A Guide to Picking the Right Streaming Service for You
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It’s 2024, and if you haven’t cut the cable cord yet, it might be time to consider making the switch to streaming. With a ton of affordable options in the marketplace, streaming services get you much of the same content as conventional cable, with the added convenience of taking your programming on the go. It only takes a simple app or website to connect, which means you can log in and start streaming anywhere with a WiFi connection.
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We’ve reviewed five of the most popular streaming services available right now to help you find the one that’s best for you.
If You Like Sports: Fubo TV and ESPN+
There are a couple of solid options for sports fans, and both offer different pros and cons. Things to consider: what sports you actually follow and when you like to watch (i.e. live as it happens, or through a replay you can pause and fast-forward). It’s good to consider just how invested you are in the games too, namely whether or not you want the post-game analysis and specialty programs dedicated to your favorite team or sport.
Fubo TV
fuboTV offers more than 100 channels plus live TV starting at $24.99 for your first month, and then $32.99/month. For sports fans, the basic package includes five Fox Sports channels (including FS1, FS2 and Fox Prime Ticket), CBS Sports, Golf Channel, NBA TV, NFL Network and beIn Sports, which gets you access to LaLiga, Ligue 1, Serie A, Conmebol, Concacaf, MotoGP and more. If you’re a fan of college sports, fubo’s package includes the Big Ten Network and PAC 12 Network. Your subscription gets you a ton of regional sports networks too (For example, in New York, you’ll get access to MSG, SNY and YES). Catch the games live, or use fubo’s replay feature to replay nearly any game, show or movie that aired over the past three days.
Fubo also lets you customize your package with add-ons, like the fubo Cycling pack, which gets you an additional six channels, or the popular NBA League Pass, which gets you 30 channels (and access to basically every NBA game) for an additional $14.99 a month.
Fubo doesn’t skimp on entertainment content either. The basic package includes E!, Bravo, AMC, FX and a host of other popular channels. An add-on package gets you nine Showtime channels for an extra $10.99 a month.
Right now, fuboTV is offering a seven-day free trial and a free cloud DVR for new users. See their full list of channels and special offers here.
ESPN+
Another favorite in the streaming marketplace is ESPN+, the sports broadcaster’s direct-to-consumer streaming service. For less than $5 a month, customers get access to hundreds of live MLB, MLS and NHL games, along with UFC Fight Nights, Top Rank Boxing and live matches from Grand Slam Tennis (I.e. the U.S. Open and Wimbledon). European soccer fans can stream Series A, FA Cup and EFL matches live, and there’s access to other popular international sports like cricket and rugby as well. ESPN is also known for their solid coverage of college sports like football, men’s and women’s basketball and lacrosse.
What makes ESPN+ different from other sports streaming services is that a subscription also includes on-demand access to ESPN originals, like the popular “30 for 30,” “E:60” and “OJ: Made in America.” While you can pay to stream those shows on sites like Amazon, they’re all available to stream here for free, at any time, from almost any device.
Another bonus: once you’re logged into ESPN+ on your device, you won’t see display ads or video ads anywhere on the ESPN platform, which means no annoying commercials to wait through when you’re checking scores and highlights on ESPN.com or on the ESPN app.
The most cost-effective way to sign up for ESPN+ is through the Disney Bundle, which wraps in Hulu, ESPN+ and Disney+ all together starting at only $9.99/month. However, hardcore sports fans might prefer a regular ESPN+ account for $10.99/month to take advantage of all the sports broadcaster’s offerings.
If You Like Television: Hulu
Once upon a time, watching a TV show meant you actually had to sit in front of a television set and watch a series developed specifically for that set. Now, thanks to “over the top” providers like Hulu and Apple, a ton of studios are developing original “television” content that you can watch on your phone, computer or tablet (though yes, you can watch them on a traditional TV too).
We like Hulu, which has held its ground against Netflix thanks to critically acclaimed original shows like “The Bear,” “Only Murders in the Building” and “The Kardashians.” Hulu has also garnered attention with buzzy movies and documentaries like “Fyre Fraud” and “Minding the Gap,” the latter of which earned an Oscar nod for documentary feature. Hulu also offers a ton of on-demand content (more than 85,000 episodes) that spans dramas, comedies, reality shows and kids programming.
In addition to its on-demand content, Hulu is a solid bet because it offers a Live TV service that lets you watch your favorite shows and channels over the air. It’s great if you’re a news junkie and want to follow the latest happenings, in addition to award shows and live sporting events. While there were some initial questions over connectivity, Hulu says its technology and product teams have “dramatically improved” the stability and usability of its Live TV service in the past 12 months, reducing buffering by 90%. They’ve also added some great new features, like their “live game start” notification, which sends an alert to your screen when a big game is about to begin.
Need more convincing? For television lovers, Hulu is the only place where viewers can watch full seasons of nearly all of this past year’s Emmy-nominated programming.
Hulu plans start at $5.99/month. They’re currently offering a 7-day free trial for new users. Get more details and see all their current shows and offerings here.
If You Like Movies: Prime Video
You already know about Amazon Prime’s free two-day shipping (and free same-day shipping in select cities) on virtually every product category on the site, but we think Amazon’s movie selection is seriously under-appreciated.
For just $12.99/month, Amazon Prime members get unlimited streaming to thousands of movies that span a ton of genres, from action/adventure to romance to horror. They have a solid selection of international films too. What we like: free streaming to buzzy films that were recently released, like the critically acclaimed “Eighth Grade,” Amazon Studios’ “Beautiful Boy” and the Oscar-nominated “Cold War.” Recent award-winning films like “Lady Bird,” “Fences,” “Arrival,” “Manchester by the Sea” and more are all available to stream for free as well.
If you want even more movie options, Amazon Prime members can add on subscriptions to channels like Showtime, Starz and Cinemax, which get you thousands of on-demand films and shows that you can view across any device.
It’s worth noting that an Amazon Prime membership also gets you access to Amazon’s huge roster of TV shows (including critical darling, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan“), as well as unlimited streaming to more than two million songs on Amazon Music. Gamers can also take advantage of free video games and in-game loot with Twitch Prime, while bibliophiles love Prime Reading, which gets you access to thousands of free books, magazines, comics, audiobooks and more.
One year of Amazon Prime costs $119 (that’s almost $50 less than Netflix). Right now, Amazon is offering a 30-day free trial, which lets you test drive all the shopping and entertainment perks of a Prime membership. See more details here.
If You Like a Bit of Everything: Sling TV
SlingTV offers one of the best values in the marketplace when it comes to streaming services. Their live TV plans let you customize what you want, and start at just $20 for your first month month. There’s no long-term contract to commit to and no hidden fees or confusing tiered pricing.
We like to think of SlingTV like building the perfect bento box of content. Start with one of their base subscriptions (which includes most local networks), then add whatever à la carte channels you want. The $25 “Sling Blue” package is great for sports fans, with access to Fox Sports, NFL Network and NBC Sports, in addition to popular channels like AMC, Bravo and FX. The “Sling Orange” package, meantime, gets you ESPN, TNT, Disney and more.
A la carte options include Starz, Encore, Showtime, EPIX and dozens of other channels, all commercial-free and ready to stream. In addition to its live TV offerings, SlingTV offers more than 10,000 hours of video on-demand. We like how easy their interface is to interact with, and how the SlingTV app pairs with virtually any device, from phones to computers to gaming consoles.
SlingTV is currently offering a seven-day free trial. See their full channel lineup and special offers here.
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