How to Watch Live TV on Android TV

Android TV is Google’s powerful streaming platform. It’s an entertainment-centric operating system that makes it easy to watch on-demand content from your favorite streaming services, and you’ll find it on certain smart TVs and streaming devices such as the Nvidia Shield TV. Like most streaming platforms, Android TV got its start hosting on-demand streaming apps such as Netflix. But is it possible to watch live TV without cable on Android TV devices? It certainly is.

Here are a few of our favorite ways to stream live TV on Android TV:

	Price	Channels	Free Trial
#1	$25	60+	7 days	See Offer
#2	$5.99 – $85.96	68 – 88	7 or 30 days	See Offer
#3	$64.99 – $79.99	220+	7 days	See Offer
#4	$35 – $50	30+ – 130+	3 days	See Offer
#5	$6.99 – $13.99	N/A	None	See Offer
#6	$4.99 – $99.99	N/A	7 days	See Offer

There are a lot of ways to watch live TV on Android TV. This is not an exhaustive list, but it will cover the most effective ways to watch the most popular forms of live TV. Some of these services and techniques will have things in common, so let's explain what they are in general.

First up are live TV streaming services. These cable-like services offer the live network TV channels you know and love, from ABC and AMC to Velocity and the Weather Channel. We’re talking live TV, not just on-demand content. These are pay TV services, but they’re cheaper than cable and satellite, partly because they offer slimmed-down channel bundles without the 500 extra channels you don’t actually watch. You can watch these services on all sorts of devices, including Android TV devices. Live TV streaming services are the perfect way to watch live TV on Android TV.

Live TV streaming services aren’t the only way to watch live TV on Android TV devices. There are also single-channel options for CBS and HBO, as well as sports league streaming services. The key with sports league streaming services is that they (usually) black out the games that are on cable in your area, which means no nationally televised games, no playoffs, and no local teams. But if you live outside your favorite team’s home market, these services can be wonderful.

Let’s learn how to watch live TV on Android TV devices.

Philo is a skinny bundle with a twist: It purposefully omits most local channels and sports channels in order to keep its prices down. The strategy must work, because Philo’s prices are much lower than its competitors’. If you’re not a sports obsessive, you may want to consider Philo to watch live TV on Android TV.

Hulu + Live TV is, of course, Hulu’s take on the live TV streaming service. It’s also a perfect way to watch live TV on Android TV devices. We reviewed Hulu + Live TV and gave it high marks, but you don’t have to take our word for it — you can do your own evaluation of the service with a free trial.

Once solely focused on soccer, fuboTV has established itself as a source for all kinds of live TV networks and broadcasts — although it still bills itself as the ideal choice for sports-loving cord-cutters. fuboTV’s channel selection is quite robust, and the service makes a wonderful way to watch live TV on Android TV. Check out our review of fuboTV to learn more.

Sling TV puts you in charge of designing your own skinny bundle. Starting with one or both of its base packages, you can tack on your choice of as many “Extras” as you’d like. This allows you to build a cost-effective skinny bundle that asks you to pay only for channels you actually want to watch. We’re fans of Sling TV, and you can find out why by checking out our Sling TV review.

ESPN Plus does not offer a livestream of the ESPN cable and satellite network, but it does offer live TV. Certain sporting events and other sports-related broadcasts stream exclusively on ESPN Plus, which makes it a great livestreaming solution for sports fans.

Paramount Plus is one of the newest ways to watch live TV on Android TV. You’ll find channels such as CBS and CBS News under the app’s Live TV tab, but your ability to watch the former will depend on where you live. The service was known as CBS All Access until early 2021, when it was rebranded as Paramount Plus and more content from other channels was added.

YouTube TV

Android TV is Google’s streaming platform, and Google also has a skinny-bundle service of its own called YouTube TV. It’s a strong skinny-bundle option if you want to watch live TV on Android TV devices, and it offers a great selection of quality channels.

MLB.TV

MLB.TV is perhaps the best sports league streaming service. It’s a joy to use, and it offers quality livestreaming for all out-of-market regular-season games. For baseball fans, it’s among the best ways to watch live TV on Android TV. Just remember those pesky blackout rules.

NBA League Pass

The NBA’s league streaming service works similarly to platforms from other big sports leagues. The league’s extensive national broadcast deals make the in-market blackouts a bit more frustrating than they are with some competitors, but this is the only game in town for NBA fans.