You can watch ABC as a live TV channel through six live TV streaming services, or a TV antenna.
DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu Live TV, Fubo, Sling TV, and YouTube TV all stream ABC live on streaming devices and Smart TVs without the need of a cable subscription.Â
You can jump down to the summary of where and how to watch ABC without cable, check out Frequently Asked Questions below, or read through all your options.
There are 11 plans that carry ABC on live TV streaming services. I will break down all your plans and options based on my experience with each service.
I have been using a TV antenna for years to watch ABC for free. It’s the most economical option, and TV antennas are only a one-time cost.
If a TV antenna won’t work for you, Hulu on-demand is an affordable way to watch ABC shows on-demand at $7.99 per month. Select episodes are free to stream on the ABC app and website.
DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo and YouTube TV are the three live streaming services that let you stream ABC and offer a free trial. Hulu on-demand has a 30-day free trial.
ABC (American Broadcasting Company) is a key network for watching popular TV shows such as The Golden Bachelor, Shark Tank, Grey’s Anatomy, Dancing with the Stars, General Hospital and black-ish.Â
How to Watch ABC Live Without Cable
Cord-cutters can use a variety of streaming devices, including Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast with Google TV to start streaming ABC shows.
Smart TVs by Samsung, Sony Bravia, Vizio and LG support most streaming services. Game consoles including XBox and PlayStation support watching TV. The ABC mobile app can be used for current iOS and Android mobile devices.
A number of live TV streaming services are similar to cable TV subscriptions. You can watch local broadcast channels such as NBC, CBS, FOX and PBS. There are popular cable channels too, including CNN and ESPN.
To get started, you just need an Internet connection. Once you get a free trial of a live TV streaming service, download the app to your Smart TV, or streaming device.
Don’t forget that using a TV antenna can get you a local ABC channel with important local news, and national programming such as ABC World News Tonight and Good Morning America.
Here’s a quick look at each of these live TV streaming services.
Hulu Live TV
Hulu Live TV has over 75 channels including local ABC stations, Great American Family, History Channel, HGTV, ESPN, and ESPN2.
You will get local NBC, ABC and FOX stations with the TV plan. Hulu has a number of regional sports channels such as NBC Sports.
The channel lineup also includes Bravo, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, SyFy, Telemundo and USA Network are among the entertainment channels on Hulu.
A subscription costs $76.99 per month and includes unlimited Cloud DVR, so you can record movies, TV shows, and news programs.
Subscribers get more than just live TV channels to watch. You will have full access to ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu’s on-demand library. Hulu Live is a great option for people looking to bundle, especially if they want ESPN+ or Disney+.
Hulu on-demand subscribers will find a number of ABC shows with numerous seasons to watch. But don’t expect to find the latest episodes that just aired on cable.
You can look over the channel lineup of Hulu with Live TV to see if it’s a good fit.
If you don’t need to watch ABC live, Hulu has its on-demand streaming service that costs $7.99 per month. You can get a 30-day free trial if you’re a new subscriber.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) has local ABC channels in its entry-level channel bundle. You have four ways to watch ABC without cable through DIRECTV STREAM.
You can sign up for a free 5-day trial on every plan without any obligations. You can get $10 off for the first three months of service.
The Entertainment package has more than 75 live TV channels for $79.99 per month. Subscribers can watch TV on unlimited screens within your home.
ESPN, ESPN2 and FS1 are included in the channel lineup. Discovery, Lifetime, MSNBC and Paramount Network are among the entertainment channels. You get unlimited hours of Cloud DVR storage and 40,000 on-demand movies and shows.
Subscribers can get three months of Max (formerly HBO Max) Showtime, STARZ, Cinemax and MGM+ for free before the monthly rates kick in.
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 $108.99 per month.Â
The Ultimate package has more than 140 channels, including local channels, and more sports and entertainment channels. The Ultimate package is $119.99 per month. The Premier Package has over 150 channels, including premium channels such as Max, Cinemax and Showtime. A subscription to Premier is $164.99 per month.
DIRECTV STREAM is getting pricey, and if you are only looking for ABC shows, a TV antenna or Hulu on-demand is more economical.
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.
Fubo
Fubo (formerly fuboTV) carries local ABC channels in all of its channel packages.
The Pro plan has 170 channels, including ESPN, FX, CNBC and key sports networks such as ACC Network, Big Ten Network, SEC Network, FS1, NBC Sports and Golf Channel.
AMC, HGTV, Food Network, Freeform, History, Food network, HGTV, Comedy Central and Investigation Discovery are some of the entertainment channels.
Fubo offers three plans, Pro, Elite and Ultimate. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial of any Fubo plan. Subscribers get 1,000 hours of Cloud DVR storage. You can watch live TV on 10 screens at once.Â
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 Ultimate plan has 231 channels, including Showtime and NFL RedZone, for $99.99 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.
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.
Sling TV
Sling TV carries 8 local ABC channels as part of the Blue channel bundle.
The ABC stations are:
- WLS in Chicago
- KFSN in Fresno, Calif.
- KTRK in Houston, Texas
- KABC in Los Angeles
- WABC in New York
- WPVI in Philadelphia
- WTVD in Raleigh-Durham
- KGO in the San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose
If you live in or around one of those cities, then you should be able to stream ABC through Sling Blue.
Sling Blue costs $40 per month. Customers in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and San Francisco will pay $5 more per month. Those five markets also have local NBC and FOX stations.
You will get NFL Network, A&E, and MTV as part of the Sling Blue channel lineup.
Sling TV offers 50 hours of free Cloud DVR to all subscribers. All Sling Blue subscribers can watch live TV on three screens at once. Sling TV works on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Apple TV (4th generation).
When you sign up for Sling TV, there are no contracts, or extra fees like cable TV. Â
YouTube TV
YouTube TV has 128 channels for $72.99 per month, and you’ll be able to watch ABC live.
Subscribers get local ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX stations. The channel lineup includes ESPN, Oxygen Network, USA Network, Comedy Central, FOX News, CNN, and Telemundo.
You can watch TV or on-demand content on up to three screens at once. You can add on premium channels such as HBO Max to the base plan. Customers get unlimited Cloud DVR and an on-demand library of ABC shows.
There are YouTube TV apps for Roku, Apple TV and a mobile app for Chromecast. You can stream on up to two devices at once.
YouTube TV also has channels like CNN, FS1, FS2, Sundance TV and TBS. You can try out YouTube TV with a free 7-day trial.
Over-the-air (ABC for free) with a TV Antenna
Let’s quickly cover how to watch a local ABC channel for free without any kind of streaming service.
Using a TV antenna is the least expensive way to watch ABC live in High Definition. Local channels such as NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS and Telemundo are free through a TV antenna.
People living within 30 to 40 miles of local broadcast towers have an excellent shot at getting local broadcast channels, including your local ABC affiliate, with a quality TV antenna.
You can use the free tool at AntennasDirect to see whether ABC is available in your area. Local channels broadcast digital signals in 1080i or 720p, which is High Definition.
If you are new to TV antennas, here is a list of resources that I have written to get you started.
- How to Choose the Best TV Antenna
- Review: The Best Indoor TV Antennas
How to Watch ABC Live FAQs
These are questions readers ask when researching ways to watch ABC without a cable or pay TV provider.
Can I stream shows on the ABC app?
The ABC app and website has select episodes available to stream for free. But you need a participating TV provider or streaming service to watch a full season of an ABC show.
Where can I watch ABC shows?
Hulu on-demand is an affordable way to stream full episodes of your favorite ABC shows without cable or satellite service.
The ad-supported plan costs $7.99 per month, and works on nearly every major streaming device including Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast. Hulu is supported on a number of Smart TVs as well.
Subscribers won’t be able to live stream ABC stations, but you can watch ABC News Live, and ABC World News Tonight.
Hulu has a 30-day free trial without any obligations.
You can bundle Hulu with Disney+ (ad supported) for $9.99 per month. The Disney Trio bundle has Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ for $14.99 per month.
How to Watch ABC sports live on ESPN3/ESPN app
If you don’t have ABC in your channel lineup, you can still watch ABC sports live on ESPN3 or the ESPN app. ESPN and ABC are part of The Walt Disney Company.
Subscribers to Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV can activate the ESPN app and watch live sports airing on ABC.
If you don’t already have the ESPN app, you can download it from wherever you get apps for your device (e.g. The Roku Channel Store has the ESPN app for free for all Roku devices.)
Where to watch ABC
A TV antenna is the best option for watching your local ABC station across most the U.S. But you can stream ABC live on DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu Live TV, Fubo, Sling TV, and YouTube TV.
Hulu Live TV is currently the best deal for watching ABC live without a cable subscription. The live TV service has more than 75 live TV channels, and includes ad-supported subscriptions to Disney+ and ESPN+.
A subscription costs $76.99 per month. You can look over the channel lineup before deciding whether to sign up.
Hulu has a 30-day free trial of its on-demand service, which carries most new ABC shows. A subscription costs $7.99 per month.Â
Sling TV is the cheapest way to live stream an ABC channel under the Blue package, but it’s only available in the 8 markets listed above. A subscription costs $40 per month, and has channels such as Discovery and USA Network.
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 March 4, 2018, and has been updated to reflect new pricing.
