UPDATED on June 14, 2021
How to Stream Discovery Channel
You can stream Discovery channel live without cable through Philo, Sling TV, fuboTV and YouTube TV. Some of these streaming services will even let you activate the Discovery Go app using your pay TV credentials.
Watch Discovery Channel Live Without Cable
You can watch Discovery channel live on Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick and Apple TV using a live TV service.
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, Expedition Unknown and Naked and Afraid.
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 $35 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.
Stream Discovery Channel live on Roku, Fire TV and Apple TV
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 Comcast, Spectrum, Dish or DIRECTV for the Discovery Channel.
Instead you can get an affordable Internet connection, and live stream your channels using a Roku, Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV. You just need to pick a live TV streaming service with the channel lineup that you want.
Philo: Watch Discovery Channel without cable online
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: Get Discovery Channel Without Cable
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 45+ channels for $35 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. You can get 200 hours of Cloud DVR for $5 per month.
Sling TV supports just about every major streaming device out there, including Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV and Roku. If you prepay for a brief subscription, Sling TV will give you a free streaming device.
Hulu with Live TV: Best for Live TV and On-Demand library
Hulu with Live TV has 65+ channels such as Discovery Channel, TLC, Investigation Discovery and key sports networks like ESPN.
A subscription costs $64.99 per month, but you’re also getting unlimited access to Hulu’s on-demand library. That’s the same on-demand Hulu service that people pay $5.99 and up for, so you’re essentially getting two streaming services. You can watch live TV channels through Hulu on up to two devices 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.
You can get a free 7-day trial for Hulu’s live TV service even if you already subscribe to Hulu’s on-demand streaming service.
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.
Are Discovery Channel shows on Hulu?
Yes, if you subscribe to Hulu’s on-demand streaming service, you can watch a number of shows from Discovery.
So if you need to catch up on old seasons of Mythbusters, Gold Rush or Deadliest Catch, Hulu is a solid choice. You’ll also have a vast, rotating library of movies and TV shows from dozens of networks.
You can sign up for a free 30-day trial of Hulu’s on-demand streaming service..
Streaming shows on Discovery+
Discovery Plus is the new on-demand streaming service that has shows its portfolio of popular cable TV channels.
Animal Planet, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Discovery ID, OWN, Discovery, A&E, Lifetime, History, Travel Channel, Science Channel, diy Network and the dodo are among the networks it carries.
There are no live TV channels or new episodes on Discovery Plus. But 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.
Stream Discovery shows on fuboTV
fuboTV has 120+ 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 250 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 $64.99 per month.
Fubo offers a free 7-day trial to new customers.
YouTube TV: Stream live TV online
YouTube TV has 85+ 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.
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.
Sling TV is the second cheapest option for watching a Discovery channel live stream at $35 per month. You’ll need to subscribe to the Sling Blue bundle. Sling TV works with Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, PCs, smartphones and Xbox game consoles. If you prepay for a brief subscription, Sling TV will give you a free streaming device.
Now that I’ve broken down all the ways to watch Discovery Channel without cable, how are you going to watch? Tell fellow readers about your streaming experience in the comments below.
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
The days of CABLE TV ARE OVER! DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD! Cable has always overcharged and always given crappy service, die cable FXXXING DIE! AH HA HA HA HA! YEAAAAA!