Hurricane Ian is expected to make landfall on Wednesday in Charlotte County, Fla., north of Fort Myers. It could hit The Sunshine State as a Category 4 or 5 hurricane, and it is expected to impact Georgia and the Carolinas this week.
How to watch Hurricane Ian live without cable TV
There are a number of ways to watch the hurricane’s path on The Weather Channel through the southeastern regions of the U.S.
And there are free options such as Local Now and Accuweather. The Weather Channel has its own streaming service for $2.99 per month.
YouTube TV, frndlyTV, fuboTV or DIRECTV STREAM also offer free trials you can use to watch live hurricane coverage. Let’s break down your options for watching live coverage of Hurricane Ian.
frndlyTV
frndlyTV offers an inexpensive way to watch The Weather Channel without a cable TV subscription. frdnly (as in “friendly) has more than 40 live TV channels, including A&E, History, MeTV and the weather-focused Local Now.
I subscribe to the Classic plan for $7.99 per month because I want HD picture resolution. You can watch live TV on two screens at once.
The $5.99 per month “Basic” plan has only SD picture resolution, and you can watch on one screen at a time.
Frndly TV has mobile apps for iPhones (iOS) and Android smartphones like Samsung.
You can also use the frndly app on Smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV. frndlyTV has a free 7-day trial.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV has The Weather Channel in its basic plan.
The base plan includes more than 85 live TV channels for $64.99 per month. You will also get local NBC, FOX and ABC in many parts of the U.S. You can watch live TV on three screens at once.
Subscribers get unlimited Cloud DVR. ACC Network, ESPN, and ESPNews are all in the channel lineup. YouTube TV has apps for Smart TVs, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Google TV. New customers can sign up for a free trial.
fubo TV
fuboTV has The Weather Channel in its entry-level Pro plan. The Pro plan has over 140 channels.
It’s a popular choice among cable subscribers looking to cut the cord, but still watch live sports. ESPN, ACC Network and SEC Network are among the cable television channels in the Pro bundle.
fuboTV carries local ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC stations in most of the U.S. Subscribers to the Family plan get 1000 hours of Cloud DVR.
A subscription costs $69.99 per month. You can watch live TV on up to three screens at once.
fuboTV works on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku and Android TV devices such as Google Chromecast. There are mobile apps for iPhones and Android smartphones if you are away from home.
New customers can look over the channel lineup in their area or sign up for a free 7-day trial.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM has The Weather Channel in the Choice plan.
A subscription costs $89.99 per month. The Choice plan has 90+ channels, including CNN, ESPN and Nickelodeon. Subscribers can get HBO Max included for three months before the regular $14.99-per-month rate kicks in.
DIRECTV STREAM has a free 5-day trial. The service offers four different channel lineups that you can look over. DIRECTV STREAM works on Smart TVs, Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV.
What’s the best way to watch live coverage of Hurricane Ian?
The Weather Channel is available on frndlyTV, which costs only $5.99 per month after a free 7-day trial.
For a quick local forecast from The Weather Channel, you can also try the Local Now app on Roku, Fire TV or Smart TV. It doesn’t require any activation or streaming subscription. Local Now is owned by The Weather Channel’s parent company.
The channel AccuWeather Network is also available on cable TV and live TV streaming services, including fuboTV, Philo and DIRECTV STREAM.
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.
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
