September 2026

By the PickMyStream Editorial Desk. Prices and availability as of September 2026.

Cheapest live TV streaming services, 2026

Still from Deadliest Catch — Pictured: Deadliest Catch. Image via TMDB.

Live TV streaming prices move around more than almost anything else in the streaming world. A plan that looked one way in the spring can read differently by fall, which is why the date on a price matters as much as the number itself. Every competitor figure below was read on September 26, 2026 from that service's own page, and we say so every time; Spectrum's prices are written the way Spectrum publishes them.

This is a price guide, not a scoreboard. We list the cheapest live TV streaming services from the lowest base monthly price up, tell you what each plan's own page says it includes, and note whether local channels are part of it. No service here beats another. You decide what fits.

One housekeeping note before the numbers. Some prices are quoted before taxes and fees where the publisher says so, and intro offers come and go with their own end dates. We flag those as they appear.

Philo Essential, the lowest base price on this list

Philo Essential is $25 monthly as of September 26, 2026, read from philo.com. That base plan carries 70+ channels of entertainment and lifestyle networks. Think A&E, AMC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, Lifetime and Nickelodeon, the kind of lineup you leave on in the background and keep finding something in.

Two things to know before you sign up. Philo's help center says it carries no local channels, so there are no network affiliates here. And its channel page lists no ESPN, FS1, FOX, NBC, TBS or TNT, which tells you where the sports fan should look elsewhere. Philo also sells a step up, Philo Bundle+, at $33 monthly.

YouTube TV and DIRECTV Stream, the broadcast-and-sports tier

The YouTube TV Base Plan is $82.99 monthly as of September 26, 2026, read from YouTube TV's plan page. It lists 100+ channels including CBS, FOX, NBC, HGTV and TNT, so locals and a broad cable spread come together in one plan. Its page also offered new users $59.99 monthly for the first 3 months, an offer it says ends 9/30/2026.

DIRECTV Stream Entertainment is $89.99 monthly as of September 26, 2026, read from DIRECTV's packages page. That plan lists 90+ channels, includes local channels where available, and names ESPN Unlimited and FS1. Its page offered $59.99 monthly for the first 3 months plus taxes and fees before the regular price resumes. DIRECTV quotes its figures before taxes and fees, which is worth folding into your own math.

Hulu + Live TV, sold with two Disney apps attached

Hulu + Live TV is now sold as "Hulu + Live TV, Disney+, and ESPN Select" at $99.99 monthly as of September 26, 2026, read from Disney's site, where hulu.com now sends buyers. The plan lists 100+ channels, with Disney+ and ESPN Select bundled in, so you are paying for a live lineup and two on-demand apps in one line item.

Its page offered $49.99 for the first month, an offer it says ends October 26, 2026 and then renews at $99.99 monthly. As with every intro price here, the sticker price is the one that sticks, so plan around the regular number.

Where Spectrum Stream TV fits, and the honest comparison

Spectrum sells live TV a little differently, and the difference is the whole point. Spectrum Stream TV Signature is $100/mo for 1 year; standard rates apply after. Spectrum Internet is required and sold separately; Internet 100 is $20/mo for 2 years with a Spectrum TV plan. That plan carries 150+ live channels plus 9 streaming apps included at no extra charge: HBO Max Basic With Ads, the Disney+ and Hulu bundle, ESPN Unlimited, Paramount+ Essential, Peacock Premium with Ads, AMC+ with Ads, discovery+, FOX One and ViX Premium with ads.

There is also a lighter option. Spectrum TV Lite is $40/mo for 1 year. Spectrum Internet is required and sold separately; Internet 100 is $20/mo for 2 years with a Spectrum TV plan. It carries 85+ live channels, needs no cable box, and includes no streaming apps.

Here is the fair way to read it. Spectrum's TV prices are promotional first-year prices and require Spectrum Internet, while the other services on this list are sold on their own. That is the comparison, and we leave it there. The math that matters is yours, not ours, so run it against what you would otherwise buy separately.

Sling TV, Fubo, and reading a price for yourself

Sling TV and Fubo also sell live TV plans, and both belong in any honest survey of streaming services with live TV channels. We do not list a price for either here because their price pages did not load for us on September 26, 2026. For the current figure, read it straight from sling.com and fubo.tv.

Because live TV prices change often, the smartest move is to add up your real monthly total, the base plan plus any app you would still pay for on the side, and compare like with like. Our Switch Score calculator is built for exactly that kind of side-by-side, so you can do the arithmetic on your own household instead of trusting a headline number.

The practical part

If you are already paying for HBO Max, the Disney+ and Hulu bundle, ESPN Unlimited and a few others on their own, it is worth seeing those same apps included alongside 150+ live channels in Spectrum Stream TV Signature before you renew everything separately. Run your real monthly total through our Switch Score calculator and let the numbers, not a headline, make the call.

See Spectrum Stream TV plans Calculate your savings

Paid link: Spectrum pays us when you click through.

Limited-time offer; subject to change; new residential customers only (no Spectrum service in past 30 days). Standard rates apply after promo period or service change. Actual speeds (including wireless) vary and are not guaranteed. Activation fee additional; taxes may apply. SPECTRUM STREAM TV: Streaming apps included with qualifying residential Spectrum Stream TV plans. Equipment may be required; fees apply. Channel availability varies by package and location. Terms and conditions apply, subject to change. Not available in all areas. Restrictions apply. ©2026 Charter Communications, all rights reserved. SPECTRUM TV LITE: Price subject to change. Requires Spectrum Internet. Channel availability varies by package and location; PEG channels may require extra equipment. Terms and conditions apply, subject to change. Not available in all areas. Restrictions apply. INTERNET OFFER: Limited-time offer; subject to change; new residential customers only (no Spectrum service in past 30 days). Standard rates apply after promo period or service change. Actual speeds (including wireless) vary and are not guaranteed. Activation fee additional; taxes may apply. Gig speeds require a compatible modem; see Spectrum.net/modem for list. Terms and conditions apply, subject to change. Not available in all areas. Restrictions apply. Spectrum Internet® is powered by fiber and connected to the premises by coaxial lines.

Common questions

What is the cheapest live TV streaming service?

On this list, Philo Essential carries the lowest base price at $25 monthly as of September 26, 2026, read from philo.com. It lists 70+ entertainment and lifestyle channels. Note that Philo's help center says it carries no local channels, so the lowest price comes without network affiliates.

Which live TV streaming services have local channels?

As read on September 26, 2026, the YouTube TV Base Plan lists locals including CBS, FOX and NBC on YouTube TV's plan page, and DIRECTV Stream Entertainment includes local channels where available on DIRECTV's packages page. Philo's help center says Philo carries no local channels.

Does Philo have sports?

Philo's channel page lists no ESPN, FS1, FOX, NBC, TBS or TNT as of September 26, 2026, read from philo.com. Its 70+ channels lean toward entertainment and lifestyle networks like AMC, HGTV, Food Network and Discovery, so sports fans will want to compare it against plans that name sports networks.

Is Spectrum Stream TV a streaming service?

Spectrum Stream TV Signature is $100/mo for 1 year; standard rates apply after. Spectrum Internet is required and sold separately; Internet 100 is $20/mo for 2 years with a Spectrum TV plan. It carries 150+ live channels plus 9 streaming apps included at no extra charge, and unlike the stand-alone services here, it is a promotional first-year price that requires Spectrum Internet.

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