How to Watch MTV without cable

Updated on September 1, 2021

Stream MTV Live instead of watching on cable

There are two inexpensive ways to watch MTV live on a Roku or Fire TV Stick without a cable subscription. 

The best live TV streaming service for getting MTV without cable is through Philo. 

At $25 per month, it’s the cheapest option. Philo carries all four MTV channels, including the main MTV channel, MTV2, MTV Live and MTV Classic. 

Philo has 64 live TV channels, unlimited Cloud DVR, and a huge on-demand library of movies and TV shows. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial in under a minute using your mobile number.

Sling TV, my runner-up pick, is outlined below. If you want to explore all your options of streaming MTV live on your television or smartphone, keep reading. 

You don’t need to spend a lot of money every month just to watch some episodes of Catfish, Ridiculousness or Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. 

I’ll break down your options commonly used by cord cutters, and price them out.  

MTV shows and channels

MTV is the lead channel among MTV Networks and debuts new episodes for shows such as 16 and pregnant, MTV Unplugged and Siesta Key.

MTV 2 is the home for the show Cheaters. MTV Live has MTV Unplugged and other concert-related programming. MTV Classic carries all of the old school programming that made the network famous, including music videos from the 80s and 90s. 

The thing to know about Philo is that it’s an entertainment-based channel bundle. So you won’t get any sports or local channels. 

You can watch live TV through Philo’s app on Roku, Fire TV Stick, Apple TV and Android TV devices like the new Google Chromecast. There are no contracts or hidden fees. You can cancel online whenever you want.

Watch MTV on Roku, Fire TV or Apple TV

You don’t have to get rid of cable or your satellite service before trying out Philo or another live TV service. 

In fact, I recommend that you don’t. 

Just about all of these services have free trials, so you can sign up and see if the service is a good fit for you before dumping your cable or satellite subscription. I also have some tips on how to get a cheaper rate for Internet service without paying for a cable bundle. 

All you need to get going is an Internet connection, and a streaming device such as a Roku, Apple TV, or Fire TV Stick. Even some Smart TVs, a game console like an XBox One or smartphone will probably work depending on the service. 

Sling TV: Watch MTV without cable

Sling TV is your second cheapest option for watching MTV without cable.

At $41 per month, subscribers get MTV and MTV2 as part of the channel lineup. But you need to make a decision when you sign up for a free trial. 

Subscribers need to pick a main channel bundle — either Sling Orange or Sling Blue. Sling Orange has 34 channels, including A&E and ESPN. Sling Blue has 45+ channels and carries NFL Network and HGTV. 

Once you get that worked out, you need to add the Comedy Extra add-on bundle, which includes MTV and MTV2. 

The Comedy Extra bundle also has truTV, Paramount Network, MTV2, CMT, Logo, Revolt, GSN and TV Land. 

Sling Orange or Blue costs $35 per month. Adding Comedy Extra costs another $6 per month. Sling includes 50 hours of Cloud DVR, and you can add up to 200 hours for another $5 per month. 

Sling TV works on most major streaming devices, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Google Chromecast, LG and Samsung Smart TVs and XBox One.

There are mobile apps for Android and iPhones. You can look over the channel lineups for Sling Orange or Blue.

 When you sign up for Sling TV, there are no contracts, or extra fees like cable TV. The first month costs $10, then increases to $35 per month after that. If you prepay for two months, Sling TV will give you a free streaming device.

fubotv: Live Stream MTV Online

fuboTV aims to be a full-on cable TV replacement without leaving you with a triple-digit bill every month.

It has 120+ channels, including MTV, A&E and HGTV for $64.99 per month. 

There are local ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX stations. AMC, Hallmark networks, Discovery ID, ACC Network, NFL Network, ESPN, and NBA TV are included in the channel lineup.

Subscribers get 250 hours of Cloud DVR, and to catch up on sports, the “look back” feature carries all games that aired in the last 72 hours. 

Fubo has a robust library of on-demand movies and TV shows.

You can use your subscription to activate more than 40 apps on your streaming device or computer. So you can unlock extra live streams and on-demand libraries that you won’t find within your fuboTV subscription. 

fuboTV is the only live TV streaming service that offers select sporting and entertainment events in 4K. 

You can look over the channel lineup or sign up for a free 7-day trial. There are no contracts or obligations so you can easily cancel online if you don’t want to keep the service. 

DIRECTV STREAM: Watch MTV Online

MTV and MTV2 is available on DIRECTV STREAM’s Entertainment bundle, which costs $69.99 per month. Subscribers get 65+ channels, 20 hours of Cloud DVR and 40,000 on-demand shows.

DIRECTV STREAM has ESPN, Nickelodeon, HGTV and TNT.

You’ll be able to stream MTV live on a Roku, Apple TV or Fire TV at home, and a smartphone if you’re not at home.

You can look over the different channel lineups before deciding whether to sign up.

Vidgo: Live Stream MTV

Vidgo carries local HGTV as part of its 85+ channel live TV lineup. A&E, ESPN, History channel and Science Channel are among some of Vidgo’s most popular channels.

Subscribers can stream on up to three devices at once. Vidgo has apps on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Android TV devices such as Google Chromecast.

A Vidgo subscription costs $55 per month. You can look over the channel lineup before deciding whether to sign up.

Watch MTV on YouTube TV

MTV is a recent addition to YouTube TV’s channel lineup. Subscribers get 85+ channels, including ESPN, HGTV and local ABC, CBS and NBC stations.

Unlimited Cloud DVR is included. A subscription costs $64.99 per month. YouTube TV works on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and other Android TV devices. 

YouTube TV has a free trial that lasts a week.

Can I watch MTV on Hulu with Live TV? 

No. MTV is not available on Hulu + Live TV. But Hulu’s on-demand library currently has a few MTV shows to watch.

There are seven seasons of Catfish, and six seasons of Jersey Shore and The Hills.

A subscription to Hulu’s on-demand service is $5.99 per month (with limited commercials) or $11.99 per month with no commercials.

Hulu has a free one-month trial.

What’s the best way to watch MTV without cable? 

Philo is currently the best deal because it’s 64 channels include MTV, MTV2, MTV Live and MTV Classic. A subscription costs $25 per month, and includes unlimited Cloud DVR.

Philo is available on Amazon Fire TV (stick or cube), Roku, Apple TV and Android TV devices such as Google Chromecast. You can also watch MTV live on an iPhone or Android smartphone through Philo.

You can look over the channel lineup or sign up for a free 7-day trial. 

For more news on streaming, how-to guides and reviews, head over to the main page of The Cord Cutting Report or follow the CCR on Google News.