New Non-Sports Live Streaming Service on the Way
Sports channels are a must for many TV viewers, but for those not interested in watching any sporting events, including them in a TV streaming plan can drive up the price. Now The Wall Street Journal reports that several networks are in talks to launch a streaming service for non-sport watchers that will cost $ 20 a month or less.
The service is expected to launch in a soft mode in the next few weeks and will include cable channels owned by Viacom, AMC, Scripps Networks Interactive and Discovery Communications.
Given that this has not been officially announced, the actual list of stations that you will be able to stream live is not entirely clear. However, assuming all of these companies are on the program, viewers will have access to channels such as The Food Network, HDTV, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, AMC, and A + E. Subscribers must have an antenna to receive programming from major networks such as ABC, CBS and FOX.
This is an interesting offer for $ 20 (or less), but is it worth it?
You do have a lot of options right now when it comes to live streaming. Sling already offers streaming in the air for as low as $ 20 per month , which includes about 30 channels.
For $ 35 a month you can get many of the same channels as the proposed version of the “free class sports” through Directv Now . The basic program includes 60 live channels including ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX, as well as channels such as Cartoon Network, CNN, FX, Oxygen, and Bravo. Yes, you also get sports programs there like NBC Sports, but with a $ 35 subscription, you also have the option of getting HBO for just an extra $ 5.
If you already subscribe to HBO Now (which costs $ 15 on its own), then this in a sense brings the cost of the subscription service down to $ 25. $ 5 for all these additional channels (including sports) and the ability to stream major networks seems worth it, at least to me.
YouTube TV also starts at $ 35, but doesn’t include offerings from Viacom, Turner, or Discovery.
Hulu also has a pretty decent TV these days. It’s a bit more expensive, $ 39.99 a month, but includes most of the same channels as Directv’s offering, as well as access to the full Hulu streaming library at that price. The PlayStation Vue access plan starts at $ 49.99 and includes access to 45 stations, many of which match up with Directv channels.
The difference between all of them warrants a detailed explanation here, but Business Insider recently did a really great comparison of all six , explaining what you get in each one and what you are missing. The “best” will probably be the one that offers the channels you want to watch. Not every service has all channels.
For me, given all the possibilities, a non-sport streaming service for $ 20 a month doesn’t seem necessary.
What do you think? Are you interested in the service on offer, or do you think the existing live streaming services have enough space?