Live TV streaming compared: YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling, Fubo and DirecTV

Live TV streaming is the cable replacement: local channels, news and sports, streamed to your TV with no box or contract. But it's no longer cheap. Several services raised prices in 2026, and the full packages now cost $80 to $100 a month or more, about the same as the cable bills they replaced.

We've compared YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, Fubo and DirecTV's streaming packages, plus Philo and two cheaper sports options. YouTube TV, DirecTV, Philo and Fox One prices come from their own websites. Hulu, Sling and Fubo wouldn't show us US prices, so their figures come from dated 2026 coverage, named below. Everything was checked on October 27, 2026, and prices are before tax and any regional fees. For on-demand services like Netflix and Disney+, see our streaming prices comparison.

At a glance

• Cheapest full package: Sling Orange or Blue, $45.99 a month, though local channels are only on Blue and only in some areas.
• Cheapest big package with local channels: YouTube TV at $82.99, or $59.99 a month for two months for new members.
• Most expensive: Hulu + Live TV, now $99.99, and Fubo, $88.99 plus a regional sports fee.
• Free trials we could confirm: Philo 7 days, DirecTV 5 days, Fox One 3 days.
• No sports: Philo, $25 a month, for entertainment and news channels only.

Live TV streaming compared

YouTube TV

YouTube TV's own site lists its base plan at $82.99 a month for more than 100 channels, including local channels depending on your ZIP Code. You get unlimited DVR, with recordings kept for nine months, and three streams at once. New members can get it for $59.99 a month for the first two months, an offer YouTube says ends on November 16, 2026.

YouTube TV now also sells smaller genre plans. Its site lists a Sports plan at $64.99 a month, and Cord Cutters News reports an Entertainment plan at $54.99. The 4K Plus add-on costs $9.99 a month and adds unlimited streams at home. If you watch the NFL, YouTube TV is also the home of NFL Sunday Ticket, which 9to5Google reported costs $378 for the 2026 season for existing YouTube TV members.

Hulu + Live TV

Hulu + Live TV went up $10 this fall, to $99.99 a month with ads or $109.99 for ad-free on-demand shows, according to StreamingMediaBlog. The new prices applied to existing subscribers from October 21. It includes 95+ live channels with locals, plus Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Select, which makes it better value if you'd pay for those separately. It has unlimited DVR, kept for nine months, and two streams, or unlimited at home for $9.99 more.

Disney combined Hulu + Live TV with Fubo in October 2025, but both are still sold separately.

Sling TV

Sling is the cheapest of the big services, with two base packages you can take alone or together. According to prices checked on Sling's site on October 12, 2026 by AmericanTV, a DirecTV dealer, Orange costs $45.99 a month with 30+ channels and one stream, and includes ESPN. Blue starts at $45.99 with 40+ channels and three streams, and has local ABC, NBC and FOX channels in some markets only. Orange & Blue together start at $60.99. Unlimited DVR is an extra $5 a month.

Sling also has a cheaper Essentials plan, launched in April 2026, for $19.99 a month with ESPN and ESPN2.

Fubo

Fubo is aimed at sports fans. PCWorld reported in July 2026 that Fubo was raising its prices by $15, after NBC channels returned to the service. Pro now costs $88.99 a month, Elite $98.99 and Ultimate $113.99. Most plans also add a regional sports fee of $13 to $17 a month depending on where you live, so the real starting cost is over $100. Fubo Pro has 212 channels, according to Cord Cutters News, with unlimited DVR and ten streams at home.

DirecTV

DirecTV's streaming packages need no satellite dish. On its own site, Entertainment costs $89.99 a month for 90+ channels including locals and ESPN, Choice is $94.99 for 125+ channels and adds regional sports networks, and Ultimate is $129.99 for 160+. Entertainment, Choice and Ultimate are each $30 off for the first month. DirecTV also sells a MySports genre pack for $64.99, which includes ESPN. All packages come with unlimited cloud DVR, and DirecTV offers a five-day free trial.

DirecTV's own help pages list some different prices for the same packages, so check the final price before you sign up.

Cheaper ways to get sports and live channels

• Philo: $25 a month for 70+ entertainment and news channels, with unlimited DVR kept for a year and a seven-day free trial. It has no local channels and no ESPN.
• ESPN Unlimited: ESPN's own streaming service went up to $31.99 a month in August 2026 for new customers, according to CableTV.com, and includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNews.
• Fox One: $19.99 a month for your local FOX station, FS1, Fox News and more, with a three-day free trial.
• An antenna: local ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX broadcasts are free over the air if you're in range of a transmitter.

Where each wins and falls short

• YouTube TV has the simplest full package and the best DVR, with an offer for new members. But it's $82.99 at full price.
• Hulu + Live TV includes Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Select, but at $99.99 it's now the dearest base plan, with only two streams.
• Sling is the cheapest way to get ESPN and cable channels, but locals are patchy and the DVR costs extra.
• Fubo has the most channels and sports, but the regional sports fee pushes it past $100.
• DirecTV has a confirmed free trial and regional sports, but the higher packages are expensive.

Your questions answered

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes. All of these services are monthly, with no contract, so you can sign up for a big game or a season and cancel after.

Can I still buy a Sling day pass for one game?

No. Sling's day, weekend and week passes were discontinued in October 2026. For a single FOX game, Fox One's three-day free trial or an antenna are the cheapest options.

Sources: YouTube TV, Cord Cutters News: YouTube TV in 2026, 9to5Google: NFL Sunday Ticket 2026, StreamingMediaBlog: Hulu + Live TV price rise, TechCrunch: Fubo and Hulu + Live TV combine, AmericanTV: Sling TV prices, AmericanTV: Sling ends passes, PCWorld: Fubo price increase, Cord Cutters News: live TV services compared, DirecTV: streaming packages, Philo, CableTV.com: ESPN price increase, Fox One