Even though The Weather Channel remains on cable, there are now inexpensive ways to stream the network live without a cable plan.
The Weather Channel has its own streaming app that you can subscribe to for $2.99 per month. Frndly TV costs a few dollars more, starting at $6.99 per month, but adds some other cable networks such as A&E, History and Hallmark Channel.
DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV are three other options that I will cover in this guide.
How to Stream The Weather Channel Live
TWC’s approach to live weather coverage became novel in the 24/7 news cycle driven by cable TV, especially when Jim Cantore was reporting from the eye of a hurricane or massive weather event.
It also became a favorite for segments such as Local on the 8s. You can get a very brief local update from The Weather Channel through the free streaming service, Local Now.
But if you want to get the full-on cable network, The Weather Channel, without cable or satellite service, then you stream it through the following options.
Frndly TV
FrndlyTV is an inexpensive option to watch The Weather Channel without a cable TV subscription. Frndly (pronounced as “friendly”) has more than 50 live TV channels.
The channel lineup is the same in all three plans: A&E, AccuWeather, Aspire TV, BYUtv, BabyFirst, Bounce TV, Catchy Comedy, Court TV, Cowboy Way Channel, Crime & Investigation, Dabl, Dove Channel, Dove Family Movies, Dove Kids, FETV, FMC, FYI, Game Show Network, GetTV, Great American Family, Great American Living, Grit, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Family, Hallmark Movies Now, Hallmark Mystery, Heartland TV, Heroes & Icons, History, INSP, ION, ION Mystery, JusticeCENTRAL.TV, LAFF, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, Local Now, MeTV, MeTV+, MeTV Toons, Military HISTORY, Movies!, Outdoor Channel, Pixl, Pursuit, QVC, Recipe.TV, Start TV, StoryTV, The Weather Channel, UPtv, VICE TV, Waypoint TV and Western Bound.
The differences Frndly’s three plans comes down to price, picture resolution, number of simultaneous live streams, and DVR recordings.
The $7.99 per month “Basic” plan has only SD picture resolution, and you can watch on one screen at a time. The Classic plan costs $9.99 per month, upgrades to HD picture resolution and lets you watch on two screens at once. You can keep recordings on the Cloud DVR for up to three months.
The Premium plan costs $11.99 per month. It allows up four screens at once, and you can keep recordings up to 9 months. frndlyTV has a free 7-day trial.
| PLAN | PRICE | CHANNELS |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $7.99/month | 50 (SD Resolution) |
| Classic | $9.99/month | 50 (HD Resolution) |
| Premium | $11.99/month | 50 (HD Resolution) & |
Cloud DVR Storage: Unlimited (Classic & Premium only)
Exclusive Content: No
Local Channels: No
Device support: AirTV Mini, Amazon Echo Show, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast along with Smart TVs from LG, Samsung, Sony Bravia and VIZIO SmartCast.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is one of the most popular streaming services for live TV in the U.S.
The basic plan has more than 100 live TV channels for $72.99 per month. It has more than 25 add-on options, including sports, entertainment and movie options.
The channel lineup to the base plan includes A&E, ABC, ABC News, ACC Network, Adult Swim, AMC, Animal Planet, BBC America, BBC World News, beIN Sports, BET, BET Her, Bravo, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, CNBC, CNBC World, CNN, Cartoon Network, Cheddar, Cheddar News, CMT, Comedy Central, Comedy TV, Comet, Court TV, Cozi TV, Dabl, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Docurama, Dove Channel, E!, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, FOX, FOX Business, FOX News, FOX Soul, FOX Weather, FS1, FS2, FX, FXM, FXX, Food Network, Freeform, Galavision, Get TV, Golf Channel, Game Show Network, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, HGTV, HLN, HSN, IFC, Investigation Discovery, Justice Central TV, LAFC, Law & Crime, Live Now FOX, Local Now, ABC Localish, MLB Game of the Week, MLB Network, MSNBC, Motortrend, MTV, MTV2, MTV Classic, MyNetworkTV, NBA TV, NBC, NBC News Now, NBC Universo, NBCSN, NBCLx, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic, News Nation, NFL Network, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Nicktoons, Orlando City, OWN, Oxygen, Oxygen True Crime, Paramount Network, PBS, PBS Kids, PCMag.com, Pop, QVC, Recipe.tv, SEC Network, SportsNet NY, Smithsonian Channel, Start TV, Sundance TV, SyFy, TBS, TCM, TLC, TNT, TYT, Tastemade, Teennick, Telehit, Telemundo, The CW, Travel Channel, TruTV, TV Land, USA Network, UniMas, Universal Kids, Univision, VH1, WE TV, The Weather Channel, YouTube Originals, and The Great Courses.
The service has Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) such as NBC Sports, but lacks popular RSNs such as YES Network and Bally Sports. New customers can sign up for a free trial. You can also add NFL Sunday Ticket.
You can watch live TV on three screens at once. Each account gets unlimited Cloud DVR storage.
| PLAN | PRICE | CHANNELS |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube TV | $72.99/month | 128 |
Cloud DVR Storage: Unlimited
Exclusive Content: No
Local Channels: Yes
Device support: Android TV, Google TV, Smart TVs by Samsung, LG, VIZIO, Hisense, Sharp and Sony; Chromecast, Google TV, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox, PlayStation and Google Nest Hub; Android and iOS devices.
Fubo
Fubo (formerly fuboTV) has The Weather Channel in its entry-level Pro plan. It has over 180 channels. It’s a popular choice among cable subscribers looking to cut the cord, but still watch local live sports, news, and weather.
The Fubo Pro plan has ABC (Select Markets), ABC News Live, ACC Network (Local), AccuWeather, ACL Cornhole TV, Always Funny, AXS TV Now, beIN Sports, beIN Sports 4, beIN Sports 5, beIN Sports 6, beIN Sports 7, beIN Sports 8, beIN Sports Español, beIN Sports LaLiga, beIN Sports Xtra, beIN Sports Xtra en Español, BET, Big Ten Network (+Alts), BikeMag, Billiard TV, BKFCTV, BLEAV Football, Bloomberg Television, Bounce, Boxing TV, Bravo, CBS (Select Markets), CBS News, CBS Sports Network, CHARGE!, Cleo TV, CMT, CNBC, Comedy Central, Comedy Dynamics, Comet, Court TV, Court TV Legendary Trials, Cozi, Crackle, Curiosity Stream, CW (Select Markets), Dabl, Dark Matter TV, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Dove Channel, E!, EarthxTV, ESPN, ESPN2, Estrella TV, Fail Army, FamilyTime, FloRacing, Forensic Files, FOX (Select Markets), FOX Business Network, FOX LiveNOW, FOX News Channel, FOX SOUL, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, FOX Weather, Free Movies, Freeform, Fubo Movie Network, Fubo Radio 1, Fubo Radio 2, Fubo Radio 3, Fubo Radio 4, Fubo Radio 5, Fubo Radio 6, Fubo Radio 7, Fubo Radio 8, Fubo Radio 9, Fubo Radio 10, Fubo Sports, FX, FXX, GAC Family, Galavision, Game Show Central, Game Show Network, getTV, Glory Kickboxing, GOLF Channel, Grit, Gusto TV, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Hell’s Kitchen / Kitchen Nightmares, INFAST, ION, ION Mystery, ION+, JTV (Jewelry TV), Lacrosse Sports Network, Law & Crime, Local Now, Localish, Locked on Sports Los Angeles, Locked on Sports Today, Man Cave Movies, Maximum Effort Channel, MotoAmerica TV, MSNBC, MTV, Nat Geo, NBC (Select Markets), NBC LX, NBC News Now, NBC Universo, News 12 New York, Newsmax, Newsmax2, NewsNation, NFL Network, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Origin Sports Network, Oxygen, Paramount Network, Perfect Game, Pet Collective, PFL, Pickleball TV, Pop, Popcornflix, Powder, QVC, Real Madrid TV, Salem News Channel, Scripps News, ShopLC, SEC Network (Local), Skate, Smithsonian Channel, Snowboarder, Speedvision, Sports News Highlights, Sportstak, Start TV, Surfer, Swerve Combat, Syfy, T2, Tastemade, Tastemade Home, Tastemade Travel, TBD, Telemundo (Select Markets), The Big Dish, The Boat Show, The Bob Ross Channel, The Design Network, The First, The Nest, The Weather Channel, True Crime, TUDN, TUDNxtra (11), TV Land, UniMas, Universal Kids, Univision, Unsolved Mysteries, USA, VH1, Women’s Sports Network, and XOXO.
Subscribers get unlimited Cloud DVR and can stream on up to 10 screens at a time.
If you subscribe to the Elite plan or higher, you get select live sporting events and entertainment shows in 4K. Fubo maintains a library of on-demand movies and TV shows drawn from its channel lineup. If you miss a game, you can use the look-back section, which has sporting events that aired in the last 72 hours. There is a free 7-day trial.
| PLAN | PRICE | CHANNELS |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | $79.99/month | 188 |
| Elite | $89.99/month | 255 |
| Premier | $99.99/month | 264 w/ Paramount+ with Showtime |
Cloud DVR Storage: Unlimited
Exclusive Content: No
Local Channels: Yes
Device support: Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast with Google TV, Xbox One, along with Smart TVs by Hisense, Samsung, LG, Sony Bravia and VIZIO SmartCast TV. Android, iPhones and iPads with current iOS.
Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV has more than 90 live TV channels, including The Weather Channel. Subscribers can watch live TV on up to two screens at once within the Hulu app. A subscription costs $76.99 per month.
Hulu’s channel lineup has ABC, ABC Localish, ABC News, ACCN, A&E, Adult Swim, Animal Planet, BET, Big 10 Network, Bloomberg Television, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CBS, CBS News, CBS Sports Network, Cheddar News, CMT, CNBC, CNN, CNN International, Comedy Central, Comedy.tv, Cozi TV, The CW, Dabl, Discovery Channel, The Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, E!, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, Food Network, Fox, Fox Business, Fox News, Freeform, FS1, FS2, FX, FXM, FXX, FYI, Golf, The Grio, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, HGTV, HLN, The History Channel, Investigation Discovery, Justice Central TV, Lifetime, Lifetime Movies, Localish, Magnolia Network, MotorTrend, MSNBC, MTV, NASA, National Geographic, National Geographic Wild, NBC, NBC LX, NBC News Now, NewsNation, NFL Network, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., OWN, Oxygen, Paramount Network, Pop, QVC, SEC Network, Smithsonian Channel, Start TV, Syfy, TBS, Telemundo, TCM, TLC, TNT, The Travel Channel, TruTV, TV Land, Universal Kids, USA, Vevo ’80s, Vevo ’90s, Vevo Country, Vevo Hip-Hop, Vevo Holiday, VH-1, Vice, and The Weather Channel.
Subscribers get unlimited Cloud DVR for recording any live TV program, including sports, movies and news.
Unlike other live TV plans, Hulu includes ad-supported subscriptions to Disney+ and ESPN+, which you use through the Disney+ and ESPN+ apps. You also have full access to Hulu’s on-demand library and roster of Hulu Originals within the Hulu app.
| PLAN | PRICE | CHANNELS |
|---|---|---|
| Hulu (With Ads) + Live TV, Disney+ (With Ads) and ESPN+ (With Ads) | $76.99/month | 90+ |
| Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV, Disney+ (No Ads) and ESPN+ (With Ads) | $89.99/month | 90+ |
Cloud DVR Storage: Unlimited
Exclusive Content: Yes
Local Channels: Yes
Device support: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast with Google TV along with Smart TVs by Samsung, VIZIO SmartCast, Sony Bravia, PlayStation, XBox, Xfinity Flex and Xumo TV.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM has The Weather Channel in the Choice plan.
A subscription costs $108.99 per month. The Choice plan has 90+ channels, unlimited Cloud DVR and the ability to stream on an unlimited amount of screens within your home.
The DIRECTV STREAM channel lineup includes A&E, ACC Network, AccuWeather, AMC, Animal Planet, AXS TV, BabyFirst HD, BBC America, BET, Big Ten Network, Bloomberg TV, Boomerang, Bravo, Cartoon Network East, Cheddar News, CMT, CNBC, CNN, Comedy Central, Comedy Dynamics, Court TV, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, Daystar, Discovery, Disney Channel East, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Dove TV, E!, EarthxTV, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, Family Movie Classics (FMC), Food Network, FOX Business Network, FOX News Channel, FOX Sports 1, FOX Weather, Freeform, FX, FXX, Game Show Network, GRIT, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, History Channel, HLN, IFC, Investigation Discovery, Jewelry TV, Lifetime, MeTV, MotorTrend, MSNBC, MTV, MTV2, Nat Geo WILD, National Geographic Channel, Newsmax, NewsNation, NFL Network, Nickelodeon East, Nick Jr., Nicktoons, Paramount Network, PBS Kids, Pop TV, QVC, QVC2, Reelz, RFD-TV, Science, SEC Network, Shop LC, Smithsonian Channel, SundanceTV, Syfy, Tastemade, TBS, TCM, TeenNick, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, TV Land, Universal Kids, USA Network, VH1, Vice, WE tv, and The Weather Channel.
The entry-level Entertainment plan has about 75 channels, but does not include The Weather Channel, but does carry AccuWeather. DIRECTV STREAM has a free 5-day trial for new customers across all of its plans.
| PLAN | PRICE | CHANNELS |
|---|---|---|
| Entertainment | $79.99/month | 75+ |
| Choice | $108.99/month | 105+ |
| Ultimate | $119.99/month | 140+ |
| Premier | $164.99/month | 150+ |
Cloud DVR Storage: Unlimited
Exclusive Content: No
Local Channels: Yes
Device support: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast with Google TV along with Smart TVs by Samsung, Sony Bravia.
The Weather Channel TV app
The Weather Channel has a standalone service within The Weather Channel app that costs $2.99 per month. The streaming service works on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TVs and Xfinity Flex. The Weather Channel app has live 24/7 coverage of weather alerts and on-demand shows.
Otherwise, you can subscribe to YouTube TV, Frndly TV, fuboTV or DIRECTV STREAM.
How to Watch The Weather Channel FAQ
These are questions readers ask when they are researching ways to watch the The Weather Channel without a pay TV provider.
Is The Weather Channel on Sling TV?
No. The Weather Channel is not on Sling TV. You can watch The Weather Channel on Frndly TV, fuboTV, DIRECTV STREAM and YouTube TV.
Is The Weather Channel app free on Roku?
No. The Weather Channel is not free on Roku or any other Smart TV or streaming device.
For a quick local forecast from The Weather Channel, add the Local Now app to a Roku, Fire TV or other major streaming device. It doesn’t require any activation or streaming subscription. Local Now is owned by The Weather Channel’s parent company.
Under the weather section of the app, you will find a local forecast that’s pretty much the “Local on the 8s” that’s on The Weather Channel. That might be just enough for your Weather Channel fix if you can get by without Cantore.
Can you watch The Weather Channel on Amazon Prime?
No. The Weather Channel is not available through Amazon Prime or Amazon Channels. You can stream The Weather Channel live through it’s standalone subscription service, or through Frndly, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Fubo, and DIRECTV STREAM.
