Is this the year you are ditching all the ridiculous fees that your cable company charges? Are you tired of subscribing to channels you don’t watch and paying ridiculous DVR service fees.

If you are looking into alternative streaming options, we’ve compiled a list of all the streaming services that can potentially replace the expensive cable boxes you are renting from companies like Comcast, Time Warner, and more. Here’s the list, from cheapest to most expensive.

NBC Peacock Premium: $5-a-month, Exclusive Shows

The NBC Peacock streaming service doesn’t launch until April 2020, but it will have a ton of NBC shows to stream as well as some original shows. Unfortunately, the company’s streaming pricing structure is a bit confusing. Here are the 3 options:

1. Free: You don’t have to pay a dime, but you do have to watch ads. You have access to 7,500 hours of content as well as live streaming news and sports. You are not allowed access to original content though.
2. $5-a-month: You still have to watch ads, but you have access to 15,000 hours of content as well as all the new, original content. (This level will be provided for free to Cox and Comcast cable customers, for the non cord-cutters.)
3. $10-a-month: This includes everything in the service and strips out all the annoying ads. If you are receiving the premium level for free, you have to pay $5 a month more.

Some of the TV series included with the subscription are The Office, Parks & Recreation, Saturday Night Live, Cheers, Will & Grace, 30 Rock, Friday Night Lights, House, Downton Abbey, King of Queens, Frasier, & all of the Law & Order shows. The original content is listed below.

Popular NBC Peacock Announced Content:

• Saved by the Bell Reboot (featuring Mario Lopez, Elizabeth Berkley & Mark-Paul Gosselaar)
• Punky Booster Reboot
• Battlestar Galactica Reboot
• A.P. Bio Season 3 (moved over from NBC)

There’s also several new series in the works including Girls5Eva (Tina Fey production), Rutherford Falls (Ed Helms comedy), Straight Talk (Rashida Jones comedy), Hitmen (racing show with Dale Earnhardt Jr.), & Intelligence (David Schwimmer comedy).

Worth Subscribing?

Wait & See. Netflix will continue streaming The Office until the end of the year, then it moves exclusively to Peacock. So you have an alternative option this year if you are an Office fanatic. As for the original content, I’d wait for the reviews. It’s a decent mixture of new shows and reboots, heavy on comedy.

Apple TV+: $5-a-month, Exclusive Movies / Shows

Apple TV+ has been out for a few months, offering a variety of original shows for a $5-per-month cost (or $50 for a year of service). It doesn’t force viewers to watch commercials and subscribers can save shows to watch offline. In addition, subscribers can stream shows to up six devices.

The downside is the content library is extremely thin at this point. Arguably, this type of service is probably worth a monthly subscription once or twice a year to binge the new content instead of every month.

Popular Apple TV+ Original Content:

• The Morning Show: A news series drama that features Jennifer Aniston, Reese Weatherspoon and Steve Carell.
• Dickinson: A comedy exploring poet Emily Dickinson’s life.
• SEE: A thriller that features a sci-fi future in which all humans have lost their sight.
• Snoopy in Space: A classic animated character brought to life in a new animated TV show.
• For All Mankind: A drama in an alternate reality in which the space race never ended.
• Oprah’s Book Club: Each episode features a book handpicked by Oprah.

Some of the other shows in the works include a M. Night Shyamalan thriller called Servant, an Anthony Mackie / Samuel L. Jackson movie called The Banker, and a comedy from Always Sunny’s Rob McElhenney about a video game development studio.

Worth Subscribing?

Arguably, this type of service is probably worth a monthly subscription once or twice a year rather than subscribing every month. The limited volume of shows makes it easy to binge a show or two for a month, then unsubscribe.

Frndly.TV: $6-a-month, 13 channels

This service provides access to a very specific set of channels, likely ideal for anyone that watches lots of Hallmark shows and movies. It’s a relatively niche list, but works well in conjunction with services like YouTube TV.

The entire channel list includes the Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Hallmark Drama, the Game Show Network, Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, World Fishing Network, UPtv, QVC, The Weather Channel, Light TV, PixL and BabyFirst TV.

Frndly.TV has three plan options:

• $6-a-month for SD quality & 1 stream at a time
• $8-a-month for HD quality & 2 streams at a time. Also includes unlimited DVR (30-day time limit).
• $10-a-month for HD quality & 4 streams at a time. Also includes unlimited DVR (90-day time limit).

Worth Subscribing?

This type of service works well as a complimentary subscription to something that doesn’t offer the same channels, like Hulu Live TV or YouTube TV. The DVR terms are fairly reasonable and the volume of simultaneous streams is high compared to other services.

CBS All-Access: $6-a-month, Exclusive Shows

Basically a direct competitor to NBC’s Peacock, CBS All-Access is another 1 channel subscription with a decent content library of older shows as well as some original content. Unlike Peacock, there’s not a free option. The base plan costs $6-a-month, but requires you to watch commercials during the shows. The $10-a-month plan removes all the commercials and adds the ability to download video for offline playback.

In addition to the latest programming, CBS All-Access provides access to live news programming as well as live sports, ideal for anyone that wants to watch the NCAA Tournament as it happens. It also provides behind-the-scenes video like the Big Brother feed as well as award shows pre-event content. CBS is also heavily investing in new Star Trek programming, for Trek fans.

Popular CBS All-Access Original Content:

• Star Trek Discovery: A Star Trek show set roughly a decade before Captain Kirk’s five-year mission, following the crew of the USS Discovery. Two seasons are available with the third season coming during the 1st half of 2020.
• Picard: At the end of the 24th century, 18 years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), this Star Trek picks up the story of Jean-Luc Picard as well as supporting characters from the Next Generation series.
• The Good Fight: Picking up a year after the finale of The Good Wife, this series follows the legal career of Diane Lockhart & associates. There are three seasons available to stream with a fourth likely coming during March 2020.
• Why Women Kill: This series featured Lucy Lui and follows the story of various women that live in a specific mansion in Pasadena.
• The Twilight Zone: This reboot is produced & narrated by Jordan Peele, featuring various celebrity guest stars drawn into Black Mirror-esqe situations. The first season aired in 2019 and has been renewed for a second season in 2020.

Interestingly, CBS is investing heavier on original dramas while NBC is investing more into original comedies. There is a free, 7-day trial of the service if you want to try it out.

Worth Subscribing?

For Star Trek fans, most definitely. After Picard finishes the 10-episode run, it’s likely that CBS will roll out the next season of Discovery. That’s more than 50 total episodes of Star Trek goodness & that doesn’t even include the Trek shorts.

That being said, you can get away with subscribing sporadically based on your needs. This is probably a good service to subscribe to every three to six months based on the original shows you are interested in.

Hulu Basic: $6-a-month, Exclusive Movies / Shows

Offering two price tiers, the base level of Hulu costs $6-a-month, offers two simultaneous streams at one time, but you have to watch commercials during the shows. There is an ad free option, but you have to pay $12-a-month to remove all the commercials.

If you are ditching cable, I consider Hulu to be a staple of your post-cable life. While it’s not as robust as Netflix in regards to content, it does provide access to a massive volume of shows from the major networks as well as many of the premium networks.

While you don’t have live access when shows air, you can usually watch the show the following day. Hulu has a solid library of original content; shows like The Handmaid’s Tale, Marvel’s Runaways, Castle Rock, Future Man and more.

There’s also an interesting bundling option available to those interested in Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+. For $13-a-month, you save roughly 25% off subscribing to the three services separately.

Worth Subscribing?

Without a doubt. While the volume of original content isn’t as expansive as Netflix, the licensing agreements with most networks will give you access to the latest programming. That being said, keep any eye on disappearing tv shows over time. As more companies move their content to their own streaming services, Hulu could suffer and it may not be a great deal anymore.

Disney+: $7-a-month, Exclusive Movies / Shows

Launching a few months ago, Disney+ is a service that bundles a huge volume of popular content; basically everything Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and more. There’s only one subscription tier, $7-per-month. You can also opt in for a yearly fee at $70 (which drops the monthly cost to $5.83).

If ditching cable, Disney+ offers a large library of classic & modern movies as well as a small, but growing volume of original shows and movies. One of the most popular has been The Mandalorian, which spawned a million Baby Yoda memes that clogged up the Internet Tubes over late 2019.

Popular Disney+ Original Content:

• Star Wars: The Mandalorian: This 8-episode series (which has a 2nd season coming during late 2020) is a Star Wars, western-style story set 5 years after the fall of the Empire and 25 years before the rise of the First Order.
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7: The final season of the Clone Wars heads to Disney+ during Feb 2020. It’s the seventh season of the show, the first six which can be streamed on Disney+.
• The World According to Jeff Goldblum: This Nat Geo show features the eclectic Jeff Goldblum discussing different topics in a documentary style each week.
• High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: This is a mockumentary / muscial series based on the popular movies.

There’s a ton of Marvel content in the works with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series coming out first during late 2020 along with WandaVision. There’s also series based on characters such as Loki, Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, & She-Hulk on the way; most of which will arrive during 2021.

Worth Subscribing?

For parents, absolutely. The sheer volume of content for kids of all ages on Disney+ is astounding; as we pointed out in our review. On top of that, it has plenty of shows and movies that adults will enjoy as well. Of course, if you are solely interested in Star Wars or Marvel, I’d recommend subscribing sporadically a few times a year. You will be able to binge the latest shows, then save some money until the next show is released.

Netflix: $9-a-month, Exclusive Movies / Shows

Not surprisingly, Netflix is a staple in a post-cable life. While the volume of licensed content has waned over the years, the volume of original content has exploded. That includes everything from movies to television shows to documentaries to comedy shows. Netflix is continuing to invest heavily in original content during 2020 as well.

Do be aware there are multiple pricing tiers. The base subscription is $9-per-month and provides 1 stream in standard definition. The standard plan is $13-per-month and provides 2 simultaneous streams in 1080p high definition. The premium plan costs $16-per-month and provides 4 simultaneous streams in 4K resolution.

Popular Netflix Original Content:

• Marvel Shows: Before Disney+ existed, Netflix invested heavily in shows like Daredevil, The Punisher, Luke Cage, & Jessica Jones. All of these Marvel shows will stay put, but Netflix will not be investing in new Marvel content anymore.
• Stranger Things: This hit sci-fi show has three seasons available for streaming and a fourth on the way; a suspenseful drama exploring supernatural events occurring in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana.
• Orange is the New Black: Set in a minimum-security federal prison, this dark comedy follows the trials and tribulations of the women serving time in the prison.

Some of the more popular shows released during 2019 include The Witcher, The Umbrella Academy, You: Season 2, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, & Dead to Me.

Worth Subscribing?

Absolutely. The sheer volume of stuff to watch is ridiculous. In addition, Netflix has become one of the most reliable services in regards to consistently rolling out original shows / movies each month. You can’t go wrong with a yearly subscription to the service, especially if you have cut the cord.

Amazon Video: $9-a-month, Exclusive Movies / Shows

Similar to Netflix, I consider Amazon Video a staple in a post-cable life. It’s arguably one of the best bargains as well, specifically if you shop on Amazon throughout the year. While Amazon technically offers a standalone subscription at $9-per-month, you are much better off going with Amazon Prime at $119 a year, effectively $1 more a month. That gives you access to Prime Video along with a vast array of Prime Perks like free two-day shipping.

Popular Amazon Video Original Content:

• The Expanse Season 4: Picking up where the SYFY network left off, this sprawling science fiction drama
• The Boys: This series flips the script on the superhero trend, pitting a group of normal humans against superheros that have run wild under the protection of a corporation.
• Fleabag: This award winning comedy-drama series follows the adventures of a young woman in London with frequent fourth-wall breaking moments.
• The Man in the High Castle: The final season of this alternate history show aired this year, set in a parallel universe where the Axis powers won World War II.
• Jack Ryan: Something of a reboot of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan series of books, Amazon has two seasons of the popular drama available with a third season on the way for an unnamed date.

Worth Subscribing?

Of course. Beyond all the perks you get with Prime, Amazon has really stepped up their original content production budget in the past two years. They have branched out into films as well as original documentaries.

HBO Max: $15-a-month, Exclusive Shows

Launching during May 2020, HBO Max is going to combine content from HBO, Warner Brothers, Cartoon Network, TBS, TNT and more at an expensive $15-a-month subscription. It offers all the content you will find on HBO Now with original content that’s going to be exclusive to the service.

It’s also going to be the only place to stream a few big franchise shows, Doctor Who, Friends and The Big Bang Theory. In addition, programming that was streaming on the DC Universe service will be headed to HBO Max, shows like Doom Patrol, the Deathstroke spinoff and Stargirl.

Popular HBO Max Announced Content:

• The Green Lantern: After the middling failure of the Green Lantern movie, DC is taking another shot with a series on the small screen.
• Superintelligence: A comedy starring Melissa McCarthy that details how a woman becomes an artificial intelligence’s human test subject.
• Raised by Wolves: Created by Ridley Scott, this series follows two androids that are raising children on a strange planet.
• XOXO Gossip Girl: This Gossip Girl sequel follows a new set of Upper East Siders and the private school life that goes with it.

Worth Subscribing?

Maybe. This service is definitely on the expensive side and it’s currently unproven. I’d recommend waiting for a few months to see what the original programming release schedule looks like.

Philo: $20-a-month, 59 channels

Philo is an interesting service, specifically due to the low cost for the channel package. At just $20-a-month, you get access to channels such as AMC, Comedy Central, HGTV, Hallmark, ID, MTV, TLC and more.

Of course, there’s a trade off. You will need an antenna for your local channels and your DVR recordings will only last 30 days before deletion. You can stream live or on demand TV on up to three devices at the same time.

Worth Subscribing?

Possibly. It really depends on what channels you are looking for. This specific subset of channels doesn’t include popular stations like USA or TBS, but it could make for a solid complimentary service if you want to expand beyond a Netflix or Hulu subscription.

Sling TV Blue & Orange: $45-a-month, 53 channels

The nice thing about Sling TV is flexibility, in regards to channel options. You can choose to subscribe to either the Blue or Orange channel packages at $30-a-month or both for $45. There’s also a number of $5-a-month add-on packages:

Available Add-On packages:

• Comedy Extra: MTV, truTV, Paramount Network, MTV2, CMT, Logo, Revolt, GSN, TV Land
• Kids Extra: Disney Junior, Disney XD, Nick Jr, Nick Toons, Teen Nick
• Lifestyle Extra: VH1, BET, DIY, all 3 Hallmark channels, WE, LMN, FYI.
• News Extra: BBC, HLN, EuroNews, SCI
• Sports Extra: NBA TV, SEC Network, SEC Network+, Pac-12, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, NHL Network, beIN SPORTS, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN Bases Loaded
• Hollywood Extra: Reelz, Sundance, TCM
• Heartland Extra: Outdoor, Sportsman, PixL, Ride TV, Cowboy Channel

There’s also an A La Carte option that lets you choose from 30+ channels at at little as $3 each, depending on the station.

Regarding DVR service, you can record up to 10 hours of video for free or you can upgrade to 50 hours of video for an additional $5 a month.

Worth Subscribing?

Yes, if you already have an antenna for local stations and don’t mind the small amount of DVR space for recording shows. Sling TV does offer flexible options, both with the core packages and the add-on options. Just be wary of all the add-on fees if you like tons of channels.

YouTube TV: $50-a-month, 70+ channels

One of the nice things about YouTube TV is the simplicity. While there are minor options for add-on channels, there’s basically just a single price for the service, $50-a-month. You also get access to YouTube Original videos, which would typically require a $12-a-month YouTube Premium subscription.

Some of the best features of YouTube TV include:

• Unlimited space for recordings, no limit for simultaneous recordings, 9-month length for all recordings before deletion.
• Account sharing with your family up to 6 accounts, 3 simultaneous streams active at a time.
• One of the most expansive local channel packages, for those that want to avoid an antenna.

Worth Subscribing?

Definitely. This is one of the least expensive options for a robust package with the most popular channels. It has a broad range of options for mainstream entertainment, content for kids, sports packages, news and more.

Hulu+ Live TV: $55-a-month, 60+ channels

If you already subscribe to regular Hulu, you can upgrade from $6-a-month to a $55-a-month plan with access to more than 60 channels (including local channels). You can also upgrade to a $61-a-month plan to remove all the commercials from Hulu’s programming (outside of Live TV).

Both plans let you stream up to two screens at a time and store up to 50 hours of video on the Cloud DVR service. There are also a couple of channel package add-on options, one for Spanish channels and one for entertainment channels like DIY, FYI, Lifetime Movies and more.

Hulu+ Live TV has two additional add-on options:

1. Unlimited Screens for $10-a-month: Lets you stream from an unlimited number of devices in your home and up to 3 mobile devices while outside of your home.
2. Enhanced Cloud DVR for $10-a-month: Upgrades your plan to 200 hours of recording time and adds a feature that lets you fast forward through ad breaks.

Worth Subscribing?

This is a solid option for lowering your cable bill and getting a brand range of channels. The core package includes a broad range of local channels, kids channels, movies channels, news stations, sports channels and entertainment channels.

FuboTV: $55-a-month, 102 channels

If you are a sports fan, FuboTV is going to be your best option with PlayStation Vue out of the picture. It also offers access to a few local stations, which may be ideal compared to hooking up an antenna to every TV in your home.

Some of the more popular stations include AMC, CNN, HGTV, USA, TNT, & TBS. You can find a full listing of all channels here. In addition, the Sports Plus with NFL Redzone add-on is great for sports fans which provides great NFL access as well as tons  of NCAA games.

FuboTV has three main plan options:

• $55-a-month for 102 channels, 2 streams at once and 30 hours of DVR space (unlimited watch time, 4K & HD streams)
• $60-a-month for 102 channels, 3 streams at once and 500 hours of DVR space (unlimited watch time, 4K & HD streams)
• $80-a-month for 168 channels, 3 streams at once, 500 hours of DVR space (unlimited watch time, 4K & HD streams) & Showtime

Worth Subscribing?

If you are looking for a hefty cable replacement with a ton of channels, FuboTV is a really solid bet. The downside is that you could be paying nearly just as much as a traditional cable package. Be wary of the number of add-ons you sign up for.

Cutting the cord in 2021? Here’s the cheapest cable replacement options

Did you make a proclamation for the New Year that you planned to get skinny? Did you make this proclamation loudly on social media, bragging about how skinny you would be? And were your workout clothes and diet shakes both tucked away in a dark corner of a closet within about two weeks of your brag?

Don’t despair. You can still save face by going skinny … but with your cable subscription. And if your tricky word play doesn’t fool your social media friends into believing you were talking about TV the entire time, at least you’ll be saving quite a bit of money each month.

But will a subscription skinny TV bundle be as unsatisfying as those diet shakes? We’ve broken down the key features of the three primary reduced pay-TV options available currently — DirecTV Now, Sling TV, and PlayStation Vue. Learn more about the best skinny TV bundle options here!

DirecTV Now

The satellite giant gives you four tiers of skinny service, ranging from 60 to 120 channels.

If you’re looking for the easiest service to understand, it’s DirecTV Now. It doesn’t offer a lot of extra purchase options and keeps the channel lineups within each tier pretty simple.

You will end up paying a bit more for the DirecTV tiers versus the other options, but you’ll also receive a larger variety of channels than the two other services. I was pretty impressed with DirecTV Now’s lowest tier package for $35, as it has plenty of great channels.

At the time of this writing, DirecTV Now is being offered to new customers with a seven-day free trial. Cancel during the trial, and you owe nothing. Or new customers can prepay for a three-month subscription and receive a free Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV Stick.

Packages and Costs

• Live a Little — 60 channels, $35 per month
• Just Right — 80 channels, $50 per month
• Go Big — 100 channels, $60 per month
• Gotta Have It — 120 channels, $70 per month
• Add-on channels — HBO, Starz, and/or Cinemax can be added for $5 to $8 per month each

Cable Sports Offerings

• Live a Little — ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Sports 1, TBS, TNT, TruTV, USA
• Just Right — Sports channels in lowest tier plus Big Ten Network, ESPNU, ESPNews, MLB Network, NBC Sports Network, SEC Network, Tennis Channel, one regional sports network
• Go Big — Sports channels in two lowest tiers plus Fox Sports 2, Golf Channel, NBA TV, NHL Network, TVG
• Gotta Have It — Same offering as Go Big
• Not available — CBS Sports Network, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, Outside Network, Velocity Network, ESPN3, Pac-12 Network

Good

• Plenty of tiers
• No contracts or cancellation fees
• Best collection of desirable channels in lowest tier
• Easiest channel lineup to understand in each tier; no overlapping of channels from tier to tier
• Customers who prepay for three months receive Apple TV hardware or Amazon Fire TV stick for streaming

Bad

• Must sign up for account at DirecTV Now Web site before you can see packages
• Higher average prices than other two options
• Limited number of add-on packages
• Live local channels are only available in certain cities
• Cannot make use of cloud DVR services yet
• No NFL Network at any tier

PlayStation Vue

There’s a maximum 100-plus channels available through PlayStation Vue, but smaller tiers are available too.

Although the PlayStation Vue service has a pretty extensive channel offering, especially at the Core Slim level, it can’t fully match DirecTV Now’s offerings because Vue doesn’t have Viacom channels included at the time of this writing, such as Nickelodeon, MTV, and Comedy Central. Still, Core Slim is our favorite sub-$40 skinny bundle at this point, thanks in large part to its really strong sports channel lineup.

If you already own a newer PlayStation gaming console, you can stream the Vue service through it, meaning you won’t have to spring for extra hardware. And Vue’s cloud DVR service is handy for skipping commercials or recording shows, even though its performance levels are painfully slow versus traditional DVR hardware.

PlayStation Vue offers a 7-day free trial to new subscribers.

Packages and Costs

• Access Slim — 45 channels, $30 per month
• Core Slim — 60 channels, $35 per month
• Elite Slim — 90 channels, $45 per month
• Ultra Slim — 100-plus channels, $65 per month
• Add-on channels — EPIX Hits and/or Espanol Pack for $3 to $5 per month each

Cable Sports Offerings

• Access Slim — ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, NBC Sports Network, TBS, TNT, TruTV, USA
• Core Slim — Sports channels in lowest tier plus Big Ten Network, ESPNU, ESPNews, NBA TV, NFL Network, SEC Network, one regional sports network
• Elite Slim — Sports channels in two lowest tiers plus Golf Channel, ESPN Deportes, Outside Network, Velocity Network
• Ultra Slim — Same offering as Elite Slim
• Not available — CBS Sports Network, MLB Network, NHL Network, Tennis Channel, TVG, ESPN3, Pac-12 Network

Good

• Plenty of tiers
• Cloud DVR service available, even though it has slow response times
• Nice collection of desirable channels in lowest tier
• Best interface for accessing programming among skinny bundles
• Can stream through PlayStation gaming consoles
• Core Slim is our favorite sub-$40 skinny TV tier; best mix of regular channels and sports at best price

Bad

• Fewer channels than some other options at lowest tier
• If you want subscription movie channels, you’re limited to the Ultra Slim package
• No support for Apple TV hardware
• No inclusion of Viacom channels at the time of this writing (Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, et cetera)
• Live local channels are only available in certain cities
• No MLB Network or NHL Network at any tier

Sling TV

Up to 162 channels are available with the maximum Sling TV offering, but the basic tiers each offer less than 50 channels. (Sling TV is offered by DISH Network; click the link to read our Sling TV review from when it initially appeared.)

I don’t know how to say this any other way, so here goes: The channel offerings in Sling’s two packages are just weird and confusing. Some of the channels overlap between the two services. If you want a full collection of the primary sports channels, for examples, you will have to subscribe to both tiers, which you can do for $40 per month. Why wouldn’t the provider just put all the sports channels into one tier?

Sling offers the largest number of add-on channel packages, which are handy but which also can drive up the cost of this skinny bundle in a hurry. It can be a little confusing too, as you may have to purchase a full add-on package to gain access to just one favorite channel. Sling is attempting to give subscribers more of an à la carte feeling with this design, but it seems more confusing than helpful.

If you can just stick with the Orange or Blue offering though, this is definitely the least expensive skinny bundle out there. And it works with a variety of hardware options.

Packages and Costs

• Sling Orange — 30 channels, $20 per month
• Sling Blue — 44 channels, $25 per month
• Sling Orange and Blue — about 50 channels, $40 per month
• Add-on channels — Kids Extra, Comedy Extra, News Extra, Lifestyle Extra, Sports Extra, Movies Extra, Spanish Extra for $5 to $15 per month each

Cable Sports Offerings

• Sling Orange — ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, TBS, TNT
• Sling Blue — Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, NBC Sports Network, NFL Network, USA, TBS, TNT, TruTV, one regional sports network
• Sports Extra (add these channels to either tier for $10 per month) — NBA TV, NHL Network, Golf Channel, Outside Network, Pac-12 Network
• Not available — CBS Sports Network, MLB Network, Tennis Channel, TVG, Big Ten Network, ESPNU, ESPNews, SEC Network, ESPN Deportes, Velocity Network

Good

• Offers highest number of add-on packages
• Least expensive base options
• Large number of Spanish-speaking channel options in add-on packages
• Includes support for ESPN3 at lowest tier
• Offers seven-day free trial

Bad

• Channel lineup on tiers overlaps a lot, causing confusion
• Add-on channel packages can be confusing
• Pick a few add-on channel packages, and the price goes up fast
• Live local channels are only available in certain cities
• Weird tier splitting; NFL Network and Fox Sports 1 are on Blue tier, but no ESPN on Blue tier
• No MLB Network or ESPNU available at any tier
• No Nickelodeon, Fox News, or Discovery available at any tier

Hulu Live TV and Others

Hulu’s live TV skinny service is scheduled to start some time in 2017. Few details are available, other than the OTT live service is expected to cost less than $40 per month for the lowest tier.

It’s also possible that YouTube, Apple, and Amazon will begin offering OTT live services at some point in the next year, so keep an eye on this changing marketplace if the idea of a skinny bundle appeals to you!

Recommendations

Because the service lineups are in flux with these three offerings, consider our recommendations at this point as being fluid too. But, based on what we know today, here are our favorites:

• Best Deal for the Price: PlayStation Vue’s Core Slim. It has a good monthly price point at $35 with the best sports channels for the money. It is missing Viacom channels though. If you absolutely need Nickelodeon, et cetera, from Viacom, go with DirecTV’s Live a Little, knowing you’ll have to sacrifice some sports offerings.
• Best Overall Channel Lineup: DirecTV Now. The only major omission in any of its tiers is NFL Network. It has the most extensive lineup at each tier, but it also costs a little bit more to have all of those channels.
• Most Control Over Channels: Sling TV. With all of the add-on offerings, you can really customize your service. Just don’t pick too many, or the price goes up fast. And read through your options carefully, as there’s some confusing overlap between tiers.
• Best Sports Channel Collection: This was a tough one, as none of the three are perfect. But to gain the most sports channels for the money, I’d recommend Vue’s Core Slim. It doesn’t have MLB or NHL Networks, so you may miss some playoff games, but it gives you the most key sports channels for the lowest price.

[table caption=”Channel Lineup Comparison” width=”620″ colwidth=”35|20|20|20″ colalign=”left|center|center|center”]

Lowest Priced Skinny Bundle,DirecTV Now,PlayStation Vue,Sling TV

Monthly Cost,$35,$30,$20

AMC,Yes,Yes,Yes

BBC America,Yes,Yes,X*

BET,Yes,X,X*

Cartoon Network,Yes,Yes,Yes

CNN,Yes,Yes,Yes

Comedy Central,Yes,X,Yes

Discovery,Yes,Yes,X

Discovery Life,X*,X*,X

Disney Channel,Yes,Yes,Yes

E!,Yes,Yes,X*

ESPN,Yes,Yes,Yes

ESPN2,Yes,Yes,Yes

ESPNU,X*,X*,X

Food Network,Yes,Yes,Yes

Fox News,Yes,Yes,X

Fox Sports 1,Yes,Yes,X*

FX,Yes,Yes,X*

HGTV,Yes,Yes,Yes

IFC,X*,X*,Yes

MLB Network,X*,X,X

MTV,Yes,X,X*

National Geographic,Yes,Yes,X*

NBA TV,X*,X*,X*

NFL Network,X,X*,X*

NHL Network,X*,X,X*

Nickelodeon,Yes,X,X

Science,X*,Yes,X

Spike,Yes,X,X*

Syfy,Yes,Yes,X*

TBS,Yes,Yes,Yes

TNT,Yes,Yes,Yes

Travel Channel,X*,Yes,Yes

TruTV,Yes,Yes,X*

USA Network,Yes,Yes,X*

Weather Channel,X*,X,X

[/table]

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