8 free live smart TV channels: Ranked

Especially with the 24-hour news cycle and social media, content is constant. There is new media everywhere you look, or at least something that someone will want to film that will get turned into content. Regardless of what you think about our society’s media consumption and creation, there’s no denying that it’s easily accessible. So why are you paying for content when you can get it for free? All you need is a smart TV or a smart streaming device, and you can get millions of titles without spending a cent.

Smart TV channels provide the chance to watch your favorite shows and movies without cable. If you don’t care about watching the most current shows or streaming every single live event out there, a free smart TV channel will do the trick. These often have live shows that you can stream while you’re there for free. This adds a whole new dimension to the content you can get from the comfort of your home.

There are many different streaming services and many different free live TV channels for you to choose from. Luckily, these are all free and cater different content to different viewers. I’ve ranked my top eight free live smart TV channels so you can see what each offers and which one is best for you. They make the content-rich world a little bit more enjoyable, because who doesn’t love free stuff?

How I ranked the top live TV channels

8 Vevo

Good for those that like music

Vevo Music Videos

Originals

Yes

Live TV

Yes

Price

Free

Library

Filled with specialty playlists, new releases, short films, live sessions, and more

Vevo is a platform that caters music content for streamers. Known mostly for its music videos, Vevo has a guide-like setup that offers you the ability to watch live TV streams from its app. You can click on the different live channels that Vevo offers, including Vevo Pop, Vevo Country, Vevo Rock, and more.

These may be showing music documentaries or live shows that the channel offers. But Vevo also allows you to browse specific genres and play music videos on a loop, which you can put on at a party and keep it running while your guests are dancing. It is a good place for music lovers, but it doesn’t offer much more than that.

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7 NewsOn

Watch news at home

NewsOn

notable shows

NBC Nightly News , ABC News Nightline

Originals

No

Live TV

Yes

Price

Free

Library

Local and national news, as well as breaking news 

NewsOn gives you local and national news right at your fingertips for free when you download the app to your streaming device. This allows you to get a look at what’s going on in your area as well as nationally. It uses your location to bring you local news channels’ live feeds. But you can also choose national news, especially the breaking news channel.

This is a great way to stay up to date on what is happening in the world. There’s a mix of live and on-demand content for you to choose from. But this is all that the live TV channel offers you. If you’re a news junkie, it’s nice to have as a part of your lineup.

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6 CNN

Some for free, others cost

CNN

notable shows

Anderson Cooper 360° , The Situation Room

Originals

Yes

Live TV

Yes

Price

Free for some channels

Free trial

Yes

Speaking of news, you can stay up with what’s going on in the world with CNN’s live TV channel app. You can jump in with a subscription either to the app itself or with your cable subscription and watch unlimited amounts of CNN. There is also the option to watch CNN Headlines, which cycles through the biggest stories in the world. It is totally free and gives in-depth stories as well as breaking news coverage. CNN’s app also has an on-demand library that you’re able to enjoy if you have a subscription. For a global news follower, it’s a smart addition.

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5 Xumo Play

Over 300 live networks

Xumo Play

notable shows

Chicago Fire , Portlandia , The Rockford Files

notable movies

Ip Man , Nymphomaniac Volume I , The Craft

Originals

Yes

Live TV

Over 190 channels

Price

Free

Xumo Play is an app that offers free movies and TV series as well as live TV. You’re able to get a lot of sports content, thanks to partnerships with CBS Sports Network, World Poker Tour, and NBC Sports Network. From The Dan Patrick Show simulcast live during the day to billiards on demand, there’s a lot to watch. Plus, there’s a huge library of free movies and TV series, as well as Xumo Originals.

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It says there are over 300 live networks to choose from, but not all of them are available in the guide. You need to work through a clunky interface to find the networks that you can watch live. What is nice about Xumo is that you’re able to watch live TV while you’re searching though.

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4 Sling Freestream

Bring it with you

Sling TV / Pocket-lint

Sling TV

notable shows

South Park , Deal or No Deal (2005) , Baywatch (1989)

notable movies

The Babadook , It Happened One Night , Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Originals

No

Live TV

500+ channels

Price

Free

A huge perk of Sling Freestream is that there is a free version compared to the paid subscription. Sling TV gives you an abundance of content for only $40, as you’ll get up to 50 channels for that price. You can also add on a ton of sports coverage for more, giving you the ability to cancel cable but pay for what you actually want. It offers Sling Freestream as a free live smart TV channel that has over 200 channels to watch.

There is a huge library of different genres, including mystery, action, game shows, news, drama, comedy, and more. You’ll know a lot of the channels, such as The Walking Dead Universe, Forensic Files, and Hell’s Kitchen, as they are specific channels based on TV series that are a part of many different cable packages. While it doesn’t offer any original programming, you can download your favorite shows or tune in live on the Sling TV phone app.

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3 Pluto TV

Humans pick your shows

Pluto TV

pluto tv

notable shows

The Andy Griffith Show , Sanford and Son , The Twilight Zone , Charmed

notable movies

Top Gun , Trading Places , Mission Impossible , Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark

Premium Subscription

No

Originals

No

Live TV

250+ channels

If you’re looking for a lineup that is very similar to a cable subscription, look no further than Pluto TV. Pluto TV sets itself apart from other streaming services with its grid-like view but also the fact that its content is hand-picked by humans, not algorithms. But with human programming comes curated content in the form of top highlights and clips from the likes of CNN and Fox Sports rather than an actual live broadcast.

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The large cable guide gives you the ability to watch many live channels, but probably not the ones you care much about. Options include shows from Nickelodeon, MTV, and more Viacom-owned properties, as Pluto TV is also owned by Viacom. It is available on Android and iOS as well as on your smart TV. The on-demand library is filled with shows that are a bit older than what you may be looking for. But Pluto TV does offer a ton of content, as well as live channels, for any user.

2 Freevee

Amazon runs it now

Amazon Freevee

notable shows

Jury Duty , Bosch: Legacy , Judy Justice , Lost , The X-Files

notable movies

Sing 2 , EXmas , Stillwater , Old , Last Night in Soho

Premium Subscription

No

Originals

Yes

Live TV

400+ channels

You may think that, because Freevee is owned by Amazon, that it only works with a Fire TV Stick 4K but you’d be wrong. Freevee is available to download for free and is separate from Amazon’s programming. You can get some of the content that’s available through Prime Video on Freevee but not all of it. There are movies and TV series, as well as live channels such as Murder, She Wrote, How It’s Made, and Prime Video favorites like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

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Freevee has a large array of movies and shows, including its own Freevee originals. It has arguably the best selection of older and newer shows and movies, meaning there is something for everyone. The interface is similar to Prime Video, so if you’ve used that, you’ll be used to this. But that isn’t necessarily a good thing, as it can force you to scroll through meaningless category after meaningless category to find what you’re looking for.

1 The Roku Channel

Customizable interface

The Roku Channel

notable shows

2 Broke Girls , Billions , Mary & George

Originals

No

Live TV

Yes

Price

Free

The Roku Channel, similar to Freevee, is available on all kinds of devices, not just the one bearing its name. It offers films, TV series, and live TV channels for free, as well as limited content from premium channels. There are a ton of categories for you to filter by, such as Comedies and Horror to Saturday Night Live-related content and more. While The Roku Channel doesn’t offer original content, it does offer a robust Kids & Family section as well.

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What sets The Roku Channel apart is the ability to customize the live TV grid. If you see a channel that you are particularly fond of, such as the Duck Dynasty channel, you can star it and create your own feed. This allows you to easily go to your most frequented channels without any hassle. There is also a breakdown of new shows and movies that have recently been uploaded to the service, giving you the newest content easily. The Roku Channel does have plenty of content that might not interest you, but it offers plenty that will.

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