Best way to watch TV? We compared prices, offerings to find the ‘best’ streaming service
Years ago, exhausted by the price increases, TV watchers started abandoning their cable contracts and switching to digital streaming platforms.
Some of those cord cutters may now be dealing with the same pricing issues. There are plenty of streaming platforms available, and the list is growing. But are the costs getting out of hand again?
Some streaming platforms bill themselves as cable alternatives, offering live TV. Others specialize in original content and libraries filled with familiar TV shows and movies. Some offer both.
Then there are the optional add-ons and the bundle plans, not to mention the cable companies that now give customers free or discounted access to other streaming services.
For example, The Walt Disney Co. and FuboTV announced plans to combine the Hulu plus Live TV business with Fubo into a new streaming business in January. The companies did not announce a pricing structure.
Adding to budget woes is Netflix, which added 19 million subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2024, then announced in January 2025 that it was increasing prices on its plans.
“As we continue to invest in programming and deliver more value for our members, we will occasionally ask our members to pay a little more so that we can re-invest to further improve Netflix,” the company wrote in a Jan. 21, 2025, letter to shareholders.
This was the latest in a series of rate hikes for the company which, in May 2023, also began cracking down on password sharing.
But Netflix isn’t the only company that has raised prices. In the summer of 2024, Peacock tacked on $2 to the monthly cost of each of its streaming options, CNBC reported, and Paramount+ became a buck or two more expensive each month last year.
The News & Observer checked prices on popular streaming plans that offer live TV, original content, previously released shows and movies, or some combination. For this story, we did not consider streaming services, such as Spectrum’s Xumo, offered to customers of cable companies.
Which platform has the best prices for live TV?
Select plans from Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu plus Live TV and Fubo act as alternatives to cable TV. Subscribers can watch TV live, but they don’t get access to the original content or movies and TV shows that other streaming services provide.
- Sling TV offers the cheapest options of the platforms, but those plans also include the fewest channels, with limited access to live TV. For example, the only local Raleigh, N.C., news station available through Sling TV, is Disney owned-and-operated ABC11, and it’s only included in the higher-cost Sling Blue and Sling Blue & Orange plans. Check local channel availability in your market.
- YouTube TV and Hulu’s live TV plans are nearly twice as expensive as the Sling options, but they include double or triple the channels, plus live local programming.
- Fubo’s plans are similar in price to YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, but the cheapest Fubo plan includes more than 200 channels.
Discounts: Sling offers a 50% off discount for the first month. YouTube TV customers can get $10 off the regular subscription price each month for the first six months. Fubo customers get a discount of about $20 their first month.
Which platform has the best prices for movies & previously released TV?
Many companies offer streaming options for consumers who want to watch movies and TV series but aren’t looking for live TV channels:
- Disney+
- Hulu
- Max
- Netflix
- Peacock
- Paramount+
- Prime
The Paramount+ with Showtime plan offers live local CBS affiliate streaming. The Paramount+ Essential plan does not.
The Peacock Premium Plus plan gives you access to live local NBC affiliates, but the Peacock Premium plan does not.
The platforms may also feature original content only available on specific streaming platforms. For example, HBO’s streaming platform, Max, includes films and series such as “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” “Dune Part Two,” “Friends” and “The Big Bang Theory” in addition to originals like “Succession” and “Euphoria.”
Which platform has the best price on live TV & other content?
The Hulu plus Live TV, Disney+ and ESPN+ bundle is the only streaming option we found that includes a range of live TV channels in addition to movies, TV series and original content.
There are two plans:
- The ad-supported version costs $82.99 per month.
- For $95.99 per month, subscribers get ad-free access to Hulu and Disney+, though ads are still included on ESPN+.
How to watch live TV for free
Sling Freestream and Fubo Free offer live TV channels that can be streamed for no cost.
But there’s a catch. Sling Freestream doesn’t have local news channels for all markets. Similarly, local channels and regional sports programming is only available with a paid Fubo subscription and can’t be accessed on Fubo Free. Fubo Free is available to former Fubo subscribers and those whose trial has expired.
This story was originally published February 14, 2025 at 5:45 AM with the headline "Best way to watch TV? We compared prices, offerings to find the ‘best’ streaming service."
