10 Ways to Watch MyNetworkTV Without Cable

MyNetworkTV is a free over-the-air channel that is available on four live TV streaming services.

DIRECTV STREAM, fubo, Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV all carry MyNetworkTV. There are 9 plans that carry MyNetworkTV within those four live TV streaming services.

MyNetworkTV
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MyNetworkTV is a free over-the-air channel that is available on four live TV streaming services. 

DIRECTV STREAM, fubo, Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV all carry MyNetworkTV. There are 9 plans that carry MyNetworkTV within those four live TV streaming services. 

A TV antenna is the best way to get MyNetworkTV for free. MyNetworkTV has been an over-the-air, local channel since 2006 with repeats of “Chicago P.D.”, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”, and “Dateline.”

You can jump down to the summary of how to watch MyNetworkTV without cable, or read through all your options.

How to Watch MyNetworkTV on TV

Cord-cutters and Classic TV fans can use a Smart TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV or Google Chromecast to watch live TV.

You don’t need a triple-digit bill every month just to watch local channels such as NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS and FOX. The same goes for sub-channels such as MeTV and ion TV.

Even cable channels such as ESPN aren’t exclusive to cable or satellite TV companies anymore.

DIRECTV STREAM, fubo and YouTube TV are currently the three streaming services with MyNetworkTV that offer a free trial. Just remember to cancel before the trial ends if you don’t want to be billed for your live TV plan. 

Live TV streaming services are supported on a variety of Smart TVs, including LG, Samsung, and Vizio. Smart TVs running on Android TV or Google TV are supported as well. 

DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM has MyNetworkTV and local channels in its entry-level channel bundle. 

You have four ways to watch MyNetworkTV without cable through DIRECTV STREAM.

You can sign up for a free 5-day trial on every plan without any obligations. The Entertainment package has more than 75 live TV channels for $74.99 per month. Subscribers can watch TV on unlimited screens within your home.

HGTV, History, Nickelodeon, ESPN, USA Network and local channels such as NBC and FOX are included in the Entertainment plan. You get unlimited Cloud DVR and 40,000 on-demand movies and shows.

The Choice package has 40 regional sports channels, including Bally Sports networks, NBC Sports and Marquee Sports Network. Choice subscribers get more than 105 channels for $99.99 per month. 

The Ultimate package has more than 140 channels, including local channels, and more sports and entertainment channels. The Ultimate package is $109.99 per month. 

The Premier Package has over 150 channels, including premium channels such as Max, Cinemax and Showtime. A subscription to Premier is $154.99 per month.

Subscribers can get three months of Max, Showtime, STARZ, Cinemax and MGM+ (formerly EPIX) for free before the monthly rates kick in.

There are no contracts. You can subscribe month to month and cancel whenever you want. DIRECTV STREAM works on Roku, Android TV, Fire TV devices, Apple TV and even iPhones and iPads with current iOS software.

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.

fubo

fubo (formerly fuboTV) carries MyNetworkTV, local channels and harder-to-find regional sports networks.

fubo offers three plans, Pro, Elite and Premium. All three plans have MyNetworkTV.

The Pro channel package has 152 channels, including local ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in most areas of the U.S. Food network, HGTV, Big Ten Network and Comedy Central are part of the Pro bundle.

Subscribers get 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR storage. You can watch live TV on 10 screens at once. 

A subscription costs $74.99 per month. A regional sports fee is included, and costs between $10.99 to $13.99 per month. 

The Elite plan is $84.99 per month, and has 65 more sports, news and entertainment channels. The Premier plan has 231 channels, including Showtime, for $94.99 per month

fubo has a library of on-demand content, including movies and TV shows. Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV and Smart TVs all carry the fubo app.

The fuboTV Elite package adds 60 more channels, including Pac-12 Networks.

Fubo has mobile apps for iPhone and Android so you can watch ESPN live on your smartphone. Subscribers can watch live TV through their web browser.

You can try free 7-day trial of fubo, or look over the channel lineup for your area.

Hulu Live TV

Hulu Live TV has over 75 channels including MyNetworkTV, History Channel, HGTV, CNN, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN News.

Hulu has one live TV plan with MyNetworkTV.

You will find more local NBC, ABC and FOX stations than any other live TV streaming service. And Hulu has a growing number of regional sports channels such as NBC Sports.

Hulu + Live TV costs $69.99 per month and includes unlimited DVR. 

Subscribers get more than just live TV channels to watch. You will have full access to ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu’s on-demand library. Look over the channel lineup for Hulu Live TV and see what local channels and regional sports networks are offered in your area.

Hulu on-demand subscribers will find a number of MyNetworkTV shows with numerous seasons to watch. But don’t expect to find the latest episodes that just aired on cable. 

Hulu currently has numerous seasons of “The First 48”, “Duck Dynasty”, “Intervention” and “Secrets of Playboy.”

Hulu’s on-demand streaming service costs $7.99 per month, and you can get a 30-day free trial if you’re a new subscriber. 

YouTube TV

YouTube TV has 128 channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and NBA TV for $72.99 per month.

YouTube TV only has one way to get ESPN through its base plan.

The YouTube TV base plan carries other key sports channels for fans such as TNT, TBS, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPNews, FS1, FS2, NFL Network, and MLB Network. YouTube TV carries regional NBC Sports networks across the U.S., but is missing others such as Bally Sports and YES Network.

You’ll be able to watch CNN, Golf Channel and FX. Unlimited Cloud DVR is included with a subscription. And you can create up to 6 profiles for a household per account.

The nice thing about YouTube TV is that you can watch ESPN online at home, or on your smartphone when you are traveling.

The service works with Chromecast, Roku, Fire TV, NVIDIA Shield TV, Apple TV and Chromecast. Try out YouTube TV free for a week.

How to watch MyNetworkTV for free without cable

A TV antenna is the best way to watch MyNetworkTV for free. 

People living within 30 to 40 miles of broadcast towers have an excellent chance at getting local channels. You just need to do a little homework to figure out what is the best TV antenna for your home.

You can use the free tool at Antennas Direct to see whether MyNetworkTV is available in your area. Local channels broadcast digital signals in 1080i or 720p, which is High Definition. 

When you use a TV antenna, you will be able to get more than just MyNetworkTV. You can potentially get popular broadcast networks, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and PBS in HD resolution. 

Connecting a TV antenna to get MyNetworkTV for free can be done in three simple steps.

  1. Screw in the coax line connected to your TV antenna into the television’s “F connector” port. 
  2.  Under your TV settings look for an “Over-the-air” or “TV Antenna” option under inputs  
  3.  Select “scan for channels” for “Air TV”, “Over-the-Air” or “TV Antenna”.

If you are new to TV antennas, here is a list of resources that I have written over the years to get you started.

Where can I watch MyNetworkTV?

A TV antenna is the best way to watch MyNetworkTV for free without a cable or internet provider. 

You can also sign up for a free trial of DIRECTV STREAM, fubo or YouTube TV and start watching MyNetworkTV along with a package of cable and local channels. Just be sure to cancel before your free trial ends if you do not want to be billed.

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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, and serves as the editor.

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.