Vidgo Review 2024: Everything You Need to Know

Do you like watching TV with friends? Watching your favorite shows with friends is fun, but not always possible. A new streaming service named Vidgo TV is changing all that.

Its built-in social sharing features, mobile-first platform, and channel lineup make it affordable to cut the cord and stream your favorite content anywhere.

Integrated chat rooms, watch parties, and live react videos are just a few of the unique features that make the service a solid option for social cord cutters.

Dive in to all the details in our Vidgo review.

What is Vidgo TV?

Vidgo is a social TV streaming platform. Since jumping on the scene a few years ago, it’s quickly become a suitable cable alternative and a decent competitor to other streaming platforms like Hulu Live and Sling TV.

What makes it different is the social sharing features and mobile-first platform it offers. If you don’t often watch TV alone or enjoy watching shows on your phone, give Vidgo a try.

How Much Does Vidgo Cost?

Vidgo is in the middle of the streaming space with a cost of $69.99 a month for the base plan. You can upgrade to the Premium plan for an additional $15 per month.

With the average cable bill costing $200 it represents a significant savings vs. a contract service.

It lacks some of the bells and whistles that a service like YouTube TV has, but more than “skinny” bundle options like Philo or Sling TV.

Unfortunately, the service usually does not offer a free trial.

What Channels Does Vidgo TV Have?

Available networks can be where cable alternatives set themselves apart. Vidgo has a well-rounded and diverse channel lineup.

It offers two base plans, Plus with roughly 110 channels and Premium with roughly 150 channels.

Here are the popular networks you can expect to receive in the base plan.

While there’s a lot to like about Vidgo’s channel lineup, there are a few notable networks missing.

• Channels Missing from Vidgo’s Lineup: AMC, CBS, Cartoon Network, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TBS, TMC, USA, Weather Channel

Few streaming options carry all the Disney, ESPN, and the FOX family of networks. And, Vidgo says no one offers it for a lower price.

Still, other than FOX News, there’s no good option for news stations. The video streaming service does carry Newsnation and OAN, if those interest you.

If having CNN or MSNBC is important to you, try Sling TV, which offers them along with a variety of other popular channels for about the same price or a little less per month.

Particularly if you like watching live sports, the platform is a terrific choice. It’s cheaper than fuboTV, which is what you’d need for a comparable option.

It’s sports offering includes the following channels.

• Vidgo Plus Sports Channels: ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPNU, ESPN2, ESPNews, FS1, FS2, Longhorn Network, NFL Network, NFL Red Zone, Pac-12 Network (including the entire grouping of Pac-12 channels), SEC Network, Vrtuo Sports
• Vidgo Premium Sports Channels: ACC Network, Bein Sports, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPNU, ESPN2, ESPNews, FS1, FS2, Longhorn Network, MLB, NFL Network, NFL Red Zone, Pac-12 Network (including the entire grouping of Pac-12 channels), SEC Network, Vrtuo Sports

If you like to watch college football games, you’ll get everything you want with Vidgo. Plus, the ability to schedule watch parties with friends and interact together while watching.

When you compare Vidgo with other leading streaming providers, its price is competitive, especially considering the amount of channels offered.

Does Vidgo Carry Local Networks?

Losing local channels is what keeps many people from cutting the cord on cable. Unfortunately, live TV streaming services must pay the same retransmission fees to carry local affiliates.

You get both ABC and FOX with a Vidgo subscription. If you want CBS, NBC or any of your other local networks, your best bet is to buy an over-the-air antenna.

An antenna lets you get local channels for life and not have to depend on a live TV service for them.

The Mohu Leaf is our choice for an over-the-air antenna. We use them in our home and they perform well. You can get ten percent off the purchase of one with the code FRUGALRULES10.

Read our guide on ways to stream NBC without cable to learn about other options.

If you prefer to have a streaming service, read our guide on the platforms that let you watch CBS without cable.

Features

There’s a lot to like about Vidgo. Like other streaming services with live TV, it has a solid lineup of popular channels and lets you sign up without a contract.

There are no credit checks or hidden fees and you can cancel at any time.

But, what sets the service apart is the social integration it provides.

Social Sharing: Create GIFs, Memes, and Videos

Vidgo offers a social platform to interact with others while watching live TV. Especially in a time when social gathering isn’t encouraged, it’s a fun way to stay connected with friends and family while watching your favorite shows.

Social features come with all Vidgo packages and include the following:

• Drop GIFs while you watch TV
• Create memes and photos to share with others
• Shoot and share five-second live react videos
• Post polls for people to react to
• Invite friends to watch a show with you
• Mobile-friendly platform lets you watch and comment seamlessly
• Integrated chat rooms
• Ability to join or schedule watch parties for shows and sports
• Watch with friends on three devices at once

If you want to watch shows and sports with friends and fans, there’s no better, integrated option than Vidgo.

Device Compatibility

Like many other streaming services, Vidgo has many supported devices and works with nearly every major streaming device. You can watch on an Android or iPhone as well as tablets and smart TVs.

It works with Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV.

It also works to watch with a laptop or desktop computer using a web browser. However, the social sharing features are inactive on all devices other than phones and tablets.

You can watch on three simultaneous streams at once.

Channel Guide and User Experience

Vidgo is still a startup and its platform reflects that reality. While it is intuitive and easy to find something to watch, it lacks more robust features offered by many other streaming services.

It’s less flashy than YouTube TV and Hulu Live, but does include a basic channel guide that’s easy to browse.

However, you have to click in a time slot to see what show is playing. There is no preview offered in the guide as there is with many other services.

This is a hassle, especially if you don’t know what you want to watch.

It’s just one extra click, but that could become frustrating over time.

You can break up your channel view into all, favorites, recents, sports and family. This provides a helpful way to segment content.

Does Vidgo Have a DVR?

One area Vidgo falls behind competing streaming services in is with DVR service. It does not include a DVR. While this means you can’t record anything, they have added a feature that allows 24 hour playback.

In late 2019 it said it was planning to add DVR service “very soon.” Unfortunately, the service still doesn’t have a DVR, so if hat’s essential to you you’ll want to choose a different live TV service.

Instead, Vidgo focuses on social sharing features that other services don’t offer.

Sports

Something that might surprise you is how good the Vidgo channels are for sports fans.

It’s great for live sports and is one of the best ways to get ESPN without cable. When you pair it with a digital antenna like the Mohu Leaf, you can get all your local channels too.

As you can see in the Vidgo channels chart, it includes all the ESPN and Fox Sports networks. It also includes the NFL Network.

Vidgo Plus gives you national, regional, and local sports coverage. About the only thing you’ll miss is NBA, NHL, and MLB games on their respective networks.

However, upgrading to the Premium packages allows you to pick up MLB games.

Since it also doesn’t carry TBS or TNT, if you’re a huge NBA fan, you may want to look at Hulu Live or Sling TV.

Is There On-Demand Content Available?

Another area where Vidgo is lacking is in on-demand content. Everything is live. While this stands out in the streaming world, the service may simply be choosing to make its mark in social sharing.

Almost every other streaming service, including PhiloTV, SlingTV, and Hulu Live offers the ability to record shows and watch them later through a Cloud DVR service.

This just means the shows you record are saved on servers, not hardware in your house.

If on-demand content is critical for you, consider pairing a Vidgo subscription with a legacy Hulu membership. At $6.99 per month, you’ll have access to a vast library of content.

Read our Hulu Live review for all the details on that service.

Or, sign up for Netflix. With plans starting at $9.99 per month, your overall cost will be pricey, but still quite a bit less than cable.

Vidgo has added Advanced Playback to their plans. This feature offers 24 hour playback for many popular channels to let you view missed shows or events within 24 hours of when it aired.

Spanish Plans

Another area where Vidgo stands out is with its Spanish language plans. While many services offer Spanish channel add-ons, some plans are entirely Spanish.

The downside is that you can’t have both English and Spanish language channels. But, you can enjoy 30 popular Spanish channels through Vidgo Spanish MAS for just $30 per month.

• Vidgo Spanish MAS Channels: Atres Series, Antenna 3, A3Cine, Baby TV, Bein Deportes, Canal Sur, Centroamerica TV, Cinelatino, Cine Sony, Discovery en Espanol, Discovery Familia, ESPN Deportes, estudio5, FOX Deportes, FOX Life, History en Espanol, Hola TV, Hogar, Nat Geo Mundo, NTN24, Pasiones, RCN Novelas, Telefe, TV Azteca, TV Dominicana, TyC Sports, VideoRola, Wapa America

The Vidgo channel lineup for Spanish speakers is unparalleled in the streaming universe. We can’t find anywhere else offering all of these channels in one spot.

The downside is that you cannot receive both Spanish and English language channels. You must pick one or the other. Or, have multiple accounts.

Still, if you’re looking for Spanish stations, Vidgo is a solid option.

Pros and Cons

There’s a lot to like about Vidgo. But, as with anything, there’s also some drawbacks.

Pros

• Great selection of sports content
• Live TV for a reasonable cost
• Awesome value
• Fun social sharing features
• Entire Disney suite of networks
• Cheapest way to get all ESPN and Fox channels
• Can watch on three devices at the same time
• 24 hour playback
• No contract, cancel at any time

Cons

• Does not include DVR
• No on-demand content
• Does not offer all local channels
• No NBC channels for their sports

While the streaming service is an ideal choice for a sports fan, its lack of DVR hurts. If you’re not at home to watch your team play, you have only 24 hours to watch it later.

And, while the social sharing features are unique, they don’t work unless you’re watching on your phone or a tablet.

If you need a generous channel package without a lot of bells and whistles, Vidgo may be worth trying.

How Vidgo Compares Against the Competition

Despite its youth, Vidgo is legit alternative to cable. It offers a lot of good features, but if you find it doesn’t meet your needs, there are other choices.

Here is how it measures against the other players.

Don’t forget to take advantage of free trials to find a service that works for you.

Summary

Do you like watching TV with friends? Are you often on your phone during your favorite shows? If so, Vidgo could be perfect for you.

Whether you like entertainment programming or live sports, Vidgo offers both for $64.95 per month. This is a huge savings over cable. And, with no fees, you can cancel worry free at any time.

What is one must have for you to cancel cable? How much do you pay for TV services each month?