Fans of shows like This is Us, Superstore, and Saturday Night Live often ask how to watch NBC without cable. Thankfully, there are several options.
Depending on where you live, you can watch your local NBC channel for free using a TV antenna or stream NBC on the free streaming service Locast. You can also stream ABC live on Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, and AT&T TV.
All these solutions are based on where you live, so read on to learn how to watch NBC without needing a subscription to cable TV.
Watch Live NBC For Free
Before we cover the options you have to pay for to watch local NBC, I wanted to cover Locast. Locast streams the local NBC network live in over 42% of households, and it is 100% free. You can even watch Locast using a streaming device. Locast supports Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and Android TV.
Locast is available in the following 29 TV markets:
Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte NC, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Madison WI, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Orlando FL, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Puerto Rico, Rapid City, Sacramento, San Francisco, Scranton, Seattle, Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Tampa Bay, Washington D.C, and 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.
Watch NBC With an Antenna
Generally, if you live in a city or the suburbs, you can watch NBC over the air using something as simple as this $25 Flat TV antenna. This antenna offers a free return policy, so it’s no risk to test it out. If it doesn’t get the channels you want, you can return it for your money back.
You can see if NBC is available over the air using this FCC page. If the flat antenna doesn’t perform to your expectations, then check out the following instructional guides for more details on over the air TV.
- Learn How to Choose a TV Antenna
- Learn How to Use One Antenna for Multiple TVs
- Learn How to Ground a TV Antenna
- Learn how to Improve Antenna TV Reception
- Record from your Antenna with an Over the Air DVR
How to Stream NBC Live
If Locast isn’t an option then you can also use other Live TV Streaming services. The two best options are Hulu and Youtube TV. The following streaming services offer live NBC online. With these services, you can watch NBC live. You watch NBC shows as they air, just as if you had a cable subscription. I’ve broken down the availability of NBC live streams by giving the locations each streaming service provides live NBC.
Live NBC On Hulu Live TV
Hulu not only offers its on-demand service but live-streaming as well. Like other services, they offer NBC in specific markets along with cable TV and other broadcast networks. To see if live NBC is available in your area, you can use this tool: Hulu Live TV Channels by Zipcode.
According to the data we have, Hulu + Live TV carries NBC in ALL TV markets with these few exceptions.
Live NBC is available everywhere in the US through Hulu except in these markets:
- Alpena, MI
- Glendive, MT
In these markets, Hulu only offers NBC on-demand.
Hulu + Live TV is supported on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, iOS, Android, and more. You can read more about Hulu 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 a free trial to Hulu Live TV using this link: Free Trial to Hulu + Live TV.
How Much: The base package starts at $64.99 per month.
Watch Live NBC on YouTube TV
YouTube TV is another great option to watch NBC live. YouTubeTV offers live NBC with its streaming service in nearly ALL markets in the US. The only market where YouTube TV doesn’t offer NBC is in the Rochester-Mason City-Austin market, which covers parts of Minnesota and Iowa. (YouTube TV does offer NBC in Rochester NY and Austin TX.)
YouTube TV is supported on Roku, Android, iOS (includes AirPlay to Apple TV), and Chromecasts/Chromecast-compatible TVs. Be sure to check out our review of YouTube TV for more information. You can sign up for their free trial.
How Much: $64.99 per month.
Watch NBC on Fubo TV
Another streaming service that enables you to watch NBC online without cable is Fubo TV. They offer your local NBC channels in over half the country, including most major markets. You can check out a free trial to FuboTV here. Fubo TV supports the following streaming devices:
- Android smartphones
- Android tablets
- iPhone
- iPad
- Apple TV (4th Generation only)
- Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick
- Roku
- Chromecast
For more information on FuboTV features and which markets offers NBC, please see out Fubo TV review.
How Much: FuboTV costs $64.99 per month.
Stream NBC on Sling
Sling TV offers NBC as a part of their Sling Blue package in the following markets:
- New York – WNBC
- Philadelphia – WCAU
- Chicago – WMAQ
- Boston – WBTS
- Washington, DC – WRC-TV
- Miami/Ft. Lauderdale – WTVJ
- Hartford/New Haven – WVIT
- Dallas/Ft. Worth – KXAS
- Los Angeles – KNBC
- San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose – KNTV
- San Diego – KNSD
You can get a 1-week free trial, and there is no monthly contract so you can cancel any time.
Sling TV is supported on Windows and Mac PCs and laptops, Android and iOS devices, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Nexus player, Xbox One, 4th Generation Apple TV, Chromecast, and more. See our guide to Sling TV for more information.
Stream NBC on AT&T TV
AT&T TV is supported on Windows and Mac PCs and laptops, Android and iOS devices, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Nexus player, Xbox One, 4th Generation Apple TV, Chromecast, and more.
AT&T TV streams a massive number of local NBC affiliates online along with other broadcast networks. Check out our review of AT&T TV for a full list of features provided with an AT&T TV subscription.
Watch NBC with TVision
TVision is a new live TV streaming service from T-Mobile. The service is currently only available to T-Mobile customers. TVision’s “Live TV” plan offers NBC along with 30 other channels for just $40 per month. Below are features included with this plan:
- 30+ live channels including NBC, ESPN, FS1, and more
- includes 100 hours of cloud DVR
- stream to 3 devices at a time
- supported on Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, and more
See our review of TVision or visit T-Mobile’s website for more information
Watch on the NBC App
You can download the NBC app on various devices to watch live and On-Demand NBC. Current episodes of NBC shows available. However, a certain amount of time needs to pass before watching the latest episodes unless you subscribe to a TV-Provider that offers NBC. A “key” symbol identifies which episodes require you to link your participating TV provider account. However, locked episodes for most shows will become available to watch without signing into your participating TV provider account 8 days after the episode first airs on TV.
The NBC app accepts Hulu, YouTube TV, FuboTV, and AT&T TV as pay-TV providers credentials. Be aware that the NBC App will only stream live in participating markets.
NBC On-Demand
If you are interested in watching NBC TV shows on-demand, I recommend looking at Hulu’s $5.99 per month streaming library or NBC’s Peacock streaming service. Both offer several current, and classic NBC shows on-demand.
Watch NBC on Roku
To watch NBC on Roku through a streaming service like FuboTV, Hulu Live TV, AT&T TV, YouTube TV, etc., follow these instructions.
- Subscribe to a streaming service that carries NBC
- On your Roku Menu, navigate to “Search” and press “OK” on your remote
- Enter the name of the streaming service you subscribe to in the search bar
- Select the streaming service and press “OK.”
- Select “Add Channel” press “OK” on your remote. If the channel is already installed, “Go To Channel” will be an option.
- The App is now installed on your Roku. Open the app, and log in with the credentials you used to subscribe to the service. NBC will be a channel available through the app’s live TV guide.
Watch NBC on Fire TV
To watch NBC on Fire TV through a streaming service like FuboTV, Hulu Live TV, AT&T TV, YouTube TV, etc, follow these instructions.
- Subscribe to a streaming service that carries NBC
- On your Fire TV Home screen, click on the search icon in the upper-left corner of the screen.
- Enter the name of the streaming service you subscribe to in the search bar
- Select the streaming service and press “OK.”
- Select “Download,” and the channel will install
- 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. NBC will be a channel available through the app’s live TV guide.
If you do not subscribe to one of the streaming services that carry NBC, you can also download the NBC app to your Fire TV. This won’t be the same as having your local NBC channel, but you will at least have access to NBC TV shows.
Watch NBC on Apple TV
To watch NBC on Apple TV through a streaming service like FuboTV, Hulu Live TV, AT&T TV, YouTube TV, etc., follow these instructions.
- Subscribe to a streaming service that carries NBC
- Scroll right to the search icon in the upper-left corner of the screen
- Enter the name of the streaming service you subscribe to in the search bar
- Select the streaming service click the cloud icon, and the channel will install
- 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. NBC will be a channel available through the app’s live TV guide.
If you do not subscribe to one of the streaming services that carry NBC, you can also download the NBC app to your Apple TV. This won’t be the same as having your local NBC channel, but you will at least have access to NBC TV shows.
How To Watch Shows On NBC
Below are articles explaining how to watch popular NBC shows.
For information on watching other TV channels online check out: How To Stream Specific TV Channels
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