Up until the last 10 to 20 years, cable was required to watch any type of show, including NBC Online. With technological advancements and an influx of streaming services now available to anyone who wants to watch their favorite shows, cable is becoming less of a necessity as it was before. If you enjoy watching NBC Online, but do not have cable, you can still stay up-to-date with your news and TV shows by watching NBC Online without cable.
Thankfully streaming services have enabled several ways to access NBC Online. Each streaming method has unique requirements, however, so read on to find out which one is the best for you.
Streaming services to watch NBC … compared
| Sling Blue TV | fuboTV | Hulu with Live TV | YouTube TV | |
| Base Price per month | $35 | $64.99 | $64.99 | $64.99 |
| Free Trial | 3 days | 7 days | 7 days | 7 days |
| # of Channels | 45+ | 120 | 65 | 85+ |
| DVR Storage | 50 hours free | 250 hours | 50 hours | Unlimited cloud DVR storage |
Our recommendation
After comparing the top streaming services for streaming NBC Online, the best recommended streaming service is Hulu with Live TV. Hulu offers the most with the best budget. Users can expect to pay $64.99 which is the same price as fuboTV, DirecTV, and YouTube TV, while offering the same 7-day free trial. When it comes to the number of channels, Hulu offers more than 120 channels, however, subscribers can watch live sports, breaking news, dramas, and thousands of shows in the Hulu streaming library.
With Hulu, you can download the app to live stream whenever you want, wherever you are. Hulu also offers thousands of on-demand movies and shows like CNN, ESPN, Discovery, and Lifetime but you can add over 120 select tv shows to your package.
Watch NBC Online and Enjoy On-Demand Shows with Hulu Live
60+ channels to watch live, and a massive on-demand library
Hulu Live is one of the streaming plans from Hulu that enables subscribers to pay less for TV. As one of the top streaming services, Hulu Live features over 65 live channels and the entire Hulu streaming library which includes popular channels like NBC, CBS, abc, Disney, FX, Lifetime, CNBC, and more. Hulu also features a no-hassle set-up and no hidden fees according to its website.
The best thing about Hulu Live, apart from the fact that it offers so many tv shows and on-demand and live shows, is that subscribers can add-on to their service for more. Hulu offers affordable bundling options. For example, subscribers can add Disney Plus and ESPN for a total of $72.99 per month.
Most online streaming services offer coverage of local channels like NBC and FOX. However, they are offered in select areas only. Hulu Live is no different – but thankfully, it offers the most coverage of any online streaming service. NBC is currently offered in more than 145 markets, which will cover the vast majority of our readers.
If you want to save something and watch it later, you’ll have a cloud-DVR at your disposal. 50-hours is available to start, but if you want more space, an upgrade offers 200-hours. You can stream on Roku, mobile devices, Chromecast, Apple TV, gaming consoles, Amazon Fire TV, and other devices. Remember, Hulu Live is contract-free, so if you want to cancel, you can do it without hassle, at any time.
What else is Hulu Live good for?
With Hulu Live, you can stream up to two simultaneous screens. Hulu Live is also good for accessing live news from channels including FOX News, CNN, and MSNCB, and local news channels, and live sports. The streaming service also offers add-ons to premium channels like Cinemax, HBO Max, Showtime, STARZ, and more. Subscribers can also add-on Spanish channels for an additional $5 a month. Lastly, 50 hours of cloud DVR storage is available for free with the base subscription. Subscribers can add on an additional 200 hours of cloud DVR storage for an extra $10 per month.
Hulu Live TV Highlights:
- Hulu Live’s base price is $64.99 per month.
- You get over 66 channels to watch live
- 50 hours of DVR storage
- On-demand library
Sports Fans can Stream NBC Live with fuboTV
Get the largest selection of sports channels with fuboTV
FuboTV is the only streaming service focused on live sports TV. It streams service with top leagues and teams and from top streaming shows like NBC so that sports fan will never miss a live game. Additionally, streaming services offer popular shows, movies, and news for the entire family.
fuboTV is a dream-come-true for sports fans: 80+ great channels, covering mostly local, regional and international sports! It’s definitely sports-focused, but the service also offers a variety of news and entertainment channels, including FOX News, FX, AMC and more. The service currently offers NBC streaming in around 80 US markets, so it’s a good choice for NBC streaming in covered markets.
The bulk of fuboTV’s 85+ channels are sports networks. Key networks like FS1, FS2, NBCSN, NBA TV, NFL Network and more are all included nationwide. And, depending on where you live, you may also get FOX Sports and NBC Sports regional networks, CBS, FOX, NBC and more. fuboTV is available for $64.99 per month.
What else is FuboTV good for?
Along with a wide variety of channels and its focus on sports, FuboTV offers a massive cloud storage. FuboTV is great for DVR Storage as it offers 250 hours of DVR storage with its base plan. Additionally subscribers can stream on three devices simultaneously.
FuboTV Highlights:
- FuboTV’s base price is $64.99 per month.
- You get over 120 channels to watch live
- 200 hours of DVR storage
- FuboTV is available on-demand on every app and platform and features an on-demand library.
Watch NBC Shows Online on the Cheap with Sling TV
An ultra-affordable option for online streaming
Sling TV is an american streaming service. It is a subsidiary of Dish Network but operates as Sling TV. Sling TV allows subscribers to watch live TV from anywhere as long as you have a mobile or streaming device. For Sling Blue TV, which offers NBC, prices are just $35 a month.
Sling TV is an affordable streaming service from Dish Network. It lets you watch live TV from home or on the go, on all your favorite devices. In many markets, live local channels like NBC and FOX are offered as part of the Sling Blue package. Prices start at just $30 a month! Currently, Sling TV’s coverage of NBC streaming is fairly limited, with only 11 markets covered. Covered areas include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Washington DC, San Francisco, Boston and Miami. If you don’t live in one of these areas, you’ll want to choose a different service.
With Sling TV, you can subscribe for as little as $30 a month. That will get you either Sling Orange or Sling Blue, which offer 30+ and 40+ channels, respectively. Or you can get both packages for $45 per month. Then there are tons of add-ons available, giving you an a la carte choice of channels.
What else is Sling TV good for?
Sling is one of the top alternatives for cable TV which features live sports, news, popular shows and movies, and the ability to add-on premium features like Showtime. Sling TV offers affordable prices and customizable plans. Additionally, subscribers can download 50 hours with its DVR storage.
Sling TV Highlights:
- Prices from $30 a month
- No contract or commitment
- Many add-on packages available, allowing you to expand your selection as you want
- Coverage of local networks like NBC is limited to a very small number of areas
- Unless you live in one of the covered markets, this is not the top choice for NBC streaming
- There are tons of on-demand content, as well as a cloud DVR
YouTube TV Offers NBC Streaming Live in 90+ Markets
YouTube TV is growing quick with over 70+ channels
YouTube TV is part of YouTube and a subsidiary of Google. It is an American streaming service that offers live TV, on demand video, and cloud-based DVR. It features over 85 television networks and allows subscribers to watch live shows from major broadcast and cable network including NBC.
YouTube TV is a new live streaming service from Google. It’s growing quickly and is now available in a lot of areas. The service bundles 70+ channels for live streaming, with prices from $50 a month. NBC streaming is currently available via YouTube TV in 90+ different markets, covering the vast majority of major metropolitan areas
YouTube TV has been slowly rolling out to new markets over the last year or so, with the goal of offering coverage nationwide, and it’s now available in a lot of places. Instead of releasing a limited version nationwide, Google chose to wait until at least 3/4 of the major broadcast networks were available before launching in a particular market. So, if YouTube TV is available in your area (check here), there’s a good chance you can get the NBC live stream in your area, too.
What else is YouTube TV good for?
YouTube TV is also good for sharing service with up to six users simultaneously. It also offers unlimited cloud DVR storage. Subscribers can view YouTube TV on Android and iOS devices, Google Chromecast, and by Apple AirPlay. Because of YouTube’s popularity, it is also compatible with Roku, Apple TV, Xbox One, and many other smart softwares.
YouTube TV Highlights:
- $50 per month – no contract, no hidden fees
- A decent selection of channels (70+ in total), covering news, entertainment, sports and more
- Works on most devices, including Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, iOS, Android and more
- Unlimited cloud-based DVR
- Won’t work with Amazon Fire TV devices
- Try YouTube TV free for 7 days
For more info, read through our YouTube TV review. You can get started with a free 7-day trial.
Is NBC Available On-Demand?
If you enjoy on-demand and find no need for a live service, Hulu and Netflix may be the best option for you. NBC is available on-demand on both Hulu and Netflix. However, if you are interested in live streaming, Hulu Live may be the best option for you as it includes both live and on-demand stream of NBC, in addition to full access of Hulu’s impressive on-demand library.
Watch NBC Streaming Free with a Digital Antenna
You may not need cable or a streaming service to watch NBC. If you live within a broadcasting range and NBC is offered to you locally, you may be able to watch NBC shows for free by using an antenna. The only item you will need is a high-quality digital antenna. However, before you purchase one, check TVFool.com to see what your local stations are and what type of antenna would be best for you.
Some of the top recommendations for antennas include the following:
- Indoor Antenna (City Use) –Mohu Leaf 30
- Indoor Antenna (Long Range)–ClearStream Indoor/Outdoor Antenna w/ 70 mile range
- Outdoor Antenna (Max Range) –Winegard Platinum Series Long Range Outdoor Antenna
What Shows & Events Air on NBC?
NBC ranks as the 32nd most popular TV network and as the 13th most famous according to YouGov’s ratings. As home to some of the best original TV programs like the Today Show, NBC Nightly News, Weekend Today, and live coverage of many events and news, NBC covers some of the top shows. Additionally subscribers can have access to all of the trending shows like The Voice, The Tonight Show, This is Us, and more.
Other highlights include:
- Live sports, including Sunday Night Football, NHL regular season games, and even The Olympics!
- Great TV shows, including America’s Got Talent, Saturday Night Live, The Today Show and more!
- Special events, live news, and much, much more!
The final cut
If you’re looking to cut the cable, but to continue watching your favorite TV shows on-demand and live, then streaming service may be the best option for you. With all of the different types of streaming out there today, we’ve come with a list of the top streaming services that offer premium channels like NBC. Sling Blue, fuboTV, YouTube TV, Hulu Live, and DirecTV are some of the top streaming services where subscribers will get the most for your buck.
While most of the major streaming services are similar in many ways, Hulu Live is our recommended choice for streaming. By paying $64.99 per month, users will have access to over 120 channels and the entire Hulu on-demand library on the go. However, if you only are looking for a service that will provide NBC and don’t need all of the extras that come with streaming packages, you can check to see if NBC is offered as a local TV channel. Once you have identified whether NBC is in your local access, you can buy an antenna to watch NBC for free.