Home to crime procedurals like NCIS and FBI, late shows like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and reality fun like Big Brother, CBS provides an incredible range of programming.
DirecTV Stream is our team’s top choice for watching CBS without cable. But if DirecTV Stream doesn’t work for you, we’ll round out the list with lots of other options.
Before we dive in, You can also check out Flixed’s channel guide for CBS to see what’s on the live national stream or check out our local TV guides for stations in the fifty largest US markets.
Top pick: Watch CBS on DirecTV Stream
There are many ways to watch CBS without cable, including DirecTV Stream, Fubo TV, Hulu + Live TV, or YouTube TV.
But our team’s pick for most people to watch CBS is DirecTV Stream. Here’s why:
- DirecTV Stream is available at the lowest monthly price point on this list.
- DirecTV Stream is available in every region of the United States. (Viewers outside the US can try to access DirecTV Stream with a VPN, like ExpressVPN.)
Read more about how we recommend streaming services.
Why we recommend DirecTV Stream
If you're looking for the cheapest way to stream CBS, DirecTV Stream could be your best choice. DirecTV Stream is our top pick for watching CBS because it offers the best combination of price, channels, and features. DirecTV Stream offers four different package levels. This is what they include:
- The DirecTV Stream Entertainment package allows you to stream a total of 65 channels including CBS and ESPN, TNT, or Nickelodeon.
- The DirecTV Stream Choice package allows you to stream a total of 90 channels including CBS and Cooking, Game Show Network, or Regional Sports Networks.
- The DirecTV Stream Ultimate package allows you to stream a total of 130 channels including CBS and NHL Network, FXM, or Starz Encore.
- The DirecTV Stream Premier package allows you to stream a total of 140 channels including CBS and Cinemax, Starz, or Showtime.
DirecTV Stream Entertainment
Pay $49.99 for the first 2 months
- 75+ channels
- Stream on unlimited devices at home
- Unlimited DVR space
- Three months of Max free
$79.99/month
DirecTV Stream Optimo Mas
- 100+ live TV channels
- Spanish and English programming
- Three months of Max free
- Unlimited DVR space
$79.99/month
DirecTV Stream Choice
Pay $49.99 for the first 2 months
- 105+ live channels
- Unlimited DVR space
- Includes regional sports networks
- Three months of Max free
$108.99/month
DirecTV Stream Ultimate
Pay $49.99 for the first 2 months
- 140+ live channels
- Unlimited DVR space
- Includes regional sports networks
- Three months of Max free
$119.99/month
DirecTV Stream Premier
- Unlimited DVR space
- 150+ channels
- Includes Max Cinemax SHOWTIME and STARZ
- Includes regional sports networks
$154.99/month
Find out which local channels and regional sports networks DirecTV Stream has in your area.
You can use DirecTV Stream on web browsers, Android, or iOS as well as Amazon Fire, Roku, Chromecast, or Apple TV. Other devices include LG/Samsung Smart TVs or Xbox One. Learn more about DirecTV Stream device support.
Read our DirecTV Stream review to learn more.
Trying to watch sports like the NFL or March Madness on CBS?
Want to watch basketball or football on CBS? CBS carries about half of all Sunday NFL games, so it's a must-have for football fans who want to watch their local teams. It’s also the sometimes-host of the March Madness championships. Take a look at our local channel directory to make sure that you'll get CBS in your local broadcast area.
Sports fan pick: Watch CBS on fuboTV
Most sports fans already know and love fuboTV. If you’re trying to watch CBS without cable and you also watch a lot of sports, fuboTV is probably the best pick for you.
Despite its lack of ESPN, the service offers almost every league, including NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and more. With 1000 hours of DVR space and 10 simultaneous streams available, you’ll never miss a game. At its cheapest plan, fuboTV offers 140+ channels to choose from, so you’ll have access to more than just sports as well.
All of fuboTV's subscription plans include support for local network affiliate stations. However, there's no guarantee that you'll get all of your ABC, CBS, Fox or NBC stations. Roughly three-fourths of America's local CBS stations are available to stream through fuboTV.
Fubo Pro
Try 7 days free
- 1000 hours of cloud DVR
- Stream on ten screens
- 180+ channels
$74.99/month
Fubo Elite
Try 7 days free
- Stream on ten screens
- 1000 hours of cloud DVR
- 250+ channels
- HD and 4K video quality
$84.99/month
Fubo Premier
Try 7 days free
- Stream on ten screens
- 250+ channels
- HD and 4K video quality
- 1000 hours of cloud DVR
- Showtime included
$94.99/month
Other channels included with fuboTV are: A&E, AMC, Animal Planet, BBC America, BET, Cheddar, Comedy Central, Disney Channel, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNU, Food Network, Freeform, FX, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, IFC, NFL Network, Telemundo, TLC, Travel Channel, TV Land, USA
fuboTV is available on devices like: AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Cox, iOS, LG TV, Mi Box, Roku, Samsung TV, TiVo, Vizio, Windows 10, Windows 11, Xbox, Xbox One.
Read our fuboTV review.
Plus, if you’re a sports-betting fan, find out which sportsbooks are best in your state.
Family pick: Watch CBS on Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV’s offerings of family and kids-oriented content, both live and on-demand, makes it a great choice for families and large households. What makes it number one, though, is its inclusion of Disney+ in its packaging.
Premium movie channels like HBO and Starz are available for an additional monthly fee. Expansion packs let you add more entertainment channels or Spanish-language channels. Most people will be able to get their local CBS station along with their other local network affiliate stations in Hulu’s base plan.
Hulu (with ads)
Get 3 HULU, DISNEY Plus, ESPN
- Stream on two screens
- Big movies
- Hit TV shows
- On demand content
$7.99/month
Hulu (no ads)
Get 3 HULU, DISNEY Plus, ESPN
- Stream on two screens
- Big movies
- Hit TV shows
- On demand content
- No ads
$17.99/month
Hulu Live TV only
- 90+ live channels
- Stream on two screens
$75.99/month
Hulu Live TV (with ads)
Disney+ and ESPN+ included
- Stream on two screens
- ESPN+ and Disney+ included
- On demand content
- 90+ live channels
$76.99/month
Hulu Live TV (some ads)
Disney+ and ESPN+ included
- Stream on two screens
- ESPN+ and Disney+ included
- On demand content
- 90+ live channels
$81.99/month
Hulu Live TV (no ads)
Disney+ and ESPN+ included
- Stream on two screens
- ESPN+ and Disney+ included
- On demand content
- 90+ live channels
$89.99/month
Other channels included with Hulu + Live TV are: A&E, ABC News, BET, Bloomberg Television, Cartoon Network, CBS, Cheddar Big News, CNN, Comedy Central, Disney Channel, E!, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Food Network, Freeform, FX, HGTV, History, ID, Lifetime, NFL Network, TBS, TNT, Travel Channel, TruTV, Vice
Check out our Hulu+ Live TV guide to see what’s on Hulu and when.
Hulu + Live TV is available on devices like: AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Cox, iOS, LG TV, Mi Box, Roku, Samsung TV, TiVo, Vizio, Windows 10, Windows 11, Xbox, Xbox One.
Read our Hulu review.
News fan pick: Watch CBS on YouTube TV
With its focus on sports and news channels, Youtube TV is a great choice for people looking to stay up to date with all the latest news. The service offers network channels like ABC News, FOX News, NBC News, BBC World News, CNBC, CNN, Cheddar News, MSNBC, and more.
When it comes to local stations affiliated with CBS and the other national networks, YouTube TV is the only place where you're almost guaranteed to get the big four stations. You may also get local streams from stations affiliated with PBS, The CW and Univision.
YouTube TV Spanish
Only $24.99 for the first 6 months
- Unlimited DVR space
- 6 accounts to share at home
- Stream on three screens
- 30+ Spanish channels
$34.99/month
YouTube TV
Only $54.99 for the first 3 months
- Unlimited DVR space
- 6 accounts for one price
- Stream on three screens
- 100+ live TV channels
$72.99/month
Other channels included with Youtube TV are: A&E, AMC, Animal Planet, BBC America, BET, Cartoon Network, Cheddar, Cheddar Big News, CNN, Comedy Central, Disney Channel, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNU, Food Network, Freeform, FX, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, IFC, NFL Network, TBS, TNT, Travel Channel, TV Land, USA
Youtube TV is available on devices like: AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Cox, iOS, LG TV, Mi Box, Roku, Samsung TV, TiVo, Vizio, Windows 10, Windows 11, Xbox, Xbox One.
Read our Youtube TV review.
Davan Hamilton • Author
Davan Hamilton is an editor and writer based in Jacksonville, FL. Holding a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, her writing spans a wide range, from essays on film criticism and analysis to surreal poetry. Now, she works for Flixed as an editor, continuing to ignore the list of passion projects she’s accumulated. When she’s not glued to her computer, you can find her building endless amounts of Lego sets, binge-reading manga, or playing with (fighting) her cat.
Kelsey Reynolds • Editor
Kelsey is a content strategist based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Minnesota. Kelsey was drawn to working at Flixed because the team was so open, motivated, and curious. She most enjoys thinking about how to blend programmatic and editorial content to answer readers’ questions as completely and efficiently as possible. When she’s not at her computer, Kelsey can usually be found working in her garden or walking her two dogs in the park.
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