You can watch Discovery channel live without cable TV on Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick and Apple TV.
But what’s the best option for watching new episodes when they come out? Right now, I think it’s with Philo, a live TV streaming service that costs $25 per month. It’s the cheapest way to watch new episodes of “Gold Rush” and “Expedition Unknown”.
Table of Contents
- How to Watch Discovery Channel live on Roku, Fire TV and Smart TVs
- How can I watch Discovery Channel for free?
- Streaming shows on Discovery+
- Is Discovery Channel on Amazon Prime?
- What’s the best way to watch Discovery Channel live without cable?
You can try Philo free for a week and watch Discovery live on a Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV or Android TV.
The second cheapest option for Discovery Channel is Sling TV for $40 per month.
Sling TV will give you a free streaming device if you prepay for two months of service. But if you’re all about streaming older shows from Discovery on-demand, Philo or Sling TV might not be your best choice.
This guide will show you all the ways to stream older and the latest shows from Discovery without a cable TV provider.
How to Watch Discovery Channel live on Roku, Fire TV and Smart TVs
If you’re unfamiliar with live TV streaming services or cord cutting, here’s a quick primer.
There’s a new age of TV underway, and you don’t need a cable TV or satellite provider to watch the Discovery Channel. Instead you can get an affordable Internet connection, and live stream your channels through apps for a live TV streaming service.
These apps are widely available on Smart TVs, Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV.
You just need to pick a live TV streaming service with the channel lineup that you want. Discovery Channel is currently available through Philo, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, DIRECTV STREAM, fuboTV, YouTube TV and Vidgo.
Philo
With Philo, you can watch Discovery Channel live along with 63 other channels for $25 per month.
Philo comes with unlimited Cloud DVR. You can use Philo on up to three streaming or mobile devices at once. And there is a robust on-demand section of movies and TV shows.
You can stream live TV through Philo on an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Roku and Android TV devices Google Chromecast.
Philo’s channel lineup includes A&E, History, BBC America and all three Hallmark channels. You can look over the channel lineup to see if Philo is a good fit.
If you sign up for Philo, you will also be able to activate the Discovery channel app, (a.k.a. Discovery Go app).
Philo has a free trial for 7 days, and you can sign up in less than a minute using your mobile number.
Sling TV
You can watch Discovery live with Sling TV. But Discovery is only available on the Sling Blue channel bundle.
The Sling Blue channel bundle carries 41 channels for $40 per month. Sling Blue has A&E, Investigation Discovery and TLC.
You can look over the channel lineups for Sling TV before deciding what will work best for you.
If you want to record shows or movies, Sling TV includes 50 hours of Cloud DVR with every plan.
Sling TV supports just about every major streaming device out there, including Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV and Roku. You can check the latest offer Sling TV is making to new and returning customers.
If you prepay for a brief subscription, Sling TV will give you a free streaming device.
Hulu with Live TV
Hulu with Live TV has 75+ channels such as Discovery Channel, TLC, Investigation Discovery and key sports networks like ESPN.
A subscription costs $69.99 per month, but you’re also getting unlimited access to Hulu’s on-demand library, ESPN+ and Disney+.
You can watch live TV channels through Hulu on up to two screens at once.
Your local channel lineup will vary depending on where you live. So be sure to look over your channel lineup to see what’s available in your area.
Hulu with Live TV works on Apple TV, Chromecast, Echo Show, Fire TV, Fire Stick, iPhones, Roku players, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
fuboTV
fuboTV has 152 channels including Discovery, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, Motortrend, OWN and TLC.
This streaming service pulls together live local ABC, NBC and FOX stations, alongside regional sports channels, entertainment and news.
fuboTV started out as a sports-first platform, but has reshaped itself into a full-blown replacement for cable TV. It is the only streaming service that has been airing select sporting events live in 4K.
And if you miss a game, fuboTV has a unique “look back” feature that has all games that aired in the last 72 hours.
Look over the channel lineup to see what local channels and regional sports networks are in your area. Depending on where you live, you may find a regional sports channel such as NESN or MSG.
Subscribers get 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR, and you can activate a few dozen TV Everywhere apps.
fuboTV works on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Android TV devices. There’s a mobile app for iOS and Android. You can also watch live TV on a PC or smartphone. A subscription costs $74.99 per month.
Fubo offers a free 7-day trial to new customers.
DIRECTV STREAM
A DIRECTV STREAM subscription includes Discovery in its entry-level channel bundle.
The Entertainment plan has more than 75 channels for $74.99 per month. Subscribers can watch live TV on up to 20 screens at once.
A&E, ESPN and USA Network are included in the channel lineup. You get unlimited Cloud DVR and 40,000 on-demand movies and shows.
DIRECTV STREAM has a free 5-day trial. Subscribers can add three months of Showtime, STARZ, Cinemax and EPIX for free before the monthly rates kick in.
DIRECTV STREAM works on Roku, Android TV, Fire TV devices, Apple TV and smartphones and tablets. Subscriptions run month to month and so you can cancel whenever you want.
You can look over the different channel lineups before deciding whether to sign up.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV has 128 channels including local ABC, NBC and CBS stations alongside premium networks such as ESPN. A subscription costs $64.99 per month and has unlimited Cloud DVR. An account can have up to five different profiles.
YouTube has apps for Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV and Android TV devices. New customers can get a free 7-day trial.
Vidgo
Vidgo carries Discovery Channel among its 100+ channels. A&E, History and ESPN are among its lineup of entertainment and sports networks.
Subscribers can stream live TV on up to three screens at once.
Vidgo has apps on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Android TV devices such as Google Chromecast with Google TV.
A Vidgo subscription costs $59.95 per month. You can look over the channel lineup before deciding whether to sign up.
How can I watch Discovery Channel for free?
There is no long term way to watch Discovery Channel for free. You need either a cable provider or a live TV streaming service to watch favorite shows such as “Undercover Billionaire”, “Deadliest Catch” and “Diesel Brothers”.
But you do have options to stream Discovery Channel for a short period of time. Philo, fuboTV, DIRECTV STREAM, and YouTube TV all offer free trials of their services. If you cancel before the free trial ends, then you won’t be charged.
Streaming shows on Discovery+
Discovery+ has a huge library of shows on-demand from Discovery Channel.
A subscription costs $4.99 per month. But the service does not carry a live TV feed of Discovery Channel or its latest episodes of new shows.
Discovery+ has full seasons of shows from: Animal Planet, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Discovery ID, OWN, Discovery, A&E, Lifetime, History, Travel Channel, Science Channel, and diy Network.
There are many original Discovery+ shows, including “House Hunters: Comedians on Couches Unfiltered”, “Gold Rush: Freddy Dodge’s Mine Rescue”, and “Mysterious Planet.”
If you’re looking for a full seasons of your favorite show, then Discovery+ offers a lot to watch at a much lower price than a cable subscription. There are no contracts or commitments with Discovery+.
You can sign up for a free 7-day trial and cancel online if the service isn’t for you.
Is Discovery Channel on Amazon Prime?
The cable network Discovery Channel is not available on Amazon Prime.
However, Amazon Prime subscribers can sign up for Discovery+ through Amazon Channels. A subscription costs $4.99 per month after a free 7-day trial.
Discovery+ has popular older shows such as “A Haunting”, and new originals including, “Deadliest Catch: Bloodline”.
What’s the best way to watch Discovery Channel live without cable?
There are a number of ways to watch Discovery channel without cable and watch popular shows live as they air. What’s the best way to new episodes live? Let’s narrow down your choices.
Philo is the cheapest way to watch Discovery channel live without cable for $25 per month. Subscribers get 64 channels and unlimited Cloud DVR. You just need an Internet connection and a Fire TV, Apple TV or Roku. Philo has a free 7-day trial.
Discovery+ is an affordable way to watch full seasons from older shows, and new Discovery+ Originals. A subscription costs $4.99 per month after a free 7-day trial. You can look over the lineup of shows, and networks before deciding whether to sign up.
Note: This article was published on February 11, 2021, and has been updated to reflect new pricing.
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.
Founder and Editor of The Cord Cutting Report. Before launching the site in 2016, he worked for more than two decades as a staff writer or correspondent for a number of daily newspapers, including The Boston Globe. His enthusiasm for tech began with the Atari 2600. Follow @james_kimble
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