The perfect streaming companies in 2025

Free trial: Sure | Month-to-month worth: $73/month | Dwell TV: Sure | Native channels: Sure

YouTube TV is a good choice for wire cutters who nonetheless wish to watch stay TV with out having to enroll in a contract. It carries over 85 completely different channels, so it’s extremely seemingly that you just gained’t miss your cable TV or satellite tv for pc subscription in any respect for those who swap over. YouTube TV even carries your regional PBS channels, which is a rarity on most stay TV streaming companies.

The place YouTube TV actually shines is within the stay sports activities division. Not solely does it supply sports-carrying channels like CBS, FOX, ESPN, NBC, TBS and TNT, it additionally affords particular sports activities protection networks just like the MLB Community, NBA TV and the NFL Community. You possibly can even go for a Sports activities Plus package deal for an extra $11 a month if you need particular sports activities channels like NFL RedZone, FOX School Sports activities, GOLTV, FOX Soccer Plus, MAVTV Motorsports Community, TVG and Stadium. Sadly, nevertheless, YouTube TV not too long ago misplaced the rights to hold Bally Sports activities regional networks, which signifies that you gained’t get region-specific channels similar to Bally Sports activities Detroit or Bally Sports activities Southwest.

One notably sturdy promoting level for sports activities followers is that as a substitute of at all times remembering to file a specific sport, you possibly can simply select to “observe” a selected crew and the DVR will robotically file all of its video games. Plus, for those who occur to have jumped into the match late, there’s a “meet up with key performs” function that permits you to watch all of the highlights up till that time so that you just’re in control.

YouTube TV is on the costly facet at $73 a month, which could not be rather more than your primary cable package deal. If you wish to add 4K viewing (which is at the moment solely obtainable via sure sporting occasions) plus limitless streaming, you’d must cough up an extra $20 a month. However an ordinary subscription consists of channels similar to BBC, BET, Comedy Central, the Meals Community, MTV, Nickelodeon, USA, and extra.

It at the moment affords among the best cloud DVRs obtainable. YouTube TV’s DVR has limitless storage plus you’ve gotten as much as 9 months to observe your recorded content material earlier than they expire. There are additionally no DVR up-charges right here; you possibly can rewind or quick ahead via the recorded content material as you please by default. We must always word, nevertheless, that the on-demand content material on YouTube TV does have advertisements which you’ll’t fast-forward via.

There’s additionally a plethora of premium channels that you may add for as little as $3 monthly, similar to Showtime, Max, Starz, Cinemax and EPIX. You can too subscribe to an Leisure Plus bundle that features Max, Showtime and Starz for $30 a month. Different area of interest add-ons embody CuriosityStream, AMC Premiere, Shudder, Sundance Now, City Film Channel, and Acorn TV. — N.L.