It’s a season with seven teams and serious football. With the Super Bowl starting this Sunday, I have two things on my mind: what I’m going to tank this year and what’s the cheapest way to broadcast the game.
If you’re wondering the same thing, there’s good news, at least for the latter. The big game will be broadcast for free on
CBS
VIAC -4.16%.
Sports.com and the CBS Sports mobile and smart TV application. If you pay CBS, CBS All Access subscribers can watch through the CBS application.
Now let’s find out how you can watch live television on the other 364 days of the year.
Cable’s not cheap.
Comcast
The entry-level television plan is advertised at $50, but after the first year the price rises to $60 per month. And this price does not include costs such as the $13.50 per month surcharge for location-based broadcasting or installation and activation fees. You can save about $20 a month by pairing cable and internet services.
Even cutting the umbilical cord is not as natural as it used to be. Prices for live streaming services have increased in recent years. In 2017, when YouTube TV first launched, it cost $35 a month; today it’s $65. Sling TV and Hulu with Live TV have also raised their rates. And these livestreaming providers stand out from the premium streaming services I mentioned last summer, such as Netflix, HBO Max and
Disney
+.
However, one of the big advantages of live Internet TV is that it can be turned on and off every month without having to worry about contracts or equipment rental. Many services even save your viewing history and settings when you log out and log back in later.
There are some considerations for potential streaming conversions. If you plan to stream in 4K or even just High Definition, especially on multiple TVs, you need to make sure your home has adequate internet bandwidth, up to 25 megabits per second.
Moreover, not all services include local television. PBS is one of those channels that is available on YouTube TV but missing from the other channels. (You can watch PBS live online or through the app.) Locast is a great way to access other local stations, and is available both online and as an app for smartphones and streaming devices. Besides, it’s free. Another possibility: I’ve been using a $20 thin digital antenna connected to a flat screen for years.
If you choose streaming, you have two options: paid services and free services. Payment services are similar to cable, but offer better applications, more DVR storage, and fewer fees and obligations. Free services don’t cost a penny, but they have less of the most desired content and leave you with lots of advertising.
Paid services
They are very similar to cable television, so you need to be aware of the channel selection and its growing popularity. Use the free trial – even a cheap service is not worth paying for if you don’t watch it.
Sling TV offers basic rates.
Photo:
Loop
Sling TV – Channel list
Monthly fee: $35 for Blue (information and entertainment plan) or Orange (sports and family plan); $50 for both.
Free trial: 3 days
Simultaneous currents : Up to three screens for cyan, one screen for orange, four screens for cyan + orange
DVR: 50 hours
Sling TV’s base rates are very reasonable compared to the competition. Is there a problem? Sling offers few local channels (only Fox and NBC, in very limited areas), and the choice between blue and orange will make your head spin.
In addition, there are many extensions, such as. B. Upgrade to DVR Plus for $5 per month, increasing the recording limit to 200 hours. The $10 per month sports expansion adds Tennis Channel, MLB Network and NBA TV.
Sling supports simultaneous streams, but the service does not offer the option of individual viewing profiles.
YouTube TV has a simple price and some decent features.
Illustration:
Youtube
YouTube TV – Channel list
Monthly Price : $65
Free trial: 5 days
Simultaneous flow: three screens
DVR : Unlimited; registrations expire after 9 months.
YouTube TV recently lost Fox Sports Networks and the tennis channel, but won NFL Network and, with the Sports Plus package for $11 a month, the ability to add NFL RedZone.
The streaming service has a simple price – just a $65 package – and a great user interface with great features like the Key Games View, which lets you jump to highlights of sports games and newscasts. You can also disable spoilers to hide other users’ reviews and opinions of the fight in question.
Hulu + Live TV provides access to an extensive library of Hulu movies and shows on demand.
Photo:
Hulu
Hulu + Live TV – channel list
Monthly Price: $65 ($71 with fewer ads)
Free trial: 7 days
Simultaneous flow: two screens
DVR: 50 hours
Hulu Live doesn’t offer as many channels as others (AMC and America are notably absent), but it provides access to Hulu’s vast library of on-demand movies and series, such as B. The Story of the Freewoman. (First, this library costs $6 with the ads, $12 without).
Another advantage: There is no expiration date for DVR recordings. However, you have to pay an extra fee if you want to switch to advertising quickly: $10 per month for an extended DVR. (Sling TV, YouTube TV and Fubo TV allow you to skip ads at no extra cost).
Other additional services include unlimited simulcasting, provided all devices are connected through your home network, for an additional $10 per month. (You can view up to three mobile devices that are not connected to the network). In addition, an additional entertainment package is available for $8 per month and a Spanish language package is available for $5 per month. You can save money by combining Disney+ and ESPN+ starting at $72 per month.
TheAT&T TV channel selection plan includes regional sports and an HBO Max.year.
Photo:
AT&T
AT&T TV – Channel List
Monthly Price : $70
Free trial: 14 days
Simultaneous feed: three screens
DVR: 20 hours; recordings expire after 90 days
You’re forgiven for not realizing it. Over the years there have also been versions with
AT&T
Watch TV and AT&T now.
AT&T’s base rate of $70 per month is not very competitive. But it’s worth considering switching to Choice for $85 a month. It includes regional sports and HBO Max for one year. (HBO then costs an extra $15 a month, so maybe it’s time to go shopping). The $140 per month Premier tier includes HBO Max, Starz and Showtime with no expiration date. You can add 500 hours of storage to your DVR for an additional $10 per month, or bundle your subscription with a home broadband plan to save money.
Earlier this year, ESPN, ABC and other Disney channels were added to FuboTV.
Photo:
FuboTV
FuboTV – Channel list
Monthly Price : $65
Free trial: 7 days
Simultaneous flow: three screens
DVR: 250 hours
FuboTV
Offers a variety of channels, but has a mix that is especially good for football fans, including BeIn Sports, TUDN and FS1. At the beginning of the year, FuboTV added the Disney family of channels: ABC, Disney Channel, ESPN, SEC Network and FX. Previously, the service refused TNT, TBS, CNN and Cartoon Network. Although FuboTV is similar to YouTube TV, it has one advantage: DVR recordings are stored indefinitely.
Peacock offers a fairly wide range of live content, including the NBC News Now channel.
Photo:
NBC
Free services
The best feature of these free services is, well, the price. But beware: In addition to the constant advertising, there are also channels that don’t really match up to what one expects from traditional cable, for example. NBCUniversal’s new channel, Peacock, for example, has NBC News Now, which airs the NBC Nightly News, as well as some, but not all, of MSNBC’s offerings. CNN’s version of Pluto is more like a list of short videos about the headlines.
Both applications have a relatively large selection of live content without monthly fees, and their interfaces resemble on-screen TV guides. Meanwhile, Roku and Samsung TV Plus (available at
Samsung
TV and mobile phones) has a more eclectic mix of news, sports and entertainment channels.
SHARE YOUR IDEAS
Which streaming television services do you subscribe to? Join the discussion below.
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Email Nicole Nguyen at [email protected].
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frequently asked questions
How can I save money on cable TV?
9 ways to save on your cable bill – NerdWallet
Is TV streaming cheaper than cable?
Streamers look at fewer devices than cable or satellite devices – they are also lovers of economy and convenience. … More than half (58.5%) say streaming services are cheaper than cable/satellite and a third say streaming is more convenient than cable/satellite for on-demand programming.
What is the best way to watch TV without paying for cable?
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