The best TV streaming service with local channels is StelloTV. For $82.99 a month, it carries ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox, plus PBS and The CW, which most rivals skip. I tested every major live TV streaming service. I've used StelloTV for over a year in Miami, where I get WPLG (ABC), WPBT (PBS) and my local sports channels, with no contract. If it doesn't fit your budget, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV, Fubo and Sling TV are the best alternatives, depending on what you watch.
Our picks
Best overall for local channels: StelloTV, $82.99/month
Best bundle (Disney+, Hulu and ESPN): Hulu + Live TV, $100/month
Most cable-like experience: DirecTV, from $90/month
Best for sports and regional sports networks: Fubo, from $89/month
Best budget pick with some locals: Sling TV, from $46/month
Cheapest, but no local channels: Philo, $25/month
Local channels on every service depend on your ZIP code. Before you pay, check your ZIP and use the free trial. I explain how below.
What's the best TV streaming service with local channels overall?
StelloTV gave me the most complete set of local channels of any service I tested. That includes PBS and The CW, the two networks most often missing elsewhere. In Miami I get ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS, PBS Kids and The CW. On the sports side I get ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, ACC Network, FS1, FS2 and CBS Sports Network.
Your stations follow your ZIP code. In Miami, my ABC station is WPLG. Someone in Orlando gets WFTV instead. PBS works the same way: WPBT in Miami, WEDU in Tampa and St. Petersburg, WUCF in Orlando. When I tested Sling TV, Fubo and DirecTV in my Florida ZIP, none of them carried my live local PBS station.
Hulu + Live TV is my runner-up. It carries all four major networks in most markets and PBS in many. It also includes Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Select, which makes it a better value if you already pay for those.
Best TV streaming services with local channels of 2026
1. StelloTV: best overall for local channels
Price: $82.99/month
Local channels: ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS and The CW, by ZIP code
Total channels: 100+
Simultaneous streams: 3
Cloud DVR: Unlimited, recordings kept 9 months
Pros
The most complete local lineup I found, including PBS and The CW
Strong sports coverage: ESPN networks, ACC Network, FS1, FS2 and CBS Sports Network
No contract, and it works on your phone, smart TV and Fire Stick
No buffering or lag on a solid internet connection
Cons
Not cheap. I'd like to see the price come down a little.
"Unlimited" DVR recordings are erased after 9 months
4K costs extra
My take: I've paid for StelloTV for over a year and still use it. I watch on three screens: my phone, the living-room smart TV and a Fire Stick in the bedroom. The DVR limit is my main frustration. I've gone back for a show to share with a friend and found it erased. For local channels, though, nothing I tested came close.
2. Hulu + Live TV: best bundle
Price: $100/month with ads, $110 ad-free
Local channels: ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in most markets; PBS in many markets
Total channels: 95+
Simultaneous streams: 2 (unlimited for an extra fee)
Cloud DVR: Unlimited
Pros
Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Select included
Huge on-demand library on top of live TV
Unlimited DVR
Cons
The highest base price on this list
Only two screens at once without paying more
My take: If you already pay for Disney+ or Hulu, this is the one I'd choose after StelloTV. You get the major local networks in most markets and the bundle covers a lot of what you'd otherwise pay for separately.
3. DirecTV: most cable-like experience
Price: From $90/month (about $100 if you lease the Gemini box)
Local channels: ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox affiliates, plus regional sports networks on higher tiers
Total channels: 90+
Simultaneous streams: Unlimited at home, 3 away from home
Cloud DVR: Unlimited
Pros
Channel flipping that feels like a traditional cable box
Strong regional sports coverage on the Choice plan and up
Lower-priced Genre Packs if you want fewer channels
Cons
Gets expensive once fees are added
No live PBS and limited CW coverage in my Florida ZIP code
My take: Pick DirecTV if you want streaming that feels like cable. Check your ZIP first if PBS or The CW matter to you.
4. Fubo: best for sports
Price: From $89/month, plus a regional sports fee in some areas
Local channels: ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in most markets
Total channels: 150+
Simultaneous streams: 10 at home
Cloud DVR: Unlimited
Pros
The deepest sports lineup, including regional sports networks
Plenty of screens for a big household
Cons
No Turner networks: CNN, TNT and TBS are missing
No live PBS, and limited CW coverage in some Florida ZIP codes
The regional sports fee raises the real price
My take: If your local team's regional sports network is a must, Fubo is the pick. If you mostly care about local news and network shows, StelloTV costs less.
5. Sling TV: best budget pick with some locals
Price: From $46/month (Orange or Blue)
Local channels: Sling Blue only, with Fox and NBC in select markets and ABC in a few cities. No CBS.
Total channels: 34+
Simultaneous streams: 1 on Orange, 3 on Blue
Cloud DVR: 50 hours (unlimited for $5/month)
Pros
The cheapest service that carries any local channels
Flexible add-ons and day passes
Optional AirTV 2 tuner adds antenna channels
Cons
No CBS, PBS or The CW
No ABC anywhere in my Florida testing, and Fox and NBC only in the bigger metros
Small DVR unless you pay extra
My take: Sling works if you add an antenna for your missing locals. On its own, it isn't a full local-channel solution.
6. Philo: cheapest, but no local channels
Price: $25/month, or $33 with HBO Max and AMC+
Local channels: None. No ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS or CW.
Total channels: 70+
Simultaneous streams: 3
Cloud DVR: Unlimited
My take: Philo is for lifestyle and reality TV fans, not local-channel viewers. Pair it with an antenna if you choose it.
How I tested live TV streaming services
I tested all six services from the same Miami ZIP code, so the local results compare like for like. I ranked them on these criteria:
Local channels: Which of ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS and The CW actually appeared for my ZIP
Sports: National sports networks plus local and regional sports channels
Value: Monthly price against channel count and what's included
Features: Cloud DVR limits, simultaneous streams and picture quality
Reliability: Whether live news and games buffered, lagged or blacked out
StelloTV then got the long-term test. I've used it daily for over a year on a phone, a smart TV and an Amazon Fire Stick.
Live TV streaming services with local channels compared
StelloTV is the only service here that carried all six local networks in my testing.
Service | Price per month | ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox | PBS | The CW | Streams at once | Cloud DVR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
StelloTV | $82.99 | All four | Yes | Yes | 3 | Unlimited (kept 9 months) |
Hulu + Live TV | $100 | All four in most markets | Many markets | Varies by market | 2 | Unlimited |
DirecTV | From $90 | All four | Not in my Miami ZIP | Limited in some Florida ZIPs | Unlimited at home, 3 away | Unlimited |
Fubo | From $89 | All four in most markets | No | Limited in some Florida ZIPs | 10 at home | Unlimited |
Sling TV | From $46 | Blue only: Fox, NBC, some ABC; no CBS | No | No | 1 (Orange), 3 (Blue) | 50 hours |
Philo | $25 | None | No | No | 3 | Unlimited |
Prices are base prices before taxes, regional sports fees and add-ons, as of November 2026.
How to choose a streaming service with local channels
The right service is the one that carries your local stations at your address. Here's the routine I use before paying for any service:
Enter your ZIP code on the service's website. Every major live TV service has a lookup page that lists the local stations available in your area.
Start the free trial and flip through every local channel. Check that ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox actually play live, not just that they're listed.
Check PBS and The CW if you watch them. These are the networks most often missing, and coverage changes from city to city.
Check your sports. Make sure the national sports networks and your team's regional sports network are included at the price you're paying.
Test your internet. A stable connection on every device is what keeps live TV from buffering.
Also check DVR limits and how many people in your home will watch at the same time. A household with three TVs needs at least three simultaneous streams.
Streaming vs. cable: what I pay now
Switching from cable to StelloTV saved me a little money, but flexibility is the real gain. I was paying around $150 a month for cable alone, without internet. With StelloTV and my add-ons, I now pay a little under $150.
The savings were small. What changed was everything else. With cable I was locked into a fixed contract and tied to specific devices in one home. I couldn't watch on my phone or when I travelled. StelloTV has no contract, and it works on any of my devices wherever I am.
Should you get rid of cable? If you want your local channels without a contract, yes. Just add up the full cost first. You still need home internet, and once you add sports packages, streaming isn't always much cheaper than cable. For me, the benefits outweigh the cost.
Can you get local channels for free?
You can get some local channels for free, but in my experience you won't get the full lineup. When I tried free options, I usually ended up with one or two of the channels I wanted, not all of them. That's why I'd rather pay. As I see it, if something is free, you're the product.
Your free options are:
An indoor antenna. If your TV has a built-in tuner, an antenna that costs around $20 picks up over-the-air broadcasts from local stations in range. What you get depends on your distance from the towers.
Free ad-supported apps. Pluto TV, Tubi, The Roku Channel and Samsung TV Plus offer free live channels, including national news feeds. They don't replace your full local stations.
If you're on a tight budget, the best compromise is an antenna for local channels plus a cheaper service like Sling TV or Philo for cable channels.
FAQs
What streaming services offer ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox?
StelloTV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV and Fubo carry all four networks in most US markets. Sling TV's Blue plan has Fox and NBC, plus ABC in a few cities, but no CBS. Philo carries none of them.
What is the cheapest streaming service that has Fox News?
Sling TV's Blue plan, from $46 a month, is the cheapest major live TV service that includes Fox News.
Can you get ABC, NBC and CBS on Peacock?
Peacock's Premium Plus plan, at $20 a month, includes your local NBC station live. It doesn't stream ABC or CBS live. For CBS, Paramount+ Premium, at $14 a month, includes your local CBS station.
Is ABC free on Amazon Prime?
No. Prime Video doesn't stream your local ABC station. To watch ABC live, you need an antenna or a live TV service like StelloTV.
Can you get ABC, CBS and NBC with a Fire Stick?
Yes. Install a live TV app like StelloTV, Hulu + Live TV or DirecTV on the Fire Stick and sign in. That's how I watch my Miami locals on the TV in my bedroom.
Why won't my Roku TV pick up local channels?
A Roku TV only picks up free local channels if an antenna is connected and you've run a channel scan from the Live TV input. If you have no antenna, local channels only come through a paid live TV app. If the scan finds few channels, try moving the antenna closer to a window.
Can you bundle streaming services?
Yes. Hulu + Live TV includes Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Select in one price. DirecTV plans also include Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Unlimited.
Should I get rid of my cable TV?
If you want your local channels without a contract, yes. Check your ZIP code, start a free trial and compare the total with your current cable bill, including internet.
Written by
Dana Reyes
Dana has spent six years untangling streaming hardware, from set-top boxes to the router behind them. She writes the setup guides she wishes she had.
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