If you’re wondering whether to cancel YouTube TV in favor of a cheaper live TV streaming package, your options are better than they used to be.
Getting local channels, news, and even sports no longer requires a big bundle, with skinnier packages selling for less than YouTube TV’s $83 per month asking price. Smaller packages are also available for folks who don’t care about sports, some of which even include popular streaming services at no additional charge.
Even though the carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Disney is now over after dragging into a second week, now’s the time to look at alternatives. You might be better off taking your business elsewhere.
If you need sports
I’ve already written a whole other article about sports-streaming options that are cheaper than YouTube TV, but here’s a quick rundown:
- Fubo Sports ($56/mo.): Includes ESPN, Fox Sports, Tennis Channel, NFL Network, Tennis Channel, and most local channels, but does not include NBC or TNT/TBS; and the only included cable news channel is Fox News.
- DirecTV MySports ($70/mo): Includes local channels, ESPN, Fox Sports, TNT/TBS, NFL Network, MLB Network, NBA TV, NHL Network, USA, Golf Channel, and the major cable news networks. You can add regional sports in some areas for an extra $20 per month. You don’t need a satellite dish and can stream via the DirecTV app on connected TV devices.
- Xfinity Sports & News ($70/mo.): This one’s for Comcast internet customers only, but it includes local channels ESPN, Fox Sports, Turner channels, USA, Tennis Channel, and Golf Channel; plus, the big three cable news networks. It also includes Peacock, and you can stream using the Xfinity app—no cable box needed.
- Hulu + Live TV ($90/mo.): It’s not any cheaper than YouTube TV, but it does include Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select and an otherwise similar channel lineup. It’s also on sale at $65 per month for the first three months right now.
- Sling TV Blue or Orange (starts at $46/mo): Sling can be an odd choice due to its patchy local channel availability, but its combination of cable news, national sports networks, and general entertainment are worth considering–especially if you use an antenna for local channels.
Cheaper news and local-channel options
If you don’t watch a lot of sports but still want local channels or cable news, have a look at these options:
- DirecTV MyNews ($40/mo.): Despite the name, this package is actually the cheapest way to get local channels without an antenna. It also includes major cable news networks. Local channels can vary by market, though, so check your zip code on DirecTV’s website.
- Sling Select ($20/mo. and up): This is a weird one. Depending on where you live, this package will either include no local channels or some combination of ABC, Fox, and NBC. The price increases to $25 per month in markets with at least two of those channels, and $30 per month in markets with all three. (CBS is excluded no matter what.) In all cases, the package includes 11 other cable channels including Fox News, FS1, FX, NFL Network, and MeTV. Check local channel availability here.
Notable non-sports options
If you don’t need local channels—or you can get them with an antenna—these options could save a lot of money:
- DirecTV MyEntertainment ($35/mo.): Includes more than 60 entertainment channels, the big three cable news networks, and free access to Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max (with ads).
- DirecTV MyKids ($20/mo): Offers more than a dozen kids channels—including Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network—and access to Disney+.
- Philo ($33/mo): Includes more than 60 entertainment channels, plus access to HBO Max, Discovery+, and AMC+ (with ads).
- Frndly TV ($9/mo): A super-skinny bundle anchored by Hallmark and surrounded by mostly rerun-centric channels. The price jumps to $11 per month if you want DVR service.
Maybe you don’t need a bundle at all
Between ESPN Unlimited, Fox One, Peacock, Paramount+, HBO Max, CNN All Access, and Disney’s various bundles, much of the content that once required a pay TV package is now available in a somewhat a la carte form.
I’m not saying you should subscribe to all of those services simultaneously—if you do, you might be better off with some of the bundles above—but you might be able to find two or three that meet your needs for less than a traditional pay TV package. And unlike with YouTube TV, there are no carriage disputes to worry about. If a company like Disney decides to raise rates, it’ll have to reckon directly with customers like you instead.
Don’t miss Jared’s follow-up column for a deep dive into the future of YouTube TV.
This story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best TV streaming services.
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Correction: This article previously said that DirecTV MySports includes Tennis Channel. It does not.
Author: Jared Newman, Contributor
Jared has been a freelance technology journalist for more than 15 years and is a regular contributor to PCWorld, Fast Company, and TechHive, where he's written a weekly cord-cutting column since 2014. His Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter has more than 30,000 subscribers, and his Advisorator tech advice newsletter is read by nearly 10,000 people each week. Jared has a master's degree in journalism from NYU and specializes in making complex tech topics easy to understand, from streaming and cord-cutting to neat apps and useful tech tricks. He is based in Cincinnati, OH.