With the cost of virtual cable systems such as Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV around $90 a month - not counting addons such as local sports or premium channels - you might be looking for a cheaper alternative.
Here's the bad news. No matter what your budget might be, you are likely not going to find a combination of packages that gives you EVERYTHING you want. But putting together a bundle that gives you most of the channels you want is definitely doable.
Two caveats. First, sports is especially tough. The major leagues now have games spread across multiple partners and even the upcoming sports-centric streamer Venu won't carry everything. That's especially the case when you want to be able to watch a specific favorite team. So you may only have one option available in that situation.
Secondly, use these suggested bundles as a guideline and then check around to see if you are able to get some of these streaming services for a reduced cost or even free through your cellphone or internet provider. There are also deals such as the one which gives Walmart+ subscribers a free subscription to Paramount+. It's also worth noting that most of the streaming platforms are cheaper if you pay for an annual plan, especially during promotional periods.
I decided to see how many useful bundles I could put together at a price point of $50 a month. Which is 40% cheaper than the current cost of a live TV cable bundle. But it still includes enough of a budget to put together a well-rounded viewing experience.
If you have any feedback or suggestions, email me at
I WANT AS MANY LIVE CHANNELS AS POSSIBLE
The biggest impediment to buying smaller streaming packages of live linear channels is that the biggest media companies - such as NBCU, Disney, Fox and Paramount - only offer their live TV channels as part of a massive "take it or leave it" bundle that includes local affiliates, cable news channels and more zombie entertainment networks than anyone could ever watch.
Which means that unless you're willing to buy the entire cable bundle, some networks won't be available. But the upside is that in 98% of the cases, the original programming from the live channels will be available on streaming the following day.
But if you want a bunch of live TV channels and are a bit flexible on the networks, you can build a pretty robust mini:-bundle:
Philo ($28 per month)
While this virtual cable system doesn't include news and sports channels as well as local affiliates, it does include the biggest collection of live channels on a budget in the industry. Philo also includes about 100 FAST channels.
Here's a rundown of the current channel lineup:
A&E, Accuweather, AMC, American Heroes Channel, Animal Planet, Aspire, AXS TV, BBC America, BET, BET Her, Catchy Comedy, Cleo TV, CMT, Comedy Central, Cooking Channel, Crime + Investigation, Dabbl, Deck The Hallmark, Destination America, Discovery, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, EarthX TV, FETV, Food, FYI, Game Show Network, Get TV, Great American Faith & Living, Great American Family, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Family, Hallmark Mystery, Heroes & Icons, HGTV, History, IFC, INSP, Investigation Discovery, Law & Crime, Lifetime, LMN, Logo, Magnolia Network, MeTV, MeTV Toons, History Military, Motor Trend, MTV, MTV Classic, MTV Live, MTV 2, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Nicktoons., OWN, Paramount Network, Pop TV, Revolt, Science, Smithsonian Channel, Start TV, Stry Television, Sundance TV, Tastemade, Teen Nick, TLC, Travel, TV Land, TV One, Up TV, VH1, Vice, WE tv.
Trio package With Ad-Supported Disney+, Hulu And ESPN+ ($16.99 per month)
This mini-bundle doesn't include any live channels, but Hulu includes not only its original content, but a hefty selection of next day programs from ABC and the various Disney-owned cable networks, along with a number of rival networks. Disney+ also includes recent children's programing, which makes it a great option if you have young ones in the household.
Total Cost: $45 per month.
Addons:
Peacock Premium ($7.99 per month)
If you're a fan of Bravo programming, this is a must-have. While Peacock doesn't include any live linear channels, all of the NBCU linear shows are available on a next-day basis. That includes programming from NBC, Bravo, E!, Syfy, USA and more. And if you have a sports fan in the house, between Peacock and ESPN+, you will have a decent amount of random live sports programming available.
Total Cost: $53 per month.
I REALLY ENJOY UNSCRIPTED AND REALITY TV
While there isn't a ton of overlap between viewers who watch reality TV such as the Housewives franchise with those who watch so-called "unscripted shows" from HGTV and Food Network, what the shows have in common is a desire to just get lost in low stakes non-scripted TV.
This bundle has options for just about every fan, as long as you don't need to watch your favorite reality series as the moment it premieres:
Max With Ads, Disney+ Basic, And Hulu (With Ads) ($16.99 per month)
This will give you access to all of the current programming from WBD owned channels such as HGTV, Food, Magnolia, ID and more. Disney+ includes a lot of programming from NatGeo and NatGeo Wild and Hulu adds a lot of random seasons from networks such as A&E and History.
Peacock Premium ($7.99 per month)
If you are a Bravo fan, this is a must-have. Peacock carries next-day episodes of everything on Bravo, along with a lot of older shows on demand. Plus all the NBC unscripted programs, ranging from America's Got Talent to The Weakest Link.
Paramount+ Premium ($7.99 per month)
You can watch next day episodes of the various unscripted CBS programs such as Survivor, Big Brother and The Amazing Race. Paramount+ also has its own slate of original reality series, including The Family Stallone. As well as a wide range of MTV and VH1 reality shows.
Frndly ($7.99 per month)
If you are a big fan of shows from A&E, History, this live channel vMVPD is a great choice. It doesn't have as big a collection of live networks as Philo, but it's also much cheaper. But you can watch live feeds of A&E, Lifetime, History, the various Hallmark Channels, Court TV, The Weather Channel and much more. So this is a good addition if you're a fan of The Curse Of Oak Island and Moonshiners.
Total Cost: $41 per month
ALL I CARE ABOUT IS SPORTS
There are a couple of challenges with this request. There's no possible way to put together a $50 per month bundle that includes every relevant game and sport. With media rights now spread across so many networks and platforms, it's a challenge to accomplish that even with an unlimited budget. Second, I can't account for various local sports deals and smaller leagues.
Also, this bundle will obviously change once the new Venu sports bundle launches. But given that no launch date has been announced (other than sometime this fall) and it's still not clear what it will and won't include, I am putting that platform aside for now.
But with those caveats aside, here are the best options right now:
Peacock Premium ($7.99 per month)
Peacock has a substantial live sports presence, which currently includes complete coverage of the Summer Olympics. You'll also find NFL games that air on NBC, Big Ten basketball and football, Premier League soccer, WWE wrestling and much more.
Paramount+ With Showtime ($11.99 per month)
You can watch the NFL on CBS, UCL and Big Ten Football, UEFL, SEC on CBS, The Masters, NCAA Division Men's Basketball, PGA TOUR, The PGA Championship, Women's soccer, Combate Global MMA., Bellator MMA.
Prime Video ($14.99 per month)
Thursday Night Football NFL games, Black Friday Football, on NFL Wild Card Game, National Women's Soccer League, five NASCAR World Cup series races, as well as practice and qualifying sessions for the first half of the season and 20 WNBA exclusive national games. An additional package of 66 regular season NBA games, as well as select playoff and finals games will be available beginning in 2025.
Apple TV+ ($9.99 per month)
Friday Night baseball, select MLS games and more.
Total Cost: $45 per month
Addons:
MLB.TV (Around $150 per year)
If you are a baseball fan, this is best option for you. You can pick your favorite team, then watch every live game that isn't blacked out locally. Even better, you can also watch all of the live games of your favorite team's minor league affiliates. MLB.TV costs $30 per month, but if you look around, you should be able to find a deal that will give you the annual package for around $150.
MLS Season Pass ($14.99 a month or $49.00 for the season)
Available through Apple TV+, this package provides every live MLS soccer game, along with the playoffs. Definitely a great deal for the soccer super fan.
MY PRIMARY FOCUS IS POLITICS AND THE NEWS
The good news is that there is a lot of live news and political commentary available for free. The bad news is that you can't get any live feeds of the three major cable news networks.
Neither NBCU, Warner Bros. Discovery or Fox will unbundle their cable news channels from the larger cable TV bundles. So there is no way to watch them live without paying nearly $90 per month.
But NBC, CBS and ABC News all have streaming-only news channels with original programming that you can find on any of the free FAST channel platforms, such as Pluto TV, Tubi, The Roku Channel, Plex, Freevee, etc. And MSNBC, CNN and Fox News do offer free FAST channels that include highlights from their linear TV channels - generally the next day.
And these FAST platforms also include a wide range of other free news, weather and commentary. CBS News Spotlight carries recent editions of CBS News broadcast content such as Sunday Morning and 60 Minutes. There is weather from Weather Nation and Fox Weather, international news from BBC News and Sky News. As well as dizzying array of local affiliate news broadcasts and commentary channels from every possible political angle.
Total cost: Free
I REALLY LOVE INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMING
Here in the United States, we are living in the Golden Age of international programs. Twenty years ago, "global TV" was limited to a few British and Australian-produced TV shows that had been picked up by PBS. Now programming produced outside the U.S. is available on every streaming platform. And a wide range of niche streamers targeting specific genres of international television are now available. And you can get a lot of global TV for less than $50 per month:
Britbox ($8.99 per month)
BBC Studios owns a majority stake in the U.S. version of the service. So it's no surprise there is a lot of BBC programming, although there is also a healthy amount of content from former owner ITV. There are current scripted shows such as The Responder, Blue Lights and After The Flood, older classics including Killing Eve, Lovejoy and Vera, comedies including The IT Crowd and Keeping Up Appearances, as well as plenty of nature and cooking shows and true crime programs.
Viaplay ($5.99 per month)
While this Nordic streamer closed its standalone service in the U.S. and Canada earlier this year, it's still available as an add-on through Amazon Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Xumo, Xfinity X1 or Flex. If you think Nordic Noir is the only type of television made in Norway and Finland, you're in for a pleasant surprise. From the broadly weird comedy Dips to the dystopian pandemic-influenced drama The Fortress, Viaplay has a wide range of new originals as well as a curated collection of older Nordic titles worth watching.
Acorn TV ($7.99 per month)
Owned by AMC Networks, the streamer offers programming from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, other Commonwealth countries, and Spain. American audiences will discover familiar titles such as Midsomer Murders, Doc Martin and The Murdoch Mysteries as well as newer originals such as Monsier Spade and The Accident. The selection of food and true crime programs is pretty thin. But there's not a better place for familiar British mystery dramas.
MHzChoice + Topic ($7.99 per month)
The two services recently merged and the result is the best place to stream international TV from around the world. The service currently streams TV shows produced in 46 different countries, ranging from Armenia to Wales. MHz Choice is the definition of a niche streamer. But if you have a soft spot for global TV, it will provide endless hours of discovery. Believe me, watching a cop show made in Serbia is a unique experience. But if that's not your thing, MHzChoice also has the new season of Babylon Berlin.
Netflix ($15.49 per month)
Every major streamer now carries a selection of shows and movies produced outside the U.S./UK/Australia axis. But of all the major streamers available in the U.S., none of them can compare to the selection available on Netflix. While subscribers are familiar with the streamer's breakout global hits, there are hundreds if not thousands of originals from across the globe in every conceivable genre. When it comes to international television, Netflix is a must-have.
Total cost: $46.50 per month
Have any feedback? Are there any bundle ideas I missed? Email me at
