Live news is often the only thing keeping families from giving up cable TV. But you don’t have to pay for live news. Most major news channels broadcast for free via streaming services, apps, and websites. And in some cases you can even stream local news to your devices!
Watch news on a free live TV service
Free Live TV Channels gives you the cable experience with no monthly fees or commitments. They stream cool movies along with entertainment and kids channels and of course offer some major news channels including ABC, NBC, USA Today, CBS and Bloomberg.
I suggest you install these services on your smart TV or streaming stick. This way you can enjoy live news (and other live content) on the big screen for free.
Here are the best live TV services for free news:
None of these services require an email address or login, except for Peacock. I should also note that Peacock’s news selection is somewhat limited – there is NBC’s national channel, NBC local channels and no other news sources.
If you own an Amazon Fire TV or Roku device, give their respective live TV services a try. The Fire TV app or the Roku Channel come installed on your device by default, and both services come with a ton of non-news channels.
Of course, you also get a bunch of non-news channels with Pluto TV, Tubi, Peacock and Xumo. Check out each service’s web player to get an idea of whether it’s worth using.
Use your favorite channel’s app or website
If you don’t feel like using a live TV service and only want to watch news from a single network, just download its app! Most major news channels stream for free on their app and website. You don’t even need a cable subscription.
Here are some news channels that stream for free:
Keep in mind that some of these networks, notably CNN and FOX News, really only stream breaking news. Other content requires a cable subscription or Premium Live TV membership.
Do all news channels stream for free?
Some news channels, notably CNBC, are not available for free. They may have a free app, but you can only use that app with a cable subscription. Technically, the cheapest way to stream channels like CNBC is to subscribe to a paid live TV service like Sling, YouTube TV, or Hulu with Live TV.
Not to mention that networks like CNN and Fox News only offer break messages for free. If you’re trying to stream the full range of their content, you’ll need to sign up for a pricey cable or live TV membership.
You could always use a TV antenna!
We really tend to overemphasize streaming services, but honestly, you might be better off watching the news on local OTA TV. The only thing you need to buy is an antenna – it takes two seconds to connect and unlocks a ton of live channels including local news and some national news channels.
If you want to see what channels are available in your area, try the FCC coverage card or Channel Master’s live TV tool. These services also tell you which direction stations are broadcasting from, so they can come in handy when you’re experiencing poor terrestrial TV reception.
I know what you’re thinking, “isn’t that kind of old school?” It’s definitely old-school, but hey, so is cable. And funnily enough, free OTA TV can actually achieve much higher picture quality than cable. Broadcasters are even planning to have OTA-TV support 4K video with HDR and Dolby Atmos audio!
And if you want a nicer user interface than traditional OTA TV or the ability to record news and watch it later, you can also pair your antennas with a Plex server.
