Today, more households than ever have bid goodbye to their cable company. However, after cutting the cord, it is important to find the right streaming platforms. There are a plethora of them out there. Most streaming services offer a good mix of live channels and on-demand content. From primetime shows to classics, original movies, documentaries, and more, they put a rich and diverse selection of content at your fingertips.
However, each of these services offers content in the form of different packages and price ranges. Nonetheless, the best streaming platforms can provide an experience that is way above that of cable services. They also help you save money on your entertainment needs.
Let’s discover the 4 best streaming services for cord-cutters.
1. YouTube TV
YouTube TV is one of the best live-streaming services, offering over 100 TV channels. The platform’s subscription fee starts at $73/month, giving you access to a rich selection of network and add-on channels. YouTube TV also provides some of its own Originals for subscribers.
Channels offered cover almost every category. From broadcast networks to sports, entertainment, and children’s content, it offers it all. YouTube TV can be streamed simultaneously on up to 3 devices. It is compatible with PCs and smartphones and comes pre-installed on smart TVs like Amazon Fire TVs, Samdung, LG, and Roku Smart TVs. An additional fee lets you access even more variety of premium and specialty channels.
Subscribe to YouTube TV if you are a true entertainment enthusiast for whom money is no concern when it comes to streaming.
2. Hotstar
Hotstar is the most popular streaming platform in India. It has one of the biggest libraries, with a mix of live and on-demand content. But the platform’s content isn’t limited to India. It also offers an impressive selection of TV shows and movies from the UK and the USA. Hotstar is a haven for sports enthusiasts. From the 2023 T20 World Cup to MMA, it provides almost everything you can dream of! Hotstar is owned by Disney Star and is a part of Disney’s global streaming family. Not only sports, but it offers blockbuster films and Disney Originals.
However, since it is an Indian streaming platform, most of its content is geo-restricted to other countries. Not only that, but the subscription fee is also higher. While those in India pay $19 to access premium content, subscribers in the US pay $99! Naturally, you don’t want to be limited in your content selection after paying such an amount. To access Hotstar in the USA or the UK, including all of its geo-restricted content, the best solution is to use a VPN. Using it, you can connect to an Indian server and access Hotstar’s Indian version, which contains a significantly richer selection of content.
Hotstar provides you with entertainment in HD quality. You can save the content for offline viewing and stream it anytime at your convenience.
3. Sling TV
Sling TV can be a great choice for those who want to access live-streaming content on a budget. There are two primary plans: Sling Orange and Sling Blue. The former provides sports content while the latter is geared more toward entertainment and news. A combination of both the plans will give you access to all the channels that the streaming service provides. Besides, there are add-on packages for additional cost that provide you with access to premium stations and networks.
Sling TV’s price begins at $40/month. Sling Blue and Orange provide 25 channels, which includes popular cable networks like Food TV, HGTV, and more. Sling Orange offers exclusive family and sports channels. Sling Blue offers 17 exclusive entertainment and news channels.
If you purchase add-on packages, you can unlock around 6 to 14 more channels. These ‘Extra’ channels cover everything from kids content to sports, news, and more. There’s also a free plan called Freestream. It has over 300 live internet TV channels which you can watch albeit with ads in between.
If you don’t want to commit to a high subscription plan but still want to be served an impressive selection of content, Sling TV can be the right choice.
4. Fubo
Sports streaming has witnessed a massive increase in recent years. Live streaming platforms have noticed this trend. In the past two years, streaming services have increased their spending on sports by more than three billion U.S. dollars. Fubo is the favorite platform of all sports enthusiasts because of the diversity of content it offers. But its content range isn’t limited to sports. Fubo also gives you access to new movies and television shows. The service is integrated with cloud DVR feature, which lets you even record the content you watch.
The cost of this streaming platform falls between $75 to $100 monthly. How much you pay depends on the plan you opt for. Within this price range, there are four plans: Fubo Pro, Fubo Elite, Fubo Ultimate, and Fubo Latino. We won’t go into the details of how much content every plan offers. However, you can get a good idea by knowing that the base plan, the Fubo Pro, gets you over 100 channels. These can be watched simultaneously on up to 10 screens.
Besides these channels, you can also purchase additional sports and news packages for an extra cost. If you have money to spare, Fubo is one of the best live-streaming services out there.
5. Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is another top live-streaming platform offering access to thousands of on-demand television series, original content, movies, and documentaries. Amazon Prime members automatically get access to the streaming platform. It also lets you access pay-per-view content and a few premium channels, such as Paramount, Max, and Crunchyroll, for an additional cost. However, you also have the option to get only the streaming platform for $9 per month.
Amazon Prime Video can be accessed from pretty much any device, including smartphones, smart TVs, and game consoles. Ultimately, this platform offers incredible value, giving users access to a multitude of live channels through the built-in Freeview service. Prime members also get additional side benefits.
Wrapping up
All these streaming platforms offer an impressive live channel lineup. They have a user-friendly layout, making searching and streaming content a breeze. All you need is a device that is compatible with viewing them, and you are good to go. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy the entertainment they offer and will never have to think about returning back to your cable TV again.
<p>The post Cutting the Cord: Discover the Best Live Streaming Platforms first appeared on CCR-Mag.com.</p>
