TLC is a TV network owned by Discovery Inc. with hit shows like Sister Wives, 90 Day Fiance, and The 7 Little Johnstons. TLC is dedicated to covering unique “real life” reality and finding fun and beauty in places you never expected! The best part is you don’t need cable to watch TLC. All you need is a streaming device and a streaming service that carries TLC. You can stream TLC through the following streaming services:
- Philo: Carries TLC and costs $25 per month after a risk-free 1-week free trial
- DIRECTV STREAM – Carries TLC and costs $69.99 per month after a risk-free 5-Day Free Trial.
- Hulu Live TV: Carries TLC and includes Disney+ and ESPN+ with unlimited DVR storage for $69.99/month. (Sign up)
- fuboTV – Carries TLC and costs $69.99 per month and offers a 1-week free trial
- YouTube TV – Carries TLC and costs $64.99 per month and offers a 2-week free trial
- Vidgo: Carries TLC and costs $59.95 per month. (Sign up)
- Sling TV: Carries TLC and costs $40 per month. Currently the first month is 50% off (Sign up)
Read on to discover which of these streaming services is the best for you to watch your favorite shows on TLC.
Where You Can Stream TLC
Philo (1-week free trial) is the cheapest way to watch TLC but lacks local channels, sports, and news. DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu Live TV, and YouTube TV are closer to what one would expect from a cable TV package but are more than double the price of Philo. I cover these services and more in detail below.
Watch TLC on Philo
The most affordable streaming service that carries TLC is Philo. Watch TLC along with over 60 other channels for $25/month. That price includes a cloud DVR for recording your favorite shows. You can check out a free trial and see if the service is right for you. If you decide to subscribe after the free trial, Philo doesn’t require a contract, and you can cancel the service anytime. Philo also has a great on-demand library that pulls from the channels in its lineup. You can also use your Philo credentials to link a valid TV provider to many channel apps. Below I cover the channels available on Philo and more. For more information, check out our review of Philo.
Price: The service costs $25 per month after a risk-free 1-week free trial.
Supported Devices: Philo is supported on Apple iPhone and iPad, Android phones and tablets, Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, and more. Philo allows you to stream on up to 3 devices with the same account. See our coverage of Philo Device Support for more details.
Channels: There are over 60 channels in Philo’s channel lineup, including TLC, A&E, AMC, Lifetime, Comedy Central, Discovery, Hallmark Channel,HGTV, MTV, and Nickelodeon.
Why Choose Philo For TLC: Philo is a great choice for TLC. Not only is it the most affordable way to watch, but you get a ton of channels you find on basic cable for just $25 per month. Philo doesn’t carry local channels or cable news and sports, but it’s also less than half the price of most other streaming services. Philo makes for a cable TV alternative for saving money. Especially if you get serious about saving money and use a TV antenna for local channels. Philo starts you out with a 1-week free trial, and if you cancel before the trial expires, you won’t be charged for your first month. If you decide to keep Philo after the trial, you are billed monthly and can cancel anytime.
Watch TLC on DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM is another way you can watch the TLC. Channel packages with TLC start at $69.99 per month with their “Entertainment” channel plan after a 5-day free trial. When streaming TLC, you get the same TLC programming that you would see on channel 280, DIRECTV’s channel number for TLC. All DIRECTV STREAM plans come with unlimited DVR storage as long as the content is watched within 9 months. Recordings are automatically deleted after 9 months. You can also access on-demand through the TLC Go app and other channel apps using your DIRECTV STREAM credentials. I cover their “Entertainment” channel plan below since it’s the most affordable way to watch TLC on DIRECTV STREAM. You can learn about all the channel plans they offer in my full review of DIRECTV STREAM.
DIRECTV STREAM Entertainment Plan Price: The service costs $69.99 per month after a risk-free 5-Day Free Trial..
Device Support: DIRECTV STREAM is supported on iOS, Android TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, and more. You can watch up 20 streams simultaneously per subscription with any DIRECTV STREAM plan. See our coverage of DIRECTV STREAM Device Support for more details.
Channels: There are over 75 channels in DIRECTV STREAM’s cheapest channel lineup, including TLC, A&E, AMC, Lifetime, Comedy Central, Discovery, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, MTV, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, TBS, TNT, and USA Network. You also get local channels like ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox, sports channels like ESPN and FS1, and the cable news networks like CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC.
Why Choose DIRECTV STREAM for TLC: DIRECTV STREAM is a streaming service made to replace cable TV, providing you with a way to watch your big 4 local networks and most basic cable channels. The service also stands out in allowing you to stream on up to 20 devices at once. That could save you a ton of money in a multi-TV/mobile device house. There is no risk in signing up as you can cancel anytime. You can even try out the services with their 5-day free trial. If you cancel before the trial is over, you won’t be charged for the first month.
Go To DIRECTV STREAM’s Website
Watch TLC on Hulu Live TV
Hulu provides a few options for watching TLC shows. A few TLC shows are available on-demand by subscribing to the Hulu streaming library starting at $6.99 per month. For example, past seasons of 90 Day Fiancé are available on demand. However, you will only have access to past seasons of some TLC shows. If you want to watch the new TLC episodes, you will need to watch TLC using Hulu’s Live TV, which costs $69.99 per month. Hulu Live TV includes the ad-supported version of the Hulu Streaming Library. You can upgrade to the ad-free version of Hulu’s streaming library for a cost of $75.99. Before signing up for Hulu Live TV, check out the important information below on Hulu Live TV features from our review of Hulu.
Not only does Hulu Live TV include the Hulu Streaming Library with Hulu Originals like The Patient and Only Murders In The Building, but it also includes a subscription to Disney+ and ESPN+ as well. Hulu Live TV is the only streaming service that includes these two excellent streaming services. Hulu Live TV includes Unlimited cloud DVR storage in both Live TV Plans. Episodes can be stored up to 9 months after recording them, and you can fast-forward through recorded commercials. Hulu’s credentials can also be used to link a valid TV provider to most 3rd party channel apps, including the TLC Go app. Read on for more details on Hulu.
Price: The service includes Disney+ and ESPN+ with unlimited DVR storage for $69.99/month. (Sign up).
Device Support: Hulu Live TV is supported on Apple iPhone and iPad, Android phones and tablets, Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, and more. You can watch on two devices at once. However, you can upgrade to unlimited devices for just $9.99 monthly.
Channels: Hulu Live TV provides over 75 channels in Hulu Live TV’s channel lineup, including TLC, A&E, Lifetime, Comedy Central, Discovery, HGTV, MTV, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, TBS, TNT, and USA Network. Hulu Live TV provides local channels like ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox, sports channels like ESPN and FS1, and the cable news networks like CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC.
Why Choose Hulu Live TV for TLC: Hulu has most of the channels you get with a basic cable package, but Hulu Live TV also includes the Hulu Streaming Library, Disney+, and ESPN+ in its price. This makes Hulu Live TV the best option if you are looking for a cable TV alternative that packs a lot of on-demand choices. Not only are your bases covered on for live TV, but you can watch Hulu originals like Only Murders in the Building, The Handmaid’s Tale, and more. Furthermore, Disney+ provides access to hit shows like Andor, Loki, and a ton of other Star Wars, Marvel, and Disney content. There isn’t a long-term contract. You can pay monthly and cancel any time you like.
Watch TLC on Sling TV
Sling TV is another affordable option for watching TLC. TLC is on Sling TV’s Blue channel package for $40/month. The Sling Blue plan allows you to watch on up to three devices at once. All Sling TV plans provide a cloud DVR to record TLC shows and more if you can’t watch when a show airs. Sling TV’s Cloud-based DVR is available on Amazon Fire, Roku, Android, and Apple TV devices. Each Sling TV package comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR storage, and you can keep recordings as long as you want with no expiration. For $5 more per month, you can increase the storage up to 200 hours. I go into more details on devices and channels below. You can also check out my review of Sling TV for more details.
Sling Price: The service costs $40 per month. Currently the first month is 50% off (Sign up)
Sling Devices: Sling TV is available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and more, so it’s not a problem to watch Sling TV on a TV, tablet, computer, or other smart devices. Sling’s Blue Plan allows you to stream on up to 3 devices at once.
Channels: The channels on Sling TV’s Blue Plan include TLC, A&E, AMC, BBC America, Bravo, CNN, Comedy Central, Discovery, E!, Fox News, FS1, FX, HGTV, History, Lifetime, MSNBC, National Geographic, NBC, Paramount Network, SYFY, TBS, TNT, truTV, USA Network, and more.
Why Use Sling for TLC: Sling TV is a value somewhere between Philo and your more complete streaming services like DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu Live TV, and YouTube TV. The price is a little steeper than Philo, but you gain some cable news and sports channels. It’s not a great solution for local networks as they only provide Fox and ABC in the largest of TV markers, so you will need a TV antenna for your local channels.
Watch TLC on YouTube TV
YouTube TV also offers TLC streaming and limitless storage space for recording your shows. Stream your library of recorded shows from anywhere. YouTube TV costs $64.99 after a free trial. YouTube TV includes a personal cloud-based DVR for each of the subscription’s six account profiles. In addition, the DVR provides unlimited storage and simultaneous recordings. Furthermore, your recordings are available for nine months. Check out my review of YouTube TV for all the details and channels available on the service.
YouTube TV Price: The service costs $64.99 per month and offers a 2-week free trial
YouTube TV Devices: YouTube TV supports Android, iOS, Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, and more. You can stream on up to three devices at the same time. See our coverage of YouTube TV device support for more details.
Channels: There are over 85 channels in YouTube TV’s Channel lineup, including TLC, AMC, Comedy Central, Discovery, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, MTV, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, TBS, TNT, and USA Network. You also get local channels like ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox, sports channels like ESPN and FS1, and the cable news networks like CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC.
Why Use YouTube TV to Watch TLC: If channel lineup is your focus, then YouTube TV is likely the best choice. It arguably has a better channel lineup than DIRECTV STREAM and Hulu Live TV, and it is slightly more affordable than those services. It just lacks the on-demand features you get with Hulu Live TV and the simultaneous streams you get with DIRECTV STREAM.
Watch TLC on FuboTV
FuboTV is a streaming service that provides TLC, and over 90 channels are offered in its Pro Plan for $69.99 per month after a 1-week free trial. FuboTV provides a cloud DVR for recording TLC shows along with shows from other channels available through fuboTV. All plans include 1000 hours of DVR storage. You can watch shows recorded on the DVR via FuboTV’s website, iPhone and iPad apps, Android smartphone and tablet apps, Roku, and their Amazon Fire TV app. FuboTV is an excellent place to go for sports, but it offers many other more general channels as well. I cover the Pro Plan below as it’s the most affordable way to watch TLC on fuboTV, but you can learn about all their plans in my review of fuboTV.
FuboTV Price: The service costs $69.99 per month and offers a 1-week free trial
FuboTV Devices: FuboTV is supported on Apple iPhone and iPad, Android phones and tablets, Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, and more. FuboTV allows you to stream on up to 10 devices with the same account. See our coverage of fuboTV Device Support for more details.
Channels: There are over 100 channels in FuboTV’s channel lineup, including TLC, Comedy Central, Discovery, HGTV, MTV, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and USA Network. fuboTV provides local channels like ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox, sports channels like ESPN and FS1, and the cable news networks Fox News, and MSNBC.
Why Use FuboTV for TLC: While fuboTV carries TLC, I recommend going with a service like Hulu Live TV or DIRECTV STREAM for watching TLC. FuboTV costs just as much as those services but has a much weaker channel lineup. I usually recommend this service for people looking to stream college sports or international soccer.
Watch TLC on Vidgo
Vidgo is a newer streaming service that offers fairly competitive pricing over other live streaming services. Vidgo includes TLC in its Core package, along with over 60 other channels. New customers can watch TLC by signing up for the Vidgo Plus Plan for $59.95 per month when you subscribe. Vidgo doesn’t force you into a contract, so you can cancel at any time. Vidgo provides a DVR with its Premium Plan for $79.95 per month. Premium provides a 20-hour Cloud DVR, which works with Firestick, Roku, Google TV, and Apple TV. The plan also adds over 20 channels not found in the Plus Plan to your lineup. If you get the more affordable Plus plan, you get to try the DVR for 90 days. After that, you must upgrade to the Premium Plan to keep the feature. We cover the Pro plan below but have the full details in our guide to Vidgo’s live streaming service.
Vidgo Price: The service costs $59.95 per month. (Sign up)
Vidgo Devices: Vidgo is supported on available on Android, iOS, Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV. You can also stream the service on up to 3 devices at the same time.
Channels: There are over 100 channels in Vidgo’s Channel Lineup, including TLC, Comedy Central, Discovery, HGTV, MTV, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and Hallmark Channel. fuboTV provides local ABC and Fox in most parts of the country. It also has sports channels like ESPN and FS1, and the cable news networks Fox News.
Why Use Vidgo for TLC: Vidgo is similar to fuboTV in that I usually only recommend it for college sports. It’s channel lineup lags behind the other top services, isn’t a complete solution for local channels, and charges you for DVR service. I would only use it as a last resort for watching TLC.
FAQ
Below are some questions I typically get regarding watching TLC without cable.
What Does TLC Stand For
When TLC started as a TV Network in 1980 it was originally known as The Learning Channel and initially focused on educational and instructional television programming. However, TLC was purchased by Discovery Inc. in the 1990s and was rebranded into more of a reality TV and personal lifestyle channel. in the past decade TLC has completely distanced itself from its “Learning Channel” brand and in the mid-2010s redefined “TLC” to mean “Tender Loving Care” and currently uses the slogan “Everyone Needs a Little TLC.”
What’s on TLC
Below are articles explaining how to watch popular shows airing on TLC.
Can You Watch TLC for Free
While there isn’t a permanent way to watch TLC for free, you can use the free trials from the services below to watch TLC for free for almost an entire month. Just be sure to cancel the service before the trial ends so you aren’t charged.
- Philo: Carries TLC and provides a 1-week free trial.
- DIRECTV STREAM – Carries TLC and provides a 5-day free trial.
- fuboTV – Carries TLC and provides a 1-week free trial
- YouTube TV – Carries TLC and provides a free trial.
Is the TLC Go App Free
When someone new to cord-cutting gets their first streaming device, they may try to watch TLC by downloading the TLC Go app. However, The TLC Go app isn’t free. The app requires login credentials from a TV provider to prove you subscribe to a TV service with TLC in their channel lineup. Your credentials from Hulu Live TV, Philo, Vidgo, and YouTube TV will work if you subscribe to one of those services. You can choose to watch TLC through the channel guide of your live TV service or the TLC Go app.
Below I explain how to get the TLC Go app working on Roku, but the process is similar on other streaming devices like Fire TV and Apple TV.
- Go to the channel store or app store on your device. On Roku, it’s called the “Channel Store.”
- Search for the TLC Go app, add it to your device, and open the app.
- Your Roku device will then show you an activation code and a URL.
- Using a computer or mobile web browser, go to https://www.tlc.com/activate
- You will then be asked for a TV provider and a username/password. (Philo, Hulu live TV, etc.)
- Once you sign in, your TV screen will refresh. You should now have access to all the video content the TLC Go app provides.
Some full episodes may be available without logging in, but most content will be locked if you don’t have valid credentials. The app is available on iPhone and Android devices and Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, and Amazon FireTV.
How Do I Stream TLC on My TV
Once you subscribe to any of the services above that carry TLC, you can download their app and watch on a supported streaming device or a smart TV that supports that service’s app. Below are the instructions to do this on Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV.
Watch TLC Live on Roku
To watch TLC on Roku, follow these instructions.
- Subscribe to a streaming service that carries TLC (Hulu Live TV, Philo, Vidgo, Sling to YouTube TV, DIRECTV STREAM)
- 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. TLC will be a channel available through the app’s live TV guide.
Watch TLC Live on Fire TV
To watch TLC on Fire TV, follow these instructions.
- Subscribe to a streaming service that carries TLC (Hulu Live TV, Philo, Vidgo, Sling to YouTube TV, DIRECTV STREAM)
- 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. TLC will be a channel available through the app’s live TV guide.
Watch TLC Live on Apple TV
To watch TLC on Apple TV, follow these instructions.
- Subscribe to a streaming service that carries TLC (Hulu Live TV, Philo, Vidgo, Sling to YouTube TV, DIRECTV STREAM)
- 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. TLC will be a channel available through the app’s live TV guide.
For information on watching other TV channels online check out: How To Stream Specific TV Channels
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