UPDATED on Aug. 28, 2021
How to Stream FOX without cable
FOX is a free over-the-air station in most of the U.S. But you can stream a local FOX station live with AT&T TV, Vidgo, Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV. Sling TV also offers local FOX coverage in 18 markets in the U.S.
How to watch a local FOX station live for free or cheap
There are two good ways to watch FOX live without cable.
You can start watching “The Simpsons” or “911” for free by hooking up a TV antenna to your television.
Option number two is to try out a live TV streaming service. All you need is an Internet connection, and a Roku, Fire TV Stick or another streaming device connected to your TV.
Either way, cutting the cord from your cable TV provider is getting easier by the day despite which route you take.
Vidgo is currently the cheapest way to watch a local FOX station live through a streaming service. This new live TV service has 85+ channels including ESPN, FS1 and A&E.
It has a basic menu, and no DVR capability. But it costs $10 per month for the first month. The regular price of $55 per month kicks in after the promotion.
For a more polished channel guide, fuboTV has 250 hours of Cloud DVR, and 120+ channels. You will be able to watch a local FOX station along with CBS, ABC and NBC.
You can also look over fuboTV’s channel offerings before trying out its service free for a week.
Here is a quick rundown of choices to watch or stream FOX live without the need of a cable TV provider.
Table of Contents
- How to Stream FOX without cable
- How to watch a local FOX station live for free or cheap
- Watch FOX live with a TV antenna
- What’s the best way to watch FOX online?
Watch FOX live with a TV antenna
There’s no good reason these days to not at least try using a TV antenna for free live TV.
Before plunking down any of your hard earned cash on a TV antenna, head over to the free AntennasDirect map and punch in your zip code.
The company’s transmitter locator tool will show you whether there are broadcast towers for FOX and other stations in your area. The map relies on data provided by the Federal Communications Commission. If there’s one about 30 or 40 miles away, then you have an excellent chance of watching FOX for free. (The company also recommends some of its antennas based on your location.)
Some of the most popular shows on FOX are:
- “911 Lone Star”
- “Prodigal Son”
- “The Resident”
- “Bob’s Burgers”
- “Family Guy”
- “Masked Dancer”
- “Hell’s Kitchen”
Finding the right TV antenna takes a little but of work, but it’s giving you free TV for life. So seriously consider trying one.
For more tips on getting started, check out:
Vidgo
Vidgo carries local FOX stations as part of its 85+ channel live TV lineup. A&E, ESPN, History channel and Science Channel are part among its 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 with Google TV.
A Vidgo subscription costs $55 per month. The first month costs only $10. You can look over the channel lineup before deciding whether to sign up.
There is no obligation to keep you subscription if it’s not a good fit.
Hulu with Live TV
Hulu with Live TV has nationwide coverage of local FOX stations.
A subscription has 65+ channels, and costs $64.99 per month.
ESPN, ESPN2, CBS Sports Network and Big Ten Network. A&E, Bravo, Disney Channel, Food Network and HGTV are among Hulu’s popular live TV channels.
Hulu only has one live TV bundle. Subscribers get 50 hours of Cloud DVR for recordings. The live TV package includes unlimited access to the on-demand library and Hulu Originals that people pay $5.99 per month for.
So you’re getting two streaming services for the same price as some standalone live TV streaming services.
You can check out Hulu with Live TV’s other channels to see what’s offered in your area. Hulu has a free 7-day trial — and it also works if you subscribe to the on-demand service.
Does Sling TV have FOX?
Sling TV carries local FOX stations in 18 markets across the U.S.
If you live within Sling TV’s coverage areas, you’ll need to sign up for the Blue bundle. That will give you 47+ channels for $35 per month, including FOX and NBC in many markets. You can click on icons in the map below to see which local FOX stations are carried by Sling TV.
Sling TV is the cheapest option if a local FOX station is offered in your area. Subscribers get 50 hours of Cloud DVR with any channel bundle.
Sling TV will give you a free streaming device if you prepay for two months of service.
fuboTV
fuboTV has more than 120 channels in its entry-level plan. Local FOX, ABC, CBS and NBC channels are included.
ESPN, beIN Sports, Big Ten Network, NFL Network, FS1 and FS2 are among the popular sports channels. A&E, History, and HGTV are a few of the key entertainment channels.
Subscribers get 250 hours of Cloud DVR storage. fuboTV has apps for just about any streaming device, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV devices like Google Chromecast with Google TV.
You can use your subscription to activate dozens of TV Everywhere apps on your streaming device or smartphone. You can try out fuboTV free for 7 days. A subscription costs $64.99 per month.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is another option to stream FOX live without a cable TV subscription. There are 85+ channels and unlimited Cloud DVR for $64.99 per month. YouTube TV offers a free 7-day trial.
DIRECTV STREAM
FOX 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.
It has ESPN, Nickelodeon, HGTV and TNT. There are other local channels, including NBC, ABC and CBS.
You’ll be able to stream FOX live on a Roku, Apple TV or Fire TV at home, and a smartphone if you’re not at home.
When you sign up, you can subscribe month to month and cancel whenever you want. You can look over the different channel lineups before deciding whether to sign up.
What’s the best way to watch FOX online?
There are a lot of options out there, so let’s narrow down a few in case you can’t use an antenna to watch FOX without cable.
Vidgo has 95+ channels, and it’s the cheapest way to get a local FOX station. This new streaming service has a basic menu, and no Cloud DVR. You can sign up for Vidgo, and pay $10 per month for the first month. The regular price of $55 per month starts after that.
fuboTV has 116+ channels, including local stations, ESPN, FS1, NFL Network, NBA TV, Big Ten Network. Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Smart TVs all have apps for fuboTV. New customers can sign up for a 7-day free 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.
This article was published Dec. 3, 2017, and has been updated.
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
Why can’t I stream my fox now on my TV any longer to catch the news?
I have not found a way to watch Fox Live where I live without having a TV service. I have Sling and for a month or so I had access to live Fox and NBC, then only the on demand. My cable company ( who is the only one that provides strong enough service to stream) blocks getting the channels live because I don’t pay for those services separately … gotta love cable one.
Does anyone know if Fox has an option to live stream like CBS for a small fee?
Thanks so much for the great info!
You bet! Glad it helped.
If I watch FOX News on my TV through Fubo do I need an antenna?
No. fuboTV streams channels that you’d typically see in a cable TV or satellite TV package such as FOX News, A&E, HGTV, etc. You’ll need an Internet connection and a streaming device like a Roku or Fire TV to watch your channels on a television.
A TV antenna would be for local over-the-air channels such as NBC, PBS, CBS, ABC and FOX (assuming you are in range of local broadcast towers). You can find the antenna guide at the top of the page for more tips on picking an antenna if you decide to go that route.
I have FUBO but can only stream FOX in Spanish.
So what you are saying is cut the cord and pay for a new cord coming from someplace else?
Fox FS1 that carries NASCAR is not available unless you pay for a service somewhere that has Fox. Period end of discussion.
Yes they OTA about 25% of the races but that sure prevents you from being season loyal!
True. Just to avoid confusion: note that FOX is a separate channel from FS1 and FS2. You have to pay for FS1 any way you cut it — it’s just a matter of how much. With a local FOX station, you can likely get it for free with your antenna depending on what kind of reception you get.
Fox will never see revenue from myself and those like me who have no OTA signal thanks to Cable and Satellite providers lobbying to get analog TV replaced with digital that only has a small percentage of the range, and there is NO WAY I will pay for a service that has 40+ channels that I don’t want just to get one I would watch.
It’s companies like Fox that push people to download torrents of their favorite shows illegally.
They won’t pay $45+ for 30+ channels they don’t want and only 1 channel they do want…
Forced bundling needs to end.
It’s so arteficial it’s criminal.
You can stream with FOX Now IF you also pay for another service that includes unrelated and unwanted other channels…
Without one of those services you can watch up to an hour a day using their app, which proves the requirement is just based on greed.
I pay for Netflix and Paramount+…. Not going to pay for another service I don’t want just to get 1 channel I do want.
It’s lost revenue for Fox.
And stupidity.