If you’re apprehensive about cutting the cord, the thought of losing local channels may keep you from taking the leap.
Fortunately, you can ditch your contract and watch ABC without cable. It’s easy to leave cable and still watch your favorite local network stations.
With the average monthly cable bill costing $200 a month, you can easily save at least $100 each month with one simple move.
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How to Get ABC Without Cable
Are you a fan of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, or Grey’s Anatomy? You can watch these shows without a cable contract.
Here are the best ways to cut the cord and still get ABC or other live TV programming so you can watch local TV without cable or satellite.
1. fuboTV
One of the best ways to watch your local ABC affiliate is through live streaming services. FuboTV is one of the top choices to get your local networks without a contract.
At a cost of $79.99 per month, plus RSN fees, it’s on the expensive end of the space. Nevertheless, fubo is a legitimate service that lets you cut the cord.
The base plan, Pro, offers over 180 popular TV channels and is beloved by sports fans. It doesn’t currently have Turner networks, but it does air 43 of the highest-rated Nielsen-ranked channels.
FuboTV also offers a cloud DVR of 1,000 hours and the ability to stream on ten screens simultaneously.
Despite the cost, fuboTV is a complete cable replacement and an excellent choice to watch local channels without cable.
You can try the service with a seven-day free trial to see if you like it.
Read our complete fuboTV review to learn more.
2. DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM is the end result of a rocky period for AT&T. It was DirecTV Now, then AT&T TV Now, then AT&T T, and now it’s DIRECTV STREAM.
It’s a premium streaming service, with plans starting at $79.99 per month. There are four plans, with the last one costing a hefty $165 a month.
The ‘Choice’ plan has 90 channels and includes all of your local networks available in your location. You will receive lots of entertainment and lifestyle programming, sports, and over 45,000 on-demand titles.
The platform also includes an unlimited DVR, with recordings expiring after nine months. It’s still a legit way to watch ABC without a TV provider.
If you’re an AT&T customer, it may make sense to bundle so you can watch ABC News, daytime shows, and more. Otherwise, it may not be cost-effective.
You can test the service with its five-day free trial. Read our DIRECTV STREAM review to learn more.
3. Sling TV
Sling TV is a new entrant into the ability to stream ABC without cable. The streaming service isn’t a premium service like fuboTV, and limited local networks is part of how it keeps its costs low.
However, as of March 1, 2023, ABC is available in several select cities nationwide.
Here is where you can get ABC on Sling.
| City | Station |
|---|---|
| Chicago | WLS |
| Fresno | KSFN |
| Houston | KTRK |
| Los Angeles | KABC |
| New York | WABC |
| Philadelphia | WPVI |
| Raleigh-Durham | WTVD |
| San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose | KGO |
There are several important notes to consider. First, you must choose a Sling Blue subscription if you want ABC, or the other locals the platform carries.
Second, if you live in a city where ABC is available, it raises the base Blue price by $5 to $45 per month. Increased cost aside, it’s still $20 cheaper than other services that offer ABC.
If you don’t need a premium service, and only need several dozen popular sports, lifestyle, and entertainment channels, Sling is worth trying.
Read our Sling TV review to learn more.
4. Hulu Live
Hulu Live doesn’t boast the same channel selection as fuboTV, but it’s still an excellent way to watch ABC programming like Big Sky or Dancing with the Stars.
Hulu with Live TV has a respectable channel lineup of roughly 90 channels, including ESPN, HGTV, A&E, and more. Hulu Live costs a little more than fuboTV at $76.99 a month.
If you like Disney and ESPN content, you can watch Disney+ and ESPN+ with the service for no extra fee.
The bundle is a good way to get exclusive originals from both platforms plus the ABC live stream.
The one drawback to Hulu Live is that it only offers two simultaneous streams. You can upgrade to unlimited for $10 a month. However, it makes up for that with an unlimited cloud DVR that lets you fast-forward through commercials on recordings.
If you want to get your local ABC station and have access to all of Hulu’s original content, their live TV service is a good choice.
You can try the service to see if you like it. However, if you don’t need live TV you may be able to make do with Hulu on-demand and watch shows the day after they air.
Learn more about how the two option differ in our Hulu vs. Hulu Live analysis to see which is best for you.
Read our Hulu Live TV review to learn more about the service.
5. Vidgo
Vidgo is a newer streaming service that is a good option to stream ABC without cable. The service costs $69.99 per month for the Plus plan and has over 110 channels.
The Premium plan has more than 150 channels for $84.99 per month.
In spite of its youth, Vidgo offers dozens of popular national networks for lifestyle, entertainment, and sports fans.
You won’t get CBS or NBC on the service, but it does let subscribers get the live broadcast of ABC and FOX.
Read our guide on ways to watch NBC without cable to learn about other options.
Read our review of how to watch CBS live without cable to learn about other choices.
Vidgo specializes in social viewing. This lets you watch TV with friends and family when you’re not together.
If you like to chat with others while watching a favorite show, take polls, or create memes, Vidgo is a fun service to use.
Unfortunately, Vidgo doesn’t currently have a DVR. It says one will be available “soon.” However, they offer 24-hour playback of shows to make up for it.
You can try the service free for the first seven days to see if you like it.
Read our review of Vidgo TV to learn more about the service.
6. YouTube TV
YouTube TV is one of the highest-rated services by cord-cutters and is a great way to watch ABC live without cable. The service costs $72.99 per month.
YouTube TV has over 100 channels to choose from. The platform boasts dozens of popular lifestyle and entertainment channels.
It’s also a solid choice for sports fans, providing the entire family of ESPN networks, FS1, FS2, and all of the professional sports leagues.
YouTube TV is straightforward and has just one plan at one price. This includes an unlimited cloud DVR, though recordings do expire after nine months.
If you want to watch ABC online, you won’t be disappointed with YouTube TV.
You can try the service with a seven-day free trial to see if you like it.
Read our review of YouTube TV to learn more.
7. Buy an Antenna
An antenna is the best way to watch ABC for free. You will have to pay a small, upfront cost to purchase an antenna, but you can watch all your local networks for free after that.
How many channels you receive through your antenna depends on where you live and the type of antenna you use.
We receive roughly 30 channels here in Omaha, but some places can receive 50 or more. As long as you’re within 60 miles of a broadcast tower, an indoor antenna is sufficient.
We use a Mohu Leaf, and it works great for our needs. You can use the promo code FRUGALRULES10 to receive ten percent off your purchase of one.
We love the Mohu as it helps us not be bound to a live TV streaming service for local channels. Purchasing one lets you watch your local ABC channel for free.
8. ABC Go App
The ABC Go App is another choice to watch ABC without cable. Not all standalone apps allow this, but the Go App will accept login information from all of the live streaming services to watch content.
You can watch current shows on the app for free. A lock symbol may appear when reviewing content options. Just provide login credentials to watch the selected show.
If you don’t subscribe to a streaming service, you can still watch most shows eight days after it airs.
Bottom Line
It’s no longer necessary to pay for cable just to watch ABC live. You can watch the channel with an antenna and spend nothing beyond the one-time cost.
If you want to go beyond the basic cable channels, a live TV streaming service like fuboTV is a terrific way to watch ABC without a cable provider and ditch your contract.
What’s one thing that’s keeping you from cutting the cord on cable?
I’m John Schmoll, a former stockbroker, MBA-grad, published finance writer, and founder of Frugal Rules.
As a veteran of the financial services industry, I’ve worked as a mutual fund administrator, banker, and stockbroker and was Series 7 and 63-licensed, but I left all that behind in 2012 to help people learn how to manage their money.
My goal is to help you gain the knowledge you need to become financially independent with personally-tested financial tools and money-saving solutions.
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