Live TV Streaming: Top 100 Channels Compared on YouTube TV, Hulu Live, Sling and More

Live TV Streaming: Top 100 Channels Compared on YouTube TV, Hulu Live, Sling and More

Feeling like your monthly TV bill grew a second head? You’re not alone. Cable has crept up year after year, and the streaming bundles built to replace it have grown up fast. The trick is knowing which service actually covers the channels you watch. That’s where a simple test helps: stack the top 100 channels consumers care about and see who carries what. Do that across YouTube TV, Hulu Plus Live TV, Sling TV, Fubo, DirecTV, and Philo, and you get a clear picture of who’s worth your money—and why.

These services are often called skinny bundles, but most aren’t skinny anymore. You get broad channel rosters, cloud DVRs, and the freedom to cancel anytime. You can watch on a smart TV, laptop, phone, or tablet, pick up a show where you left off, and record seasons without thinking about storage. As cable costs balloon, live TV streaming has become the practical move for people who want live sports, news, and entertainment without a contract.

Here’s the short version before we get detailed. Hulu Plus Live TV is the value play if you want live channels plus Hulu’s on-demand library, Disney Plus, and ESPN Plus in one bill. YouTube TV still has the most complete all-around channel lineup. Sling remains the cheapest path to core cable channels if you can live without a bunch of locals and some sports. Fubo leans hard into sports. DirecTV gives you a traditional feel and a wide set of channels at a premium price. Philo is the budget option for entertainment lovers who don’t care about sports or local stations.

The prices you’re choosing between right now: Philo at $28, Sling at $46 for Orange or Blue, YouTube TV and Hulu Plus Live TV at $83, Fubo at $85, and DirecTV at $87. They’re close enough that channel selection and a few key features—sports coverage, DVR behavior, and ease of use—will make or break your decision.

The 100‑channel test: who carries what?

Start with the big reality: no service carries an identical set of 100 channels. Some don’t hit 100 at all in their base plan. And one—Sling—splits its base bundle in two (Orange and Blue), forcing you to pick the version that fits your habits. That’s not a trick; it’s how Sling keeps prices down.

Locals and broadcast networks are the first fork in the road. ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX are included on most full-size bundles in most markets, but coverage varies by city. Sling’s approach is different: it emphasizes cable-style channels and typically offers few locals, which is why many Sling households pair it with a cheap over-the-air antenna to get ABC/CBS/FOX/NBC for free. If NFL Sundays, big primetime shows, and local news matter to you, verify your exact ZIP code coverage before you pick a service.

Sports is where lineups change the most. ESPN and FS1 are the floor for national sports, with networks like NFL Network, NBA TV, MLB Network, NHL Network, BTN, and conference channels scattered unevenly across services. Hulu Plus Live TV notably omits AMC, BBC America, and NBA TV—an odd trio that matters a lot to fans of The Walking Dead universe, nature docs, and pro hoops studio programming. Fubo’s DNA is sports, and YouTube TV’s breadth still makes it the safest bet if you want most national sports plus a wide swath of entertainment and news. Regional sports networks (RSNs) remain the wild card: availability swings by market, and these channels can trigger extra fees on some platforms.

News and business channels—think CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, and Bloomberg—are widely available on the bigger bundles, though not always together on the cheapest plans. Entertainment is where preferences get personal. If AMC and BBC America are must-haves, that knocks Hulu Plus Live TV down a peg for you. If your family lives on ABC/Disney, FX, and ESPN, Hulu Live’s bundle might hit the sweet spot despite those missing channels. Philo has dozens of lifestyle and entertainment channels at a very low price, but no sports and no local broadcast stations, which is why it works best as a second service or for households that simply don’t need sports or locals at all.

Cloud DVR has quietly become a default, but the details matter. Hulu Plus Live TV and YouTube TV both offer unlimited cloud DVR, which lets you record broadly and forget about storage. Some services have large but finite caps, or limit how long recordings are saved. Sling’s DVR tends to be smaller unless you pay to expand it, which can push the true cost up if you’re a heavy recorder. One more quirk: ad skipping varies by channel and service. If you love blasting through commercials, check the fine print.

Devices and video quality are rarely deal-breakers, yet they can tip the scales. All the big services run well on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, newer smart TVs, and mobile devices. 4K is hotter than it is common: select sports events show up in 4K on Fubo, and YouTube TV offers a 4K add-on; libraries are still limited. Simultaneous streams—how many screens your household can watch at once—differ by service and sometimes by add-on. It’s easy to gloss over, then annoying the first time two people try to watch at once and hit a limit.

Usability counts more than you think. YouTube TV’s interface is clean, reliable, and fast at surfacing live games and shows. Hulu Live’s guide is simple and its discovery tools are strong, but there’s a quirk: to record while watching live, you need to jump back to the guide. Fubo packs in sports-forward browsing, including team pages and league groupings. DirecTV’s design feels traditional and familiar if you’re coming from cable. Sling has improved its guide and search, but expect a leaner experience than the full-size bundles.

Prices, features, and what actually matters

Prices, features, and what actually matters

Budgets aren’t just about sticker price. Bundles, add-ons, regional sports charges, and taxes add up. Here’s how the core prices line up today: Sling starts at $46 (Orange or Blue), Philo is $28, YouTube TV and Hulu Plus Live TV are $83, Fubo is $85, and DirecTV is $87. The extras vary widely. Sports add-ons can bring pro league networks and additional college channels. Premiums like Max, Paramount Plus with Showtime, and Starz are easy to tack on but can quietly move you past what you were paying for cable.

Hulu Plus Live TV stands out because the base price includes the ad-supported Disney Bundle—Hulu’s on-demand library, Disney Plus, and ESPN Plus—plus unlimited DVR. Step up to an ad-free bundle for Hulu and Disney at a higher monthly rate if you hate commercials on on-demand shows. The catch? You still won’t get AMC, BBC America, or NBA TV on Hulu Live’s channel list, so if those matter, you’ll feel the gap.

YouTube TV is the pick if you want the strongest overall channel mix in one place. The DVR is unlimited, the app is friendly, and discovery is easy. Sports fans get robust national coverage, and there are team and league add-ons if you want more. If you haven’t tried it in a while, features like multiview for simultaneous games can make busy sports days a lot less chaotic.

Sling is the most affordable way to keep a core set of cable channels, but it asks you to choose. Orange leans toward ESPN and Disney channels; Blue leans toward FOX and news/sports depth. Picking both gets you more channels but erodes the savings. For many households, Sling plus a simple indoor antenna hits the right balance of cost and coverage.

Fubo is built for people who plan weekends around games. Its channel list leans into sports, with deep soccer coverage and frequent 4K sports events. It’s a strong choice if national and regional sports networks align with your teams. Just keep an eye on any regional sports surcharges in your area and make sure your specific RSNs are included before you jump.

DirecTV offers a familiar, cable-like experience with a broad slate of channels and strong sports credentials. It’s priced at the top of the range, which makes it appealing to households that want breadth and stability and don’t mind paying for it. The interface and channel organization feel traditional—in a good way—if you want minimal learning curve.

Philo is the cheapest on this list for a reason: no sports and no locals. If your household lives on channels like HGTV, Discovery, Food Network, Hallmark, A&E, and similar staples—and you truly don’t need sports or local news—it’s a smart buy. Some people pair Philo with an antenna to pick up local stations for free.

A few practical checks will save you headaches later. First, make a list of five channels that are non-negotiable for your household. If a service is missing even one of them, move on. Second, check your ZIP code for local broadcast and regional sports coverage on the service’s site during signup—availability can change block by block. Third, look at DVR limits, simultaneous streams, and whether you can skip ads on recordings. Fourth, confirm your devices are supported and whether you need a 4K add-on for the best picture. Finally, add up the true cost with taxes, regional fees, and any premium channels or sports add-ons you know you’ll want.

There’s also a bigger industry story unfolding. In January, Hulu announced a merger with Fubo aimed at ending litigation tied to the Venu Sports streaming venture. The deal awaits regulatory approval and doesn’t have a completion date. For viewers, a combined operation could reshape sports carriage, bundle options, and pricing. The big open questions: whether a merged lineup would consolidate overlapping channels, how regional sports rights would be handled, and whether the Disney Bundle inside Hulu Live would change once Fubo’s sports-first model is in the mix.

Free trials and monthly flexibility are still your safety net. If you’re stuck between two services, sign up for both for a week, stack them against your must-watch list, then cancel one. Try recording a few live events, see how fast you can jump between simultaneous games, and test whether your family can stream on all the screens you actually use. The best service for your neighbor might annoy you in a day; the best one for you will disappear into the background and just work.

Quick picks for different needs:

  • Best overall channel mix: YouTube TV at $83 if you want breadth and an easy DVR.
  • Best value bundle: Hulu Plus Live TV at $83 with Hulu on-demand, Disney Plus, and ESPN Plus included.
  • Cheapest path to cable staples: Sling at $46 (pair with an antenna for locals).
  • Sports-centric households: Fubo at $85, especially if your RSNs line up.
  • Traditional feel with lots of channels: DirecTV at $87.
  • Lowest price for entertainment-only lineups: Philo at $28.

One last nuts-and-bolts note on Sling: its two base tiers, Orange and Blue, are different on purpose. Orange is the pick if you need ESPN and don’t mind fewer simultaneous streams. Blue leans on FOX and more news/sports depth plus more screens at once. You can combine them, but that narrows the gap versus YouTube TV and Hulu Live on price.

If you’re migrating from cable, expect a week of retraining your habits. Channel numbers are gone; you’ll use guides, search, and profiles instead. Once you’re set, though, it’s liberating to cancel or switch without a retention call or a multi-year contract. And with steady price changes and new channel deals popping up, that flexibility is the quiet superpower of streaming: you can follow your teams or shows to the service that actually carries them, then leave when you’re done.