How To Watch CBS Without Cable

With shows like NCIS, Young Sheldon, and SEAL Team, many want to watch CBS without subscribing to cable TV. This article will guide you through three ways to watch CBS for free and also provide five options for watch CBS through a streaming service that is much more affordable than your cable TV subscription.

How To Watch CBS for Free

Before we look at the pay services that carry CBS in their channel lineup, let’s look at three free options to watch CBS without cable.

Locast

Locast streams the local CBS networks live in over 50% of households in the United States, and it is 100% free. You can even watch Locast using a streaming device. Locast supports Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and Android TV.

While Locast is technically free, the service does interrupt its broadcast every 15 minutes or so to ask for a donation of $5. If you decide to donate, then the message is removed, and you can watch without solicitation from Locast for donations. Please, note that the service also subject to a pending lawsuit from the major broadcast networks, so while the service is currently legal, it is unknown how long that status will last.

Locast is available in the following 34 TV markets:

• Atlanta, GA
• Baltimore, MD
• Boston, MA
• Charlotte, NC
• Cleveland, OH
• Chicago, IL
• Columbus, OH
• Dallas, TX
• Denver, CO
• Detroit, MI
• Houston, TX
• Indianapolis, IN
• Los Angeles, CA
• Madison, WI
• Miami, FL
• Minneapolis, MN
• New York, NY
• Orlando, FL
• Philadelphia, PA
• Phoenix, AZ
• Portland, OR
• Puerto Rico
• Rapid City, SD
• Raleigh-Durham, NC
• Sacramento, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Scranton, PA
• Seattle, WA
• Sioux City, IA
• Sioux Falls, SD
• Tampa Bay, FL
• Tri-Cities (TN, KY, and VA)
• Washington, D.C
• West Palm Beach, FL

You can read more in our review of Locast. You can try their service by downloading Locast to your favorite supported streaming device or on their website.

TV Antenna

Another free option to watch your local CBS affiliate is by using a TV antenna. Nearly every television market broadcasts CBS over the air, so all you need is an antenna, and you are enjoying CBS free of charge. You can pick up an inexpensive antenna like the GE Ultra Edge for around $20. This antenna has a money-back guarantee, so it’s no risk if it’s unable to pick up your local CBS station. Check out our guide on how to choose the best TV antenna for more information.

Free Trials to Pay Services

The next section covers the various streaming services that carry local CBS in their channel lineup. Each of these services offers a free trial period to try out the service. Keep in mind not all of these services carry CBS in every market in the country, so you may not be able to take advantage of each one, but if you only need CBS for a short period of time, you can take advantage of the following free trial offers to watch CBS:

• Paramount+ – Streams CBS in 99% of the country and offers a 30-day free trial.
• Hulu Live TV – Streams CBS in nearly every TV market in the U.S. and offers a 30-day free trial
• YouTube TV – Streams CBS in nearly every TV market in the U.S. and offers a 1-week free trial.
• FuboTV – Streams CBS in 95% of the U.S. and offers a 1-week free trial
• AT&T TV – Streams CBS in many parts of the country. See this page for special offers.

Utilizing the free trials from each of these services can get you a full month of CBS free. Read on to learn a little more about each of these streaming services.

How to Stream CBS

Below I’m going to cover the streaming services that offer a live broadcast of CBS. I’ll break each service down by the market they offer CBS in. Be sure to check out a comparison of live TV streaming services for more information.

Paramount+

In addition to CBS streaming exclusive programming, Paramount+ provides live CBS streaming in most U.S. local markets. To see if your local CBS channel is available on their service, you can check out their free trial. Below is a running tally of all the local markets offering live CBS from our review of Paramount+.

• Abilene / Sweetwater, TX (KTAB)
• Albany, GA (WSWG)
• Albany / Schenectady, NY (WRGB)
• Albuquerque / Santa Fe, NM (KRQE) 
• Alexandria, LA (KALB)
• Amarillo, TX (KFDA)
• Anchorage, AK (KTVA) 
• Atlanta, GA (WGCL)
• Augusta, GA / Aiken, SC (WRDW)
• Austin, TX, (KEYE)
• Bakersfield, CA (KBAK)
• Baltimore, MD (WJZ) 
• Bangor, ME (WABI) 
• Baton Rouge, LA (WAFB)
• Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX (KFDM)
• Bend, OR (KBNZ)
• Birmingham, AL (WIAT)
• Binghamton, NY (WBNG)
• Billings, MT (KTVQ)
• Biloxi / Gulfport, MS (WLOX)
• Bluefield / Beckley / Oak Hill, WV (WVNS)
• Boise, ID (KBOI)
• Boston, MA / Manchester, NH (WBZ)
• Bowling Green, KY (WNKY) 
• Bryan / College Station (KBTX) 
• Buffalo, NY (WIVB)
• Burlington-Plattsburgh, NY (WCAX)
• Butte, MT (KXLF)
• Cedar Rapids / Waterloo / Iowa City / Dubuque, IA (KGAN)
• Champaign and Sprngfld / Decatur, IL (WCIA) 
• Charleston / Huntington, WV (WOWK)
• Charleston, SC (WCSC)
• Charlotte, NC (WBTV)
• Charlottesville, VA (WCAV) 
• Chattanooga, TN (WDEF)
• Cheyenne / Scottsbluff, WY (KGWN)
• Chicago, IL (WBBM)
• Chico / Redding, CA (KHSL)
• Cincinnati, OH (WKRC)
• Clarksburg / Weston, WV (WDTV)
• Cleveland / Akron (Canton), OH (WOIO)
• Colorado Springs / Pueblo, CO (KKTV) 
• Columbia / Jefferson City, MO (KRCG)
• Columbia, SC (WLTX)
• Columbus, GA / Opelika, AL (WRBL)
• Columbus, OH (WBNS)
• Columbus / Tupelo, MS (WCBI)
• Corpus-Christi, TX (KZTV)
• Dallas / Ft. Worth, TX (KTVT) 
• Davenport, IA; Rock Island / Moline, IL (WHBF)
• Dayton, OH (WHIO)
• Denver, CO (KCNC) 
• Des Moines / Ames, IA (KCCI) 
• Detroit, MI (WWJ)
• Dothan, AL (WTVY)
• Duluth-Superior, MN (KBJR)
• Elmira (Corning), NY (WENY)
• El Paso (Las Cruces), TX (KDBC)
• Erie, PA (WSEE)
• Eugene (Coos Bay/Roseburg), OR (KVAL)
• Eureka, CA (KVIQ)
• Evansville, IN (WEVV)
• Fairbanks, AK (KXDF)
• Fargo / Valley City, ND (KVLY)
• Flint / Saginaw / Bay City, MI (WNEM)
• Fort Myers / Naples, FL (WINK)
• Fort Smith / Fayetteville / Springdale / Rogers, AR (KFSM)
• Fort Wayne, IN (WANE)
• Freeport, IL (WIFR)  
• Fresno / Visilia, CA (KGPE)
• Gainesville, FL (WGFL)
• Grand Junction / Montrose, CO (KREX)
• Grand Rapids / Kalamazoo / Battle Creek, MI (WWMT)
• Great Falls, MT (KRTV)
• Green Bay / Appleton, WI (WFRV)
• Greensboro / High Point / Winston Salem, NC (WFMY)
• Greenville/New Bern/Washington, NC (WNCT)
• Greenville /Spartansburg, SC / Ashville, NC (WSPA) 
• Greenwood-Greenville, MS (WXVT)
• Harlingen / Weslaco / Brownsville / McAllen, TX (KVEO)
• Harrisonburg, VA (WSVF-CD)
• Harrisburg / Lancaster / Lebanon / York, PA (WHP)
• Hartford / New Haven, CT (WFSB)
• Hattiesburg / Laurel, MS (WHLT)
• Honolulu, HI (KGMB)
• Houston, TX (KHOU)
• Huntsville / Decatur / Florence, AL (WHNT)
• Idaho Falls/Pocatello, ID/Jackson, WY (KIDK)
• Indianapolis / Kokomo, IN (WTTV)
• Jackson, MS (WJTV)
• Jackson, TN (WBBJ)
• Jacksonville, FL (WJAX)
• Johnstown / Altoona / State College, PA (WTAJ)
• Jonesboro, AR (KJNB)
• Joplin, MO / Pittsburg, KS (KOAM)
• Juneau (Sitka/Ketchikan), AK (KTVA)
• Kansas City, MO (KCTV)
• Knoxville, TN (WVLT)
• La Crosse-Eau Claire, WI (WKBT)
• Lafayette, IN (WLFI)
• Lafayette, LA (KLFY)
• Lake Charles, LA (KSWL-LD)
• Lansing, MI (WLNS)
• Laredo, TX (KYLX)
• Las Vegas, NV (KLAS) 
• Lexington / Hazard, KY (WKYT)
• Lexington, KY (WYMT)
• Lima, OH (WOHL-CD)
• Little Rock / Pine Bluff, AR (KTHV)
• Lincoln / Hastings / Kearney, NE (Grand Island) – KOLN
• Los Angeles, CA (KCBS) 
• Louisville, KY (WLKY)
• Lubbock, TX (KLBK)
• Macon, GA (WMAZ)
• Madison, WI (WISC) 
• Mankato, MN (KEYC)
• Marquette / Escanaba, MI (WJMN)
• Medford / Klamath Falls, OR (KTVL)
• Memphis, TN (WREG)
• Meridian, MS (WMDN)
• Miami / Ft. Lauderdale, FL (WFOR) 
• Milwaukee, WI (WDJT)
• Minneapolis / St. Paul, MN (WCCO) 
• Minot / Bismarck, ND (KXMC)
• Missoula, MT (KPAX)
• Mobile, AL / Pensacola, FL (WKRG)
• Monroe, LA / El Dorado, AR (KNOE)
• Monterey-Salinas, CA (KION)
• Montgomery / Selma, AL (WAKA)
• Myrtle Beach / Florence, SC (WBTW)
• Nashville, TN (WTVF)
• New Orleans, LA (WWL)
• New York, NY (WCBS) 
• Norfolk / Portsmouth / Newport News, VA (WTKR)
• North Platte, NE (KNPL)
• Odessa / Midland, TX (KOSA)
• Oklahoma City, OK (KWTV)
• Omaha, NE (KMTV)
• Orlando / Daytona Beach / Melbourne, FL (WKMG)
• Ottumwa, IA / Kirksville, MO (KTVO) 
• Paducah-Cape Girard-Harsbg, GA (KFVS)
• Palm Springs, CA (KPSP)
• Panama City, FL (WECP-LD)
• Parkersburg, WV (WIYE-LD)
• Peoria / Bloomington, IL (WMBD)
• Philadelphia, PA (KYW) 
• Phoenix (Prescott), AZ (KPHO)
• Pittsburgh, PA (KDKA)
• Portland, ME (WGME)
• Portland, OR (KOIN)
• Presque Isle, ME (WAGM)
• Providence / New Bedford, RI (WPRI)
• Quincy, IL / Hannibal, MO / Keokuk, IA (KHQA)
• Raleigh / Durham (Fayetteville), NC (WNCN)
• Rapid City, SD (KCLO)
• Reno, NV (KTVN)
• Richmond / Petersburg, VA (WTVR)
• Roanoke / Lynchburg (WDBJ)
• Rochester, MN / Mason City, IA / Austin, MN (KIMT)
• Rochester, NY (WROC)
• St. Joseph, MO (KCJO-LD)
• Sacramento / Stockton / Modesto, CA (KOVR) 
• Saint Louis, MO (KMOV) 
• Salisbury, MD (WBOC)
• Salt Lake City, UT (KUTV)
• San Angelo, TX (KLST)
• San Antonio, TX (KENS)
• San Diego, CA (KFMB)
• San Francisco / Oakland / San Jose, CA (KPIX) 
• Santa Barbara, CA (KCOY)
• Savannah, GA (WTOC)
• Seattle / Tacoma, WA (KIRO) 
• Sherman, TX / Ada, OK (KXII) 
• Shreveport, LA (KSLA)
• Sioux City, IA (KMEG)
• Sioux Falls / Mitchell, SD (KELO) 
• South Bend / Elkhart, IN (WSBT)
• Spokane, WA (KREM)
• Springfield / Holyoke, MA (WSHM)
• Springfield, MO (KOLR)
• Syracuse, NY (WTVH)
• Tallahassee, FL / Thomasville, GA (WCTV)
• Tampa /St. Petersburg / Sarasota, FL (WTSP)
• Terre Haute, IN (WTHI)
• Toledo, OH (WTOL) 
• Topeka, KS (WIBW)
• Traverse City / Cadillac, MI (WWTV)
• Tri-Cities, TN / Johnson City, VA (WJHL)
• Tucson (Sierra Vista), AZ (KOLD)
• Tulsa, OK (KOTV)
• Twin Falls, ID (KMVT)
• Tyler / Longview, TX (KYTX) 
• Utica, NY (WKTV)
• Waco / Temple / Bryan, TX (KWTX)
• Washington, DC (WUSA)
• Watertown, NY(WWNY)
• Wausau / Rhinelander, WI (WSAW) 
• West Palm Beach / Ft. Pierce, FL (WPEC)
• Wheeling / Steubenville, OH (WTRF)
• Wichita / Hutchinson Plus, KS (KWCH)
• Wichita Falls, TX / Lawton, OK (KAUZ)
• Wilkes Barre / Scranton, PA (WYOU)
• Wilmington, NC (WWAY)
• Yakima / Pasco / Ricchland / Kennewick, WA (KIMA)
• Youngstown, OH (WKBN)
• Yuma, AZ / El Centro, CA (KYMA)

Hulu Live TV

Hulu not only offers their on-demand service but live streaming as well. Like other services, they offer CBS in certain markets along with cable TV and broadcast networks. To see if live CBS is available in your area, you can use this tool: Hulu Live TV Channels by Zipcode

You can read all about it in our review of Hulu. There isn’t a month to month contract, so you can sign up to test the service without fear of a long term commitment. You can sign up for Hulu Live TV here.

How Much?: The Hulu + Live TV base package starts at $64.99 per month.

YouTube TV

YouTube TV is another great option to watch CBS live. The price of their service is $64.99. You can sign up for their free trial. Be sure to check out our review of YouTube TV for more information.

Locations CBS Offered: Live CBS is offered in every TV market in the US without the exception of Rochester-Mason City-Austin Market in Iowa and Minnesota.

How Much: $64.99 per month.

FuboTV

FuboTV is another great streaming service that offers live CBS in various markets around the country. Their service costs $64.99 per month, and they offer a 1-week free trial. You can learn more about their service in our review of FuboTV.

The following CBS networks are available through:

AT&T TV

AT&T TV offers live CBS streaming in many markets. CBS is offered in their “Entertainment” package for $69.99 a month along with a ton of cable TV and other broadcast networks. They offer a free trial to allow you to make sure CBS is offered in your area. For more information, check out our review of AT&T TV.

Locations CBS Offered: Neally everywhere in the US.

How Much: $69.99 per month through their “Entertainment” package.

For information on watching other TV channels online check out: How To Stream Specific TV Channels

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