The last few years have seen a revolution in TV. It is no longer necessary to be tied to a cable provider with a long contract. There are many live TV streaming services that are as good, or better, than what the cable companies provide. All this for a lot less money.
In a hurry? There’s lots of information below, but if you just want to start enjoying TV more while spending less money, you can’t go wrong with these services:
- Fubo (formerly FuboTV): Known for its outstanding sports coverage, Fubo’s 150+ live TV channels provide a broad selection that appeals to most people. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.
- Sling TV: Offers 40+ channels, including a couple of local network affiliates, for just $40.00/mo. Save 50% on Sling TV now!
- DIRECTV STREAM: The king of RSNs, this is the streaming service for MLB, NBA, and NHL fans. Check out its Choice Plan if you want to watch every game! A 5-day free trial is now available for DIRECTV STREAM.
- Hulu + Live TV: This industry leader in on-demand streaming offers 85+ live channels, covering a broad range of sports, entertainment, and family content. Try the Hulu Live free 3-day trial.
Table Of Contents
2024 NBA Playoffs Conference Finals
The NBA playoffs are on the cusp of the Finals. The Boston Celtics, swept the Indiana Pacers in four games. And the Dallas Mavericks are up 3-1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Finals start Thursday, June 6th. Don’t miss out!
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The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Cricket is hosted by the US for the first time ever. The event starts June 1st. Check out our gude for all the info!
Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Conference Finals of the NHL playoffs are moving along. It’s all down to four teams: Dallas Stars vs Edmonton Oilers in the West and Florida Panthers vs New York Rangers in the East. Don’t miss out!
| Date | Time (ET) | Teams | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Jun 2 | 8:00 pm | Stars vs Oilers‡ | TNT/truTV |
What’s Streaming Now?
We provide simple but detailed information for cord-cutters to get the best possible experience without cable. You will learn where and how to stream different channels, what individual streaming services offer, and how to be cost-effective with your chosen streaming device.
Whether you’re a sports fan, movie buff, parent with curious kids, or just a general TV consumer, we provide you with everything you need to leave your cable contract behind.
Here’s the stuff we think deserves attention. It’s by no means complete, however! All times are Eastern.
Sporting Events This Week
There are three big things going on right now: MLB regular season plus the NBA and NHL are both in their conference finals. But you already knew that. What else is going on?
- NCAA Softball: One more week of regionals before the Women’s College World Series. It is all distributed on ESPN+ and Fubo Sports US. The CWS itself will be on the ESPN channels.
- Street League Skateboarding: Tune in for the best skateboarders in the world. It’s all free to stream on Rumble starting Saturday, May 25th.
- UFL: Despite intense competition from other sports, rantings for the new spring football league are holding strong.
- FA Cup: The FA Cup final between Manchester United and Manchester City is this Saturday at on ESPN+.
Other Sporting Events This Week
- Mar 15 – Nov 3: NWSL Regular Season ( NWSL Guide)
- Mar 30 – Jun 2: UFL Regular Season (UFL Guide)
- May 14 – Sep 19: Regular season (WNBA Guide)
- May 4 – May 26: Giro d’Italia (Italy) – UCI Men’s World Tour (Cycling Guide)
- May 6: Naoya Inoue vs Luis Nery (Boxing Guide)
- May 26 – Jun 9: French Open -WTA (Tennis Guide)
- May 26 – Jun 9: French Open -ATP (Tennis Guide)
- May 9: Premier League Darts: Night 15 – Leeds (Darts Guide)
- May 27 – Jun 2: RBC Canadian Open (Golf Guide)
- May 9 – May 12: Cognizant Founders Cup (LPGA Guide)
- May 10: Arnold Gonzalez vs Esneiker Correa (Boxing Guide)
- May 10: Buckle Up South Carolina 200 (NASCAR Truck Series Guide)
- May 10 – May 12: Itzulia Women (Spain) – UCI Women’s World Tour (Cycling Guide)
- Jun 1: Final – Dortmund vs Real Madrid (UEFA Guide)
- May 10 – May 12: Grand Prix de France — Le Mans (MotoGP Guide)
- May 11: Ivana Habazin vs Kinga Magyar (Boxing Guide)
- May 11 – May 15: Matchday 37 (Premier League Guide)
- May 11: Vasyl Lomachenko vs George Kambosos Jnr (Boxing Guide)
- May 11: Erika Cruz Hernandez vs Nazarena Romero (Boxing Guide)
- May 11: Jessica McCaskill vs Lauren Price (Boxing Guide)
- May 11: UFC St. Louis: Lewis vs Nascimento (UFC Guide)
- May 11: Crown Royal Purple Bag Project 200 (NASCAR Xfinity Series Guide)
- May 11: Music City 150 (NASCAR ARCA East Series Guide)
- May 12: Goodyear 400 (NASCAR Cup Series Guide)
- Jun 1 – Jun 13: Commissioners’ Cup (WNBA Guide)
- Jun 6 – Jun 9: Belmont Stakes (on Sling TV) (Horse Racing Guide)
Movies and TV Shows This Week
Get ready for more talent (or perhaps the lack of it), more banter, and even more shocks when America’s Got Talent returns for its 19th season on May 28 — this year with even more golden buzzer chances.
Featuring the judging panel we all know and love — Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel — this season provides each of them with an extra golden buzzer, meaning they’ll now get two chances to send an act straight through to the live semifinals.
Claiming to include some of the wildest acts the show has ever seen, as well as the youngest AGT act of all time, season 19 looks to be the show’s best yet. Don’t miss a moment by tuning into NBC on May 28 at ET/PT, or stream on Peacock the next day.
- Eric: Benedict Cumberbatch returns to screens with a new six-part thriller coming to Netflix on May 30. Created by the BAFTA and Emmy Award winning writer Abi Morgan, Eric takes us back to the tantalizing streets of ‘80s New York where a father faces his demons to find his lost son.
- We Are Lady Parts: The boundary-busting, all-female Muslim punk band determined to conquer the world is finally back on Peacock from May 30. Three years after its debut, the BAFTA-award-winning UK show reuintes its original quintet for a second season with the addition of some very special guest stars.
- Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse: Our favorite home renovation duo returns in a special three-week edition of Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse, beginning June 2 on Magnolia Network and HGTV. It will also stream on Max and Discovery+.
- Mayor of Kingstown: Marking Jeremy Renner’s first acting appearance since his near-fatal snowplow accident last year, Mayor of Kingstown’s third season starts airing June 2 on Paramount+.
Why Get Rid of Cable TV?
Some reasons for getting rid of cable are obvious. But there are some that may not have occurred to you.
- Time: Too much television is a waste of time. If you cancel cable and only watch your favorite TV shows, you can spend more time with your friends and family.
- Money: A cable or satellite subscription costs many times more than it does to grab a simple on-demand plan with Hulu and Netflix. Cable is also more expensive than online cable replacement services with live TV channels, like Fubo and Hulu + Live TV.
- Technology: Video streaming is the future of TV. Soon, all video entertainment will be via an online connection. You might as well get on board now, learn the tricks, and save money in the process.
- Information: Be more informed. Rather than be at the mercy of local news anchors, you will revert to more reputable news feeds like PBS, Bloomberg, CBS News, and LinkTV. For example, Fubo provides 13 news and information channels, along with all the local affiliates in its base plan.
- Freedom: Cable and satellite providers normally tie you into a long contract, only to give you prices that are still higher than comparable streaming services. Getting rid of cable means getting rid of the contract. Go month-to-month and be flexible.
- Dignity: Stop getting ripped off! Calling up the cable company and canceling your cable will simply make you feel good.
Looking for missing conservative news channels? Check out Sling TV!
Best Streaming Services
Choosing the right streaming service is probably the most important decision that a cord-cutter will make. There is no absolute “best” streaming service. It all depends on what you want with your live TV streaming plan.
Some streaming services are free, like Peacock TV (although they have a premium plan). Sling TV offers value plans that are low-cost but offer a lot. And the full-featured plans of Fubo, Hulu Live TV, and DIRECTV STREAM) provide what you would expect from a standard cable plan, but with different bonus features designed to appeal to all sorts of viewers’ needs.
Get access to all our detailed and up-to-date reviews of the major streaming services. You will also get links to free trials so you can make sure a service suits you before you buy.
Internet Without Cable?
Most cable TV subscribers also get their internet access from the same place. In many cases, there are other options for the internet. In some cases, cable is literally the only game in town.
We’ve put together everything that cord-cutters need to know about getting internet service. Even if your cable provider is tied in with your internet, you can probably get a reasonably-priced internet-only plan via a downgrade.
Cord-Cutting Wisdom
There are a lot of aspects of cord-cutting that newbies may be faced with. These range from what’s worth watching, to getting access to particular channels, to buying and installing specialized streaming and recording devices.
We discuss it all. Here are some of our most popular articles:
- How to Watch Local News Without Cable
- Setting Up your Streaming Service Parental Controls
- The Best DVR Without Subscription Fees
- The Best Ways to Get Internet Without Cable for Cord Cutters
- Watching Television in Spanish Without Cable.
Stream Major Events
Major TV events are still a big part of our social lives — just look at Facebook and Twitter during the Super Bowl or Academy Awards. Cord cutters have full access to these events.
For those just starting out, we have primers on how to stream the biggest happenings:
Stream Sports
Most major streaming services offer good access to live sports. The standout is Fubo. But a good low-cost newcomer to the industry is Vidgo. We have articles about everything related to live streaming sports like:
Stream TV Shows
With live TV streaming, you never have to miss your favorite shows, mini-series, and films when they are broadcast live. Here are some of our articles about streaming some recent must-see TV titles:
Get Started Now
We understand that dumping cable is intimidating. So we’ve written a detailed step-by-step guide to the process on How to Watch TV Without Cable.
It also gives you an overview of all the top streaming services, desirable features to look for, and answers to the most frequently asked questions from to-be cord-cutters.
What are you waiting for? Get started now!
Ditch “Big Cable” Now – 3 Simple Steps to Cut the Cord
- Pick the right streaming service
- Get the content you deserve with the best VPN.
- Supercharge your internet provider
That’s it — you’ll save money, take back control, and enjoy TV more!
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