5 YouTube TV Alternatives Users Swear By

YouTube TV has been a well-liked service for a while now, especially with sports fans. Over the past several months, that feeling has slowly changed as prices have surged, and in the recent battle with Disney/ESPN. Many users have been left feeling like YouTube TV isn't worth it and are ditching the platform or looking for alternatives. A recent survey by Drive Research shows that 82% of YouTube TV users are angry over the two-week-long fight between Disney and YouTube TV, and around 24% of those surveyed have already canceled their subscriptions or plan to in the near future.

And while ESPN and other Disney channels are now back on YouTube TV after negotiations, subscribers have been left wondering whether this new deal will come with any future price hikes. All of this has led several people to look at alternative live TV streaming platforms to watch the content they want, without paying an arm and a leg.

There are many streaming services competing with YouTube TV, from mainstream offerings like Hulu TV and Sling to lesser-known platforms like Frndly TV, but the following are some of the best YouTube TV alternatives. And if you pair any of the following with the various free streaming platform offerings from the likes of Tubi, Pluto, and more, you may never go back to YouTube TV again.

Fubo TV has been around for a fairly long time, launching back in 2015 as a streaming service focused on live soccer. Since those early days, Fubo TV has morphed into a general live streaming service with a strong focus on live sports. Fubo TV offers several subscription options, starting at $14.99 for its Latino plan and going up to $94.99 for its Elite plan.

All of their standard streaming plans include access to ABC, CBS, and FOX channels, with higher plans offering 4K streaming for higher-quality visuals. The company has also recently launched its Fubo Channel Store, a platform that allows users to shop for additional subscriptions from individual streaming services to add onto their existing plan. And since the platform originally was a sports-only affair, Fubo TV is well-liked by sports fans for its content.

Even as the company grows, they have continued their sports focus by recently launching their Fubo Sports + News plan for $55.99. This plan gives subscribers access to over 20 live channels with a focus on local and national college and professional sports. Fubo TV offers a free 5-day trial on any of its plans, so there is no excuse not to give it at least a try.

There are people out there who might want access to a live TV streaming service but don't watch TV regularly. Sling TV is unique in this regard, as, alongside standard monthly subscriptions for its service, the company also offers a pass system. This pass system lets you temporarily subscribe to Sling TV with a Day Pass, Weekend Pass, or Week Pass, giving you the content you want when you want it.

Starting at $4.99 for the Day Pass, these plans include 34 channels and offer a lot of flexibility, catering to sports fans who want access to specific content without paying monthly fees for what they won't watch. And with Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner, these temporary plans are a great option for holiday get-togethers to keep everyone entertained. 

For daily TV viewers, the cheapest monthly plan is Sling Select, priced at $19.99, which includes 10+ live channels. Their most expensive plan, Sling Orange & Blue, is $60.99 and includes access to over 50 live channels. While Sling TV doesn't seem to offer a free trial at this time, a $5 day pass is a pretty good way to get the full Sling experience while catching a game that you already planned on wanting to see.

Philo is a budget-friendly live streaming platform that offers over 70 channels, unlimited DVR storage, and all for a very reasonable $33 a month. With costs rising on just about everything, it's nice to find a TV streaming platform that is actually affordable. Philo's lineup features popular channels, including Comedy Central, Discovery, Nickelodeon, A&E, History, BBC America, and more. 

There are a lot of options for families and those who are looking for something more like a traditional cable TV experience. One really nice thing that sets Philo apart is the premium add-ons included with a subscription. These include a free subscription to HBO Max Basic with Ads plan, discovery+, and AMC+ with Ads plan. This adds significant value to the $33 monthly subscription, and with only a single plan, there is no confusion about what you are getting. All of this sounds great, but it all comes with a fairly big catch. 

Philo's single monthly plan lacks live cable news and popular sports networks. This might be a dealbreaker for many, but for those who get local/national news and sports through an antenna, a Philo subscription might be the perfect addition to your cord-cutting life and a decent alternative to YouTube TV.

If there were a company that could challenge Google and its YouTube TV platform, it would be safe to assume that Disney could be one of them. After Disney acquired a full controlling stake in Hulu in the summer of 2025, the company began a stronger push into the live streaming space. With over 95 live channels, including news, live sports, and access to Hulu, Hulu + Live TV has a lot to offer serious TV watchers. 

The $89.99 a month subscription is fairly steep for many, but those looking for the closest YouTube TV alternative with a few added features might see Hulu + Live TV as their best option. Hulu's on-demand library is a big benefit, but one really fun live TV feature that Hulu + Live TV offers is the ability to select East Coast and West Coast feeds for many popular channels, so West Coast fans don't have to wait to watch their favorite live content.

In terms of sports, YouTube TV slightly edges out Hulu + Live TV in terms of offerings and features for many users. But with Hulu soon integrating Fubo TV's sports platform, with over 55,000 live games per year and an extensive library, into the service, Hulu + Live TV might quickly become the ultimate live streaming platform for sports fans.

Frndly TV is one of the newer kids on the live streaming block, launching back in 2019 by a group of former Dish Network executives. Their reasoning for launching Frndly TV — the most spellcheck-unfriendly live streaming service ever — was that they felt streaming packages were becoming too large and bloated. 

Starting with only 12 channels, Frndly TV has grown to offer 50+ channels, focusing on fun, family-friendly content. And while they have grown, the monthly subscription cost to access Frndly TV is still only $6.99. This is an incredibly low price for a good bit of content, including from channels such as History, A&E, Hallmark, Lifetime, and more. And it seems that people are taking note, as a recent survey by Cord Cutters News indicated that Frndly TV ranked second in popularity among cord cutters. 

The platform scored a 7.9% market share among those polled, with the popular YouTube TV coming in first with 24.4%. While Frndly TV also lacks cable news programming and sports channels, its price makes it hard to ignore in a world where it seems like live streaming platforms keep increasing the cost of their monthly subscriptions. While the service lacks many of the popular channels you would expect to find, the low monthly price and a free weeklong trial make it worth a look.