Surviving R. Kelly: How to Watch On Demand
A growing number of people are only now looking for a way to watch Surviving R. Kelly, and learning it’s not on Netflix.
The fallout from this gripping, six-part series is just starting to take shape. The docu-series features more than 50 interviews, including a number of women who allege that the R&B singer sexually exploited them as young girls. (More on the fallout below.)
If you want to quickly start streaming the Lifetime series, the best way for most people is to sign up for a free trial of Philo. You can do it in under a minute using your mobile number. Then add the Philo app to a Roku, Apple TV or Fire TV device and head over to the Lifetime channel.
In the on-demand section for Lifetime, you’ll find all six episodes of Surviving R. Kelly.
You’ll have Philo free for a week. If you keep it, then you’ll continue to get 58 live TV channels such as Lifetime and A&E and a deep on-demand library for $20 per month.
This guide will show you a few other ways to watch Surviving R. Kelly. But using Philo is easily the best (and cheapest) way for most people to catch up on the series.
Best Option: Watch Surviving R. Kelly on Philo
Philo is a new streaming service that has 58 live TV channels including A&E, HGTV, Discovery Channel, Food Network and all three Hallmark Channels.
Because there are no pricey sports networks, Philo only costs $20 per month. Subscribers get unlimited Cloud DVR that saves your shows for 30 days. But the real added value is Philo’s deep on-demand library and the ability to activate apps that usually require a cable TV subscription.
Philo has apps for Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Fire Stick, Apple TV and Android TV devices such as NVIDIA Shield.
Try out Philo free for a week. If you don’t like it, just cancel online before your trial ends so you won’t get billed. I have been using Philo for more than a year, and you can read my review of it for more details.
Stream Surviving R. Kelly on Hulu with Live TV
Surviving R. Kelly is not available on Hulu’s on-demand service that costs $5.99 per month. But there’s a way to watch the series with a subscription to Hulu with Live TV.
If you are already subscribed or sign up for Hulu with Live TV, then you can activate the Lifetime app, which carries all six episodes of Surviving R. Kelly plus some bonus material. Hulu with Live TV carries 60+ live TV channels including Lifetime, A&E, and ESPN for $40 per month.
Subscribers also get unlimited access to Hulu’s on-demand library that people usually subscribe to. So you’re essentially getting two streaming services. You can also activate about 38 apps with your subscription.
Watch Surviving R. Kelly Online with fuboTV
If you’re a sports fan, you can also use fuboTV to activate the Lifetime app, and watch all episodes of Surviving R. Kelly. fuboTV carries 80+ channels including beIN Sports, NBCSN, Big Ten Network and entertainment networks such as HGTV.
fuboTV’s entry-level bundle has 80+ channels and 30 hours of Cloud DVR for $44.99 per month. You’ll get $5 off your first month if you keep the service beyond a free 7-day trial.
Can I watch on Sling TV?
Sling TV doesn’t let you activate the Lifetime app with a subscription, so you may not be able to see Surviving R. Kelly.
If you already subscribe to Sling TV, I would check the on-demand section to see if it is available.
The Lifetime network appears on the Sling Orange and Sling Blue channel bundles. Sling Orange carries about 32 channels for $25 per month. Sling Blue has 45 channels for $25 per month. You can try Sling TV free for seven days.
Is Surviving R. Kelly on Netflix or Hulu?
No. Right now, the series is exclusively on Lifetime. And since it just aired in early January, it’s likely that it will take a while to get to any streaming service like Netflix or Hulu. If you look on the Lifetime app, you’ll notice a notation that says Surviving R. Kelly will be available until Jan. 1, 2036.
What’s happened since the series aired?
Chicago city inspectors found a number of alleged code violations at a recording studio, prompting a judge to ban anyone from the rented warehouse beyond 5 p.m. RCA also dropped Kelly from their label in the wake of the Lifetime series.
So if you want to see what all the hype is about, the easiest way to watch Surviving R. Kelly is with Philo. Try out Philo free for a week.
You’ll be able to live stream Lifetime and 57 other live TV channels for $20 per month. Just head over to the on-demand section for Lifetime to stream all six episodes on a Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV or Android TV device.
Have you already watched Surviving R. Kelly? Tell fellow readers what you thought of the series in the comments below.

Jim Kimble is a seasoned industry expert with over two decades of journalism experience. He has been at the forefront of the cord-cutting movement since 2016, testing and writing about TV-related products and services. He founded The Cord Cutting Report in 2016.
Major publications, including MarketWatch, Forbes, and South Florida Sun Sentinel, have interviewed Kimble for his years of expertise. He gives advice on the complexities consumers are navigating with streaming options, and over-the-air TV. Kimble has been a staff writer or correspondent for several award-winning, daily newspapers, including The Boston Globe. You can follow Jim on LinkedIn, YouTube and at X at @james_kimble
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