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DirecTV Stream
Number one in live TV channel variety
You can watch CNN live for 24/7 news. CNN also offers original programming, such as Anderson Cooper's "AC360" and CNN Tonight with Don Lemon. In addition to your on-air favorites, now that CNN+ has shut down, the best way to catch CNN original content is straight from the source. All of this, and more, is now available without cable.
There are many ways to watch CNN without cable, including Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling, or DirecTV Stream.
But our team's pick for most people to watch CNN, is DirecTV Stream. Here's why:
- Big families (or roommates or friends) can watch DirecTV Stream without stress, as they offer up to -1 simultaneous streams.
- 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 — or one of our other top VPNs.)
If, for whatever reason, watching CNN on DirecTV Stream doesn't work for you, we've also rounded up 3 more options — and we even divided them up into the best picks for people who also watch lots of sports, news, reality TV, and more. Let's get into the best options for everyone.
Our top 4 picks for streaming Cable News Network without cable
DirecTV Stream Entertainment
Pay $49.99 for the first 2 months
Top pick
- 75+ channels
- Stream on unlimited devices at home
- Unlimited DVR space
- Three months of Max free
$79.99/month
directv.com
Sling Orange
$10 off your first month
Budget pick
- 30+ channels
- ESPN
- Stream on one device
$40/month
sling.com
YouTube TV Spanish
Only $24.99 for the first 6 months
Sports pick
- Unlimited DVR space
- 6 accounts to share at home
- Stream on three screens
- 30+ Spanish channels
$34.99/month
tv.youtube.com
Hulu Live TV only
News pick
- 90+ live channels
- Stream on two screens
$75.99/month
hulu.com
Top pick: Stream CNN on DirecTV Stream
If you're looking for the best way to stream CNN, DirecTV Stream is our team's top pick. Using our streaming recommendation system, the Flixed team has determined that DirecTV Stream is the best way for most people to watch what's live on CNN because it offers the ideal combination of price, channels, and features.
Watch CNN with DirecTV Stream
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
Other channels on DirecTV Stream include: Cable News Network, HLN, Turner Classic Movies, TV Land, A&E, AMC, BET, Bravo, Comedy Central, Discovery Family Channel, E! Entertainment Television, ESPNU, Freeform, FX, Science, FYI, MTV2: Music Television, Animal Planet, BBC America, CMT, and more.
Devices supported by DirecTV Stream include: android, web-browsers, chromecast, ios, amazon-fire-tv, android-tv, and samsung-tv.
Our DirecTV Stream review also includes more about why our team loves DirecTV Stream.
Budget pick: Stream CNN on Sling
While not the cheapest option, Sling’s packages offers a great mix of channels that are worth the extra few dollars. Offering sports, news, family, and entertainment channels, Sling has a little something for everyone to enjoy.
Watch CNN with Sling
Sling Orange
$10 off your first month
- 30+ channels
- ESPN
- Stream on one device
$40/month
Sling Blue
$10 off your first month
- 40+ channels
- Local channels in select cities
- News and entertainment
- Stream on three screens
$45/month
Sling Orange & Blue
$10 off your first month
- General cable replacement
- 45+ channels
- Stream on three screens
$60/month
Other channels on Sling include: Longhorn Network, Cable News Network, HLN, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Turner Classic Movies, TV Land, A&E, AMC, BET, Bravo, Comedy Central, E! Entertainment Television, ESPNU, INSP, Science, FYI, MTV2: Music Television, BBC America, beIN Sports, CMT, and more.
Take a look at what's live on Sling right now.
Devices supported by Sling include: air-tv, tivo, ios, android, chromecast, web-browsers, portal, android-tv, amazon-fire-tv, lg-tv, samsung-tv, and vizio.
Our team shares even more comprehensive analysis of Sling in our Sling review. For the true budget streamer, we've also compiled a list of our favorite free streaming services.
Sports fan pick: Stream CNN on YouTube TV
Most sports fans already know and love YouTube TV. If you're trying to watch CNN without cable and you also watch a lot of sports, YouTube TV is probably the best pick for you.
Youtube TV’s most attractive feature for sports fans is its upcoming NFL Sunday Ticket package. Get every Sunday game that’s not airing on your local CBS or FOX network, along with the standard 100+ live channels and have all of the sports you need in one place.
Watch CNN with YouTube TV
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 on YouTube TV include: Cable News Network, HLN, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Turner Classic Movies, TV Land, AMC, BET, Bravo, Comedy Central, E! Entertainment Television, ESPNU, Freeform, FX, MTV2: Music Television, Animal Planet, BBC America, beIN Sports, CMT, CNBC, Disney Junior, and more.
Some sports might be live on YouTube TV right now.
Devices supported by YouTube TV include: chromecast, web-browsers, android, android-tv, apple-tv, and samsung-tv.
YouTube TV isn't only great for sports fans, though. Our team took YouTube TV for a test drive and put all of our thoughts together in our YouTube TV review.
Plus, we've compiled a list of the best overall streaming services for sports fans.
News fan pick: Stream CNN on Hulu Live TV
If you're someone who watches a lot of news, you probably want to subscribe to a streamer with access to the most popular news channels. No reason to subscribe to a different streaming service just to get access to CNN. Our top pick for most news fans to get access to CNN is Hulu Live TV. Plenty of news shows are airing live now on Hulu Live TV.
Get all of your news and everything else in one place with Hulu + Live TV. The service offers all of the top news networks, including ABC News, CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News, along with 80+ channels, on-demand content, and access to Disney+ and ESPN+.
Watch CNN with Hulu Live TV
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
If you only want on-demand shows and movies, not live TV:
Other channels on Hulu Live TV include: Cable News Network, HLN, Turner Classic Movies, TV Land, A&E, BET, Bravo, Comedy Central, Discovery Family Channel, E! Entertainment Television, ESPNU, Freeform, FX, Science, FYI, MTV2: Music Television, Animal Planet, CMT, CNBC, Disney Junior, and more.
Devices supported by Hulu Live TV include: chromecast, web-browsers, ios, android-tv, apple-tv, amazon-fire-tv, and lg-tv.
We've written even more about why we like Hulu Live TV, but another great option for streaming local news is an OTA antenna. News fans often use antennas for streaming live TV like news shows for free, without cable.
All the streaming services where CNN is or isn't available
The choices for watching CNN aren't limited to our top picks. Here's where you can and can't watch CNN without cable.
Yes, CNN is included in your DirecTV Stream subscription. In fact, that's why DirecTV Stream is our top pick for watching CNN without cable.
Read our full review of DirecTV Stream and visit our TV guide to DirecTV Stream to find out what you can watch right now.
No, CNN isn't included in your Philo subscription. That's why we recommend trying DirecTV Stream.
Yes, CNN is included in your Sling subscription.
Read our full review of Sling and visit our TV guide to Sling to find out what you can watch right now.
No, CNN isn't included in your Fubo subscription. That's why we recommend trying DirecTV Stream.
Yes, CNN is included in your Hulu Live TV subscription.
Read our full review of Hulu Live TV and visit our TV guide to Hulu Live TV to find out what you can watch right now.
Yes, CNN is included in your YouTube TV subscription.
Read our full review of YouTube TV and visit our TV guide to YouTube TV to find out what you can watch right now.
Watching CNN on top devices
No matter what device you have at home, it's probably possible to watch CNN on it — yes, even without cable. Read on to learn which streamers support both your device and CNN live streams.
How to watch CNN on Roku devices
It's definitely possible to watch CNN on your Roku device, be it a streaming stick or actual Roku TV. Subscribe to Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling, or DirecTV Stream to get CNN on Roku.
How to watch CNN on an Android smart TV
Have a Samsung smart TV or another type of Android TV? These are some of the easiest to use to get CNN access without cable. Just subscribe to Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling, or DirecTV Stream to get CNN on your Android smart TV.
How to watch CNN on an Amazon Fire TV
Whether you have a Fire TV Stick or a Cube or another device, you can get access to CNN. Alexa, sign up for to Hulu Live TV, Sling, or DirecTV Stream to get CNN on Amazon devices.
How to stream CNN on iOS
Have an iPhone? An iPad? Not every app is available on Apple's App Store, but depending on the streaming service you. have, you can watch CNN on an iOS device with ease. Subscribe to Hulu Live TV, Sling, or DirecTV Stream to get CNN on your iOS device.
How to watch CNN on Android phones
You can watch CNN on your Pixel or Samsung or Nokia or whatever type of Android you have! Just subscribe to YouTube TV, Sling, or DirecTV Stream to get CNN on Android phones.
The bottom line: you have 4 great options for watching CNN without cable
We found 4 great options for watching CNN without cable. While our top pick is DirecTV Stream, there are 3 other ways to watch live programming, including Hulu Live TV or YouTube TV. The cheapest option is Hulu Live TV.
Check out what's airing right now in our TV Guide. Then, read up on the business of streaming in the Stream Report and the most popular streaming content in The Popcorner.
Davan Hamilton • Editor
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.
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Flixed Team – April 18, 2024
