Which Live TV Streaming Service is The Best Deal? We Take a Look…


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A young woman is sitting in her kitchen and is loking at her receipts at home while using a smart phone

A young woman is sitting in her kitchen and is loking at her receipts at home while using a smart phoneWe often get asked, “what is the best bang for the buck when it comes to live TV?” That is a hard one to answer because it really comes down to what channels you want and what device you own. However, many of our readers still want to know who gives you the most content for your dollar.

I do want to stop here and say each service has different channels in different packages. Shop around to find the one that has the channels in the package you want. If you want a full look at what channels each service has; DVR, the number of streams, etc click HERE.

For those who really want to know what services give you the most- I am going to do my best to answer that question. I looked at both channels per dollar and who has the most on-demand content.

Channels Per Dollar

PlayStation Vue

PlayStation Vue starts at $39.99 a month for all new PlayStation Vue subscribers. Its core service offers 44 channels plus locals depending on where you live.

Just looking at the cost per channel in the core package of 44 channels it works out to $0.91 per channel.

Bottom Line: $0.91 per channel

DIRECTV NOW

For the deals currently offered by DIRECTV NOW, you can get 60 core channels plus locals in some areas for $35 a month. That works out to be about $0.58 per channel.

If you also want HBO, DIRECTV NOW is the least expensive way to add HBO to a live TV service. With DIRECTV NOW, you can get HBO for just $5 a month with access to HBO GO.

Bottom line: $0.58 per channel

Sling TV

With Sling TV you get access to 30 core channels plus locals in some areas starting at just $20 a month. That works out to be about $0.66 per channel.

Sling TV has one catch; they offer a special deal that will give you 80 channels for just $35 a month. With the special Sling Orange, plus the following add-ons: Kids Extra, Sports Extra, News Extra, Comedy Plus Extra, and Lifestyle Plus Extra, you will get 80 channels for just $35 a month. Cost per channel with this bundle is about $0.43 per channel.

Bottom line: $0.43 per channel

Hulu Live TV Beta

For $39.99 a month, Hulu will give you 50+ channels of live TV. That works out to be about $0.80 per channel.

Bottom line: $0.80 per channel

YouTube TV

YouTube TV offers 46 channels for $35 a month plus access to YouTube Red Originals. That works out to be about $0.76 per channel.

Bottom line: $0.76 per channel

Fubo TV

Fubo TV has a huge sports lineup of both US and world sports channels. For $34.99 a month you can get 62 channels. That works out to be about $0.55 per channel.

Bottom line: $0.55 per channel

Sports awardsThe winner in cost per channel: SLING TV & fuboTV

If you take the $35 bundle of add-ons plus the orange package, Sling TV is the least expensive at $0.43. Straight up just looking at the base package, fuboTV is the winner at $0.55 per channel, beating out DIRECTV NOW.

Recently, fuboTV added more channels from Scripts that include HGTV, Food Network, and the Travel Channel to name a few. They also announced that other networks like CBS Sports would be coming to their service sometime in July. That will push their price even lower.

Update: A reader reminded us that AT&T Wireless Unlimited customers can get $25 off their DIRECTV NOW bill every month. That would lower the price per channel of DIRECTV NOW to $0.35 per channel. Making DIRECTV NOW the cheapest option for AT&T Wireless Unlimited subscribers.

Video On Demand

Now this one is harder because there are no firm numbers on how many shows and movies each offers, but we do have a good idea who has the most.

Winner: Hulu

Hulu’s live TV beta also includes access to the Hulu video on-demand service. This gives Hulu a huge lead in video on-demand content. Recently, Hulu has been doubling down on the on-demand library by adding more content to popular shows like Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, and American Dad.

Runner Up: Sling TV

Sling TV may not have as much on-demand content as Hulu, but they have been doing a lot to add more to their library. Recently, they added hundreds of free movies and even more TV shows.

Hopefully, this helps you find the streaming service that offers what you want and at the price you want.

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