, TBS or truTV for the NBA and March Madness, and no CNN, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery or TLC. It has no MS NOW, CNBC, USA Network or Golf Channel either, and no PBS. Pro carries 10 of our 19 sports networks; ESPNU, NBA TV, MLB Network and NHL Network need Elite at $98.99 (Fubo's plan comparison).
It is also no longer cheap. Fubo cut Pro to $73.99 in December 2025 while NBC was missing, then raised it to $88.99 when NBC came back (Fubo's price change article). Its regional sports fee is "up to $16.99/month" by area (Fubo's fee article), so Pro comes to about $102 to $106 a month.
Sling TV
Sling TV ranks last but takes "Best on a budget": Sling Orange & Blue is the cheapest plan here, from $60.99 a month, with ESPN, FS1, TNT, TBS, truTV, NFL Network and USA, and 12 of our 15 everyday channels (Sling's plans). Orange or Blue alone costs $45.99.
Local stations are its weakness. Sling carries ABC, FOX and NBC only "in select markets" and CBS nowhere (Sling's local channels help). Its lookup listed at least one local station in 18 of our 25 large markets, all three only in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco, and none in any of the 15 smaller markets. Where Sling does carry locals it adds $4 a month for one or two networks and $9 for all three, a surcharge reported by Cord Cutters News in January 2026, so Orange & Blue with all three is $69.99. That is the price we scored, because this reader wants local stations; in ZIP codes where Sling has none, it costs $60.99, which would put Sling ahead of Fubo.
DVR is 50 hours free, unlimited for $5 more, and Orange & Blue allows four screens at once. There is no free trial, but day passes start at $4.99. Sling works best with an antenna for local stations, which also brings in CBS.
Local channels: what our 40-ZIP check found
Local stations are the first thing a cord-cutter loses, so we checked them ourselves. On October 28, 2026 we entered 40 ZIP codes, 25 in large TV markets and 15 in smaller ones from Bangor to Missoula, into each service's own channel lookup and recorded which local stations it listed. For Fubo we used the station table in its help center.
| Service | ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC listed (of 160) | PBS listed (of 40) |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube TV | 160 | 40 |
| Hulu + Live TV | 160 | 40 |
| Fubo | 160 | 0 |
| DIRECTV | 158 | 40 |
| Sling TV | 31 | 0 |
Four of the five carry the Big Four almost everywhere, so for most readers local stations no longer decide between them. PBS does: YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and DIRECTV listed a PBS station in every ZIP code, and Fubo and Sling carry none. A listing is what the service promises for that ZIP code, and 40 ZIP codes are a sample, so check your own address before you sign up. The full list of ZIP codes and every result is in the scoring sheet.
Regional sports networks: what our check found
Regional sports networks carry most local MLB, NBA and NHL games, and they are where the services differ most. The same lookups list them for 40 ZIP codes:
| Service | ZIP codes with a regional sports network listed (of 40) |
|---|---|
| DIRECTV Choice | 39 (all but Philadelphia) |
| YouTube TV | 5 (the NBC Sports networks in Boston, Bangor, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Sacramento) |
| Sling TV | 0 we could confirm |
Fubo has no lookup we could read from a script; its help center says Pro includes regional sports networks "depending on location", such as MSG and YES in New York. Hulu + Live TV's local lookup doesn't list them. A listed network isn't a promise that your team's games are on it: check your team and ZIP code with the service before you sign up.
What many answers get wrong
We asked four AI models (GPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity, through their APIs with web search on) five versions of this question on October 28, 2026. All 20 answers named YouTube TV, and every answer to the three general questions (the best service, the best with local channels, and YouTube TV vs Hulu + Live TV) put it first. These are the facts the answers most often got wrong:
- Hulu + Live TV costs $99.99 a month, not $89.99 or "$76.99 to $82.99". It rose $10 on September 23, 2026.
- YouTube TV costs $82.99, not $72.99, which was its price until December 2024. Its introductory offer is two months at $59.99, not three.
- Sling Orange costs $45.99, not $40. One answer built its "cheapest" plan on the $40 figure.
- Fubo's regional sports fee runs up to $16.99, not "$11.99 to $14.99", on top of Pro at $88.99.
- Hulu + Live TV includes ESPN Unlimited, ESPN's full streaming service, not only ESPN+, which several answers still name. YouTube TV's main plan, DIRECTV and Fubo include ESPN Unlimited too, which few answers mention.
- ESPN Unlimited costs $31.99 a month on its own, not $29.99. It rose on September 17, 2026.
Which one should you choose?
- If you want one answer: YouTube TV. Check that its lookup lists your local stations, then use the two-month offer.
- If your local MLB, NBA or NHL team plays on a regional sports network: DIRECTV Choice, which listed one in 39 of our 40 ZIP codes. Fubo Pro is about $6 a month cheaper but has no TNT or TBS. Check which network carries your team for your ZIP code first.
- If you follow college football: YouTube TV, DIRECTV Choice and Hulu + Live TV all carry ESPN, FS1 and the Big Ten, SEC and ACC networks. Fubo Pro does too, but without ESPNU, TNT or truTV, which show some College Football Playoff games. DIRECTV's Entertainment plan and Sling don't, without add-ons.
- If you already pay for Disney+ and ESPN: Hulu + Live TV, because both come with it.
- If several people watch at once: DIRECTV or Fubo, which allow unlimited screens at home without an add-on.
- If price matters most and you live in a big city: Sling Orange & Blue with an antenna for CBS and anything Sling doesn't carry where you live.
- If you don't need sports or local stations: Philo at $25 a month, below.
Cheaper ways to get live TV
Every scored plan costs $60.99 or more. These cost less, and each gives something up:
| Option | Monthly price | What you get | What you give up |
|---|---|---|---|
| An antenna | $0 after buying one | Local stations, including CBS and PBS, wherever you get a signal | All cable channels |
| Sling Essentials or Sling Select | $19.99 | ESPN (Essentials) or news and entertainment channels (Select), with local stations on Select in some cities for $24.99 or $29.99 (Cord Cutters News) | Most sports and entertainment channels |
| Philo Essential | $25 | 70-plus entertainment channels, unlimited DVR (Philo) | No local stations or sports |
| Sling Orange | $45.99 | ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, one screen | No local stations at all |
| YouTube TV Sports | $64.99 | Local stations, ESPN networks, FS1, NBCSN | Most entertainment and news channels |
| ESPN and Fox One bundle | $39.99 | ESPN Unlimited plus FOX's sports channels (ESPN) | Local ABC, CBS and NBC stations and all other channels |
| DIRECTV MySports | $64.99 | Local stations and 20-plus sports channels, with ESPN Unlimited (MySports) | Entertainment channels |
| Fubo Sports + News | $64.99 | Local stations, sports and news, with ESPN Unlimited | Entertainment channels; sold in select markets |
| YouTube TV Sports + News | $71.99 | Local stations, sports and news | Entertainment and kids channels |
For a sports fan, the sports-only plans are the real alternative: YouTube TV Sports, DIRECTV MySports and Fubo Sports + News all cost $64.99 and keep local stations. We didn't score them, because the reader here is replacing a whole cable package.
How we scored
We didn't subscribe to any service or use its apps, so every pick is desk-researched. On October 28, 2026 we read each service's US pricing pages, channel lists and help centers, and used dated news reports where a company's page didn't give a figure: DIRECTV's regional sports fee, Sling's local channel surcharge and the price of Hulu's Unlimited Screens add-on. Our own checks are the local channels and regional sports lookups above. Each service was scored on its cheapest plan with regional sports networks if it sells them, otherwise its fullest base plan, without add-ons: YouTube TV's main plan, DIRECTV Choice, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo Pro and Sling Orange & Blue. Scores follow anchors written before scoring. Picture quality, apps and how well each service streams big games are not scored. How we scored the best live TV streaming services lists every score with its source, including the switch from DIRECTV Entertainment to Choice after our first pass, which moved DIRECTV from third to second.
Questions people ask
YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV? YouTube TV, unless you would pay for Disney+ and Hulu anyway. YouTube TV is $17 a month cheaper, allows three screens to Hulu's two, and adds NBA TV and NBCSN; both include ESPN Unlimited and every local station in our check.
YouTube TV or Fubo? YouTube TV for most people: it has TNT, TBS, CNN, HGTV and PBS, which Fubo lacks, and costs about $20 a month less once Fubo's sports fee is added. Fubo is better only if you need a regional sports network that YouTube TV doesn't carry.
YouTube TV or DIRECTV Stream? YouTube TV unless your team is on a regional sports network. DIRECTV Choice costs about $27 a month more with a $15 fee, and in return adds regional sports networks, MLB Network and unlimited screens at home.
Hulu + Live TV or Sling? They are for different readers. Hulu + Live TV is a full cable replacement with every local station in our check; Sling Orange & Blue costs $30 to $39 a month less but has no CBS and, outside big cities, no local stations.
Sling or Philo? Philo, at $25, if you only want entertainment channels such as HGTV, Food Network, AMC and Hallmark. Sling if you want ESPN, TNT or TBS. Neither carries CBS.
Do these services have contracts? No. All five bill monthly and you can cancel at any time.
How the score is built
Weighted average of the criteria below, out of 10
- Price 30%
- The regular monthly price of each service's cable-style plan plus any fee every subscriber pays (a typical $15 regional sports fee for Fubo and DIRECTV, Sling's local channel surcharge), from US pricing pages in October 2026. 10 at $55 or less, 0 at $115 or more.
- Sports channels 25%
- How many of 19 national sports networks the plan carries (up to 8), plus regional sports networks in most markets (1) and ESPN Unlimited included (1).
- Local channels 20%
- Whether the service's own lookup listed local ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC stations in each of 40 ZIP codes (up to 8), and a PBS station (up to 2), checked on October 28, 2026.
- Everyday channels 15%
- How many of 15 widely watched cable channels the plan carries, from CNN and HGTV to Disney Channel and FX.
- Recording and screens 10%
- Unlimited DVR included (5) or capped with a paid upgrade (2), plus how many screens can watch at home at once on the plan's own terms (up to 5).
| Tool | Price30% | Sports channels25% | Local channels20% | Everyday channels15% | Recording and screens10% | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube TV | 5.3 | 8.2 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 8.0 | 7.9 |
| DIRECTV | 0.8 | 8.3 | 9.9 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 6.8 |
| Hulu + Live TV | 2.5 | 7.3 | 10.0 | 9.3 | 7.0 | 6.7 |
| Fubo | 1.8 | 6.2 | 8.0 | 4.7 | 10.0 | 5.4 |
| Sling TV | 7.5 | 3.4 | 1.6 | 8.0 | 6.0 | 5.2 |
Also considered: 8 tools we left out
- Philo
- No local stations and no sports channels. It is an entertainment-only service at $25 a month (Essential) or $33 (Bundle+), covered below as a cheaper route.
- Frndly TV
- No local stations and no sports networks; a family and classic-TV service.
- ESPN Unlimited
- ESPN's own service, $31.99 a month since September 17, 2026, carries only ESPN's channels, with no local stations. YouTube TV, DIRECTV, Hulu + Live TV and Fubo include it. ESPN also sells it with Fox One for $39.99 a month, which adds FOX's sports channels but still no ABC, CBS or NBC stations.
- Fox One, Peacock and Paramount+
- Single-company apps. Paramount+ Premium streams your local CBS station and Peacock streams NBC in many markets, but none replaces a full lineup.
- NFL+ and Prime Video
- Single-sport or single-game apps rather than live TV services. Prime Video carries Thursday Night Football, which no scored service shows, and NFL+ streams local and primetime games on phones and tablets only.
- DIRECTV MyNews
- A news-focused DIRECTV Genre Pack with local stations but few sports or entertainment channels; DIRECTV's full plans are scored.
- Xfinity, Spectrum and other internet providers' TV apps
- Sold only to that company's internet customers.
- DIRECTV by satellite
- Needs a satellite dish; this page compares services that stream over the internet. DIRECTV's streaming plans are scored.