9 Ways On How To Watch TV Without Cable Or Satellite

Emily Morgan

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how to get local channels without cable

All of us know that the Internet and social media platforms such as Facebook and TikTok, among others, are becoming very popular nowadays. Depending on your age, you could be spending anything between half an hour to a full three hours on Facebook and social media and possibly an equal time doing other tasks on Facebook, such as watching YouTube or working.

Most people of all ages access the Internet through their mobile and a computer both at home and the office or college. 

Also, as you would know, all of us have only 24 hours in a day. Therefore, the time that we spend on the Internet and social media would have to be taken away from somewhere to fit into our schedules. 

As a matter of fact, most people in the USA take away the time they would spend on cable TV or satellite TV and instead utilize it for online activities such as watching YouTube, browsing their social media accounts, and other stuff such as online shopping. Obviously, you would be using the Internet for work or studies as well.

This means the cable TV or satellite TV connection at home would most likely be useless or serve only a limited purpose. After all, TV channels don’t really telecast anything that you would love to really watch.

Cord Cutting Trends in the USA

Therefore, to cut costs on household expenses, a lot of families and individuals are nowadays doing something known commonly across America as ‘cutting the cord’. In simpler words, the term cutting the cord means disconnecting your cable TV or satellite TV connection.

Reports from various sources clearly stated that by the end of 2022, cable TV and paid satellite TV had lost an estimated 4.9 million subscribers. This means the number of persons that cut the cord or disconnected from cable TV and satellite TV could be nearly 21 percent of the American population.

how to watch local channels

Some 77 percent of cord-cutters said they cut their cable TV and satellite TV connections because of the high costs of subscriptions. According to US News, on average, an American household spends $217.42 per month on cable TV subscriptions, based on 2021 statistics.

Understandably, you could be spending more or lesser, depending on the channel bundles included in your subscription. This figure of $217.42 adds up to $2,610.9 for a year, which is higher than the monthly earnings of a minimum wage worker in the USA.

Nine Ways to Stream Local Channels Without Cable for Free

Obviously, this amount is fairly large and attractive enough for anyone to cut the cord. However, cutting the cord doesn’t really mean that you have lost your source of entertainment on TV. As a matter of fact, you can get a lot of channels on TV for free.

If you’re wondering how to watch local TV channels free without cable TV or satellite TV, continue reading. In this article, I will teach you about nine excellent ways to watch local TV channels for free.

Here are some of the best ways.

1. Facebook

Faacebook

Maybe you’re unaware that most major TV channels, especially those providing news such as CNN, have a separate channel on Facebook too. This means you can simply watch your local and national news on Facebook. In fact, you will find countless channels from your place as well as the USA and other parts of the world in different languages as well as English, on your Facebook page.

This is because Facebook has nearly three billion users worldwide. No news channel or TV station that wants to stay on the air can afford to neglect such large numbers. A majority of TV channels in the world generate money for their activities through advertising. Therefore, when a channel offers its videos on Facebook, they’re actually looking at driving the number of its followers upward to attract more advertisers.

If you’re connected on Facebook, simply click on the TV icon on your Facebook page. You will see a menu that asks you to select the channels of your choice. Additionally, there would also be a few channels that are free, and you can view them immediately. All you require is to click on the ‘Like’ icon of that TV channel. You will get notifications whenever they have a new video online. Some channels also stream live.

Also Read: 10 Legal Ways to Get Free Internet / WiFi Service at Home

2. YouTube

YouTube

Close on the heels of Facebook is another amazing resource that you would definitely know. That’s YouTube. In fact, by mid-2022, YouTube had some 2.6 billion users worldwide. This makes it the single largest platform in the world for watching free videos. Of course, there’s also YouTube Premium that you can subscribe to for a small fee every month.

The majority of large news channels, local channels, national channels, and large TV networks also upload their programs and shows on YouTube. The purpose of these videos on YouTube channels is to get more viewers and also serve the public.

The YouTube free channel of CNN network has some 14 million subscribers, CBS News has 6.84 million subscribers, entertainment provider Netflix has 23.9 million subscribers, and ESPN has 8.25 million subscribers.

These figures clearly prove that you can watch a lot of stuff for free on YouTube as well. If you miss a show, you might find it later on YouTube, uploaded by that channel.

Also Read: How to Watch ESPN Without Cable 

3. HD TV Antenna

HD TV Antenna

You can buy a superb High Definition or HD antenna starting from only $19 from a local store or online from Amazon, among others. The quality and features of the antenna as well as the costs will differ according to where you live. That’s because a simple and inexpensive antenna will work fine if you live in an area nearer cities where TV signals are stronger, and a large but expensive antenna if these signals are weak.

Most TV channels that are seen on cable TV and satellite TV also telecast their programs free on air. This means anyone equipped with an HD antenna connected to a TV can receive and watch these channels for free.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) offers free guidance on how to tune your HDTV antenna and set it up to get the maximum number of free TV channels. In fact, most households that have cut the cord use these HD TV antennas for watching free TV without cable and satellite connections.

4. Channel Apps

apps for local tv

You can find a lot of apps on Google Play and Apple Store that actually come from TV networks as well as independent operators such as USA TV, USA Live TV, and World TV, among others. Some of these apps will provide you with free TV channels only from their own networks, while others carry free TV channels that are available in the USA and elsewhere in the world.

These apps can actually put hundreds of interesting programs from a variety of TV channels at your fingertips. All you need to do is find which app offers your favorite shows for free and download it to watch.

The only drawback with this system of watching TV channels without satellite and cable is that you would need several apps. This could become a problem if your smartphone doesn’t have enough storage space for the apps.

5. Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video

At the time of writing this article, Amazon Prime has some 76.6 million subscribers in the USA. Most Americans that subscribe to Amazon Prime are aware of the excellent programs and shows available on Prime Video. In fact, Prime Video and Prime Music are two of the greatest attractions for Americans to go for an Amazon Prime membership.

You can get a lot of news and entertainment channels for free and a few at very cheap rates on Prime Video. Actually, some of these programs are superb, and you might not easily get them elsewhere.

Therefore, if you are planning to cut the cord and get free local TV without satellite or cable, try Amazon Prime and download the Prime Video app. Amazon allows nine persons to connect with a single Prime subscription.

6. Samsung TV Plus

Samsung TV Plus

If you own a Samsung Galaxy brand smartphone or a Samsung TV, it is possible to get some superb channels such as ABC News Live, Stories by AMC, Pac-12 Insider, and ACC Digital Network, among others, for absolutely free. All you require is the Samsung TV Plus app.

They offer more than 4,000 TV channels absolutely free. These channels and shows are the same that you would be otherwise paying for a cable TV subscription. The only glitch with this system of getting local TV channels without cable TV or satellite TV is that Samsung TV Plus works only with Samsung brand gadgets.

7. Netflix

Netflix

Without a doubt, Netflix ranks as the topmost streaming TV network in the world, available over the Internet. Possibly, you’re surprised to see me rank Netflix at No-7 on my list. There’s a strong reason why I am writing about Netflix so late in this article.

Netflix doesn’t come free in any manner. You have three monthly subscription choices- Basic, which costs $9.99 per month, Standard, at $15.49 per month; and Premium, at $19.99 per month. You also have the option of watching movies of your choice by paying some extra fees.

The other resources to watch TV without cable TV or satellite TV are almost free, except Prime Video. However, Prime Video comes with a bundle such as Prime Music and Amazon Prime free deliveries, priority shopping, and other benefits. In comparison, Netflix is expensive. You can watch close to five thousand local and other TV channels over Netflix.

Also Read: Legit Free Movie Websites Online

8. Mobile Phone Plans

Mobile Phone Plans

Just in case you’re unaware, there are several mobile phone plans in the USA that provide you with free subscriptions to streaming TV services. For example, T-Mobile has an agreement with Netflix. If you take the T-Mobile Magenta Plan, you can get a free Netflix basic plan on your smartphone for free.

Similarly, when you take the Unlimited Plan of Sprint Mobile, you can get Hulu and Tidal streaming subscriptions for free. The Unlimited Plan of Verizon Wireless mobile service entitles you to free subscriptions to the Disney network, AMC, and Discovery Plus. A&T has deals with HBO. Therefore, check whether you have these free subscriptions or upgrade your mobile connection plans to get these channels for free.

9. Amazon Firestick

Amazon Firestick

Amazon Firestick is yet another superb way to get free TV channels. You can get some of the topmost channels, such as Tubi, The Roku Channel, Fire TV, and a lot more, by simply buying an Amazon Firestick. This gadget requires an active Internet connection to work.

You can buy a new firestick with prices starting from $59.99 onwards. This is a one-off cost of Firestick gadget with a few accessories and free TV channels. You will, however, have to pay for any premium channels that come from various apps available on Firestick.

Connecting Computer and Phone to TV

Understandably, you might feel it's no fun to watch TV with family on a mobile phone or computer. You would still want that time with your family together watching some favorite show.

This is nothing to worry about. If your TV set isn’t so old, you can use an HDMI adapter to connect your smartphone or computer to your TV. HDMI connectors and other related stuff cost less than $20 on online stores such as Amazon or Radio Shack. This is only a one-off expense but could save you a lot of money that you would otherwise spend on cable TV and satellite TV packages.

In Conclusion

The trend of cutting the cord is growing across the USA. It is expected that by the year 2025, there will only be a very small number of subscribers connected to cable TV and satellite TV. And most of these subscribers would be persons above the age of 70. Trends clearly indicate that younger Americans prefer online streaming TV services instead of cable TV and satellite TV. Therefore, if you are seriously considering cutting the cord, look at these options to watch local TV without cable TV or satellite TV. It could help you save some money.

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