How To Watch Cartoon Network without Cable

Cartoon Network is a must-have network for many with children. It’s also a must-have for us big kids that never even look at the channel until it changes into “Adult Swim” between 8 pm and 6 am.

Well, you don’t need cable to watch Cartoon Network or Adult Swim. All you need is a subscription to one of the following streaming services that carry Cartoon Network: Sling TV, Hulu Live TV, DIRECTV Stream, or YouTube TV.

Our Recommendation: Get a subscription to Hulu Live TV (free trial) or DIRECTV Stream (Sign Up. Get a full refund if you cancel within 14 days). Both services provide access to both Cartoon Network and Adult Swim and your account with each service can be used to unlock all the content on-demand on the Cartoon Network and Adult Swim apps.

How to Watch Cartoon Network Online without Cable

As with most content on cable today, there are alternate ways to enjoy the channels and shows you want without forking over mountains of cash to a cable TV provider. Here are a few of the cable-subscription-free ways you can stream Cartoon Network online.

Watch Cartoon Network on Hulu

Hulu is a great way to stream Cartoon Network Live. Previously Hulu was known for its vast on-demand library. Recently, they have added a Hulu Live TV service. In addition to streaming Cartoon Network live, Hulu offers live access to channels like A&E, TNT, FX, HGTV, and more (See a full list of channels on Hulu). Hulu Live TV also includes the following features:

• The basic package comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR storage. (Upgrades available)
• Watch on 2 screens at once. (Upgrades available)
• Comes with 6 customizable profiles
• Includes entire Hulu streaming library

Hulu Live TV is supported by several connected TV devices, mobile devices and browsers. You can stream Cartoon Network on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, iOS, Android, and Windows Smartphones and Tablets, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and 4, Wii and Wii U, and much more.

Check out their service here.

Cartoon Network on Sling TV

A more price-conscious alternative is Sling. Cartoon Network is in both its “orange” and “blue packages, each priced at $35a month. Sling TV provides a live stream of Cartoon Network so you are able to watch exactly what would be airing on Cartoon Network just as if you had cable. Some episodes of its shows are available on-demand, as well.

Sling TV is available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and more, so it’s not a problem to enjoy Cartoon Network on a TV, tablet, computer, or other smart devices. In addition to live Cartoon Network, Sling TV streams several other channels live online. To find out more about what Sling TV has to offer, and more information about Sling TV device compatibility, check out this detailed review of Sling TV.

DIRECTV Stream is another way you can watch Cartoon Network. The service is priced at $69.99 per month. A subscription to DIRECTV Stream includes the following:

AT&T has a 14-day free trial period. However, it isn’t advertised on their website. New customers who cancel service in the first 14 days will receive a full refund. Learn more in our DIRECTV Stream review.

Cartoon Network on YouTubeTV

YouTubeTV also offers Cartoon Network streaming, as well as limitless storage space for recording your shows. Your library of recorded shows can be streamed anywhere. Cartoon Network is included in the base package for $64.99 a month.

• access to Cartoon Network, CNN, ESPN, Local Network Channels, and over 70 other channels
• unlimited cloud DVR storage
• stream on three devices at once
• Youtube TV supports Android, iOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, and more. The YouTube TV app isn’t available on Roku. However, users can use YouTube TV through the YouTube app on Roku devices. 
• Includes Youtube TV on-demand

See our YouTube TV review for more details.

Watch Cartoon Network for Free

Some of the streaming services that carry Cartoon Network offer a free trial. You can take advantage of those and watch free Cartoon Network for almost a month or longer if you use different email addresses. Let’s look at the free trials available.

• Hulu Live TV – offers a 7-day free trial to Hulu Live TV
• YouTube TV – offers a 1-week free trial

As long as you cancel before the free trial expires, you won’t be charged. You can cycle the free trials to get nearly a month of Cartoon Network free. If you get creative with email addresses and payment methods, you could watch free Cartoon Network even longer. Doing this would also let you test out the various live TV streaming services to see which one you like the best.

Watch Cartoon Network on Roku

To watch Cartoon Network on Roku, follow these instructions.

1. Subscribe to a streaming service that carries Cartoon Network (Hulu Live TV, Sling TV, YouTube TV, or DIRECTV Stream)
2. On your Roku Menu, navigate to “Search” and press “OK” on your remote
3. Enter the name of the streaming service you subscribe to in the search bar
4. Select the streaming service and press “OK.”
5. Select “Add Channel” press “OK” on your remote. If the channel is already installed, “Go To Channel” will be an option.
6. The App is now installed on your Roku. Open the app, and log in with the credentials you used to subscribe to the service. Cartoon Network will be a channel available through the apps live TV guide.

Watch Cartoon Network on Fire TV

To watch Cartoon Network on Fire TV, follow these instructions.

1. Subscribe to a streaming service that carries Cartoon Network (Hulu Live TV, Sling TV, YouTube TV, or DIRECTV Stream)
2. On your Fire TV Home screen, click on the search icon in the upper-left corner of the screen.
3. Enter the name of the streaming service you subscribe to in the search bar
4. Select the streaming service and press “OK.”
5. Select “Download,” and the channel will install
6. The App is now installed on your Fire TV. Open the app, and log in with the credentials you used to subscribe to the service. Cartoon Network will be a channel available through the app’s live TV guide.

Watch Cartoon Network on Apple TV

To watch Cartoon Network on Apple TV, follow these instructions.

1. Subscribe to a streaming service that carries Cartoon Network (Hulu Live TV, Sling TV, YouTube TV, or DIRECTV Stream)
2. Scroll right to the search icon in the upper-left corner of the screen
3. Enter the name of the streaming service you subscribe to in the search bar
4. Select the streaming service click the cloud icon, and the channel will install
5. The App is now installed on your Apple TV. Open the app, and log in with the credentials you used to subscribe to the service. Cartoon Network will be a channel available through the app’s live TV guide.

Stream Cartoon Network On-Demand

Many of the services mentioned above will also offer Cartoon Network shows On-Demand. Hulu is the best of the service for Cartoon Network on-demand due to its included On-Demand library. This feature offers more past episodes of shows on Cartoon Network and other networks. There are also quite a few Adult Swim shows like Rick and Morty available on Hulu. Just take a looks at Hulu’s Adult Swim Page. A lot of Cartoon Network Shows like Steven Universe are also available on-demand to subscribers of HBO Max. Take a look at what is currently available on HBO Max’s Cartoon Network Collection.

Finally, if you picked up a subscription to Hulu Live TV or DIRECTV Stream now you can use them as a valid TV provider to unlock the Cartoon Network app to unlock even more content on-demand.

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

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