How to Watch MSNBC without Cable

You no longer need a satellite cable TV subscription to watch MSNBC. Several TV streaming services stream live MSNBC online and other channels typically found on cable TV. You can even watch on your TV using a device like a Roku or Amazon Fire TV.

Best Way To Watch MSNBC Live Right Now: Use a 5-day free trial to DIRECTV STREAM or a 7-day free trial to FuboTV. Both work on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, Android, and more and let you stream MSNBC live. There is no long-term commitment, so you won’t be charged for your first month if you cancel before the free trial expires.

Streaming Services that Carry MSNBC Online

If you enjoy your politics a little left of center, you can watch “The Rachel Maddow Show,” “Morning Joe,” and other MSNBC shows live online using Sling TV, Hulu Live TV, FuboTV, YouTube TV, and DIRECTV STREAM.

MSNBC on DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM is another way to watch MSNBC live without cable. MSNBC is part of their “Entertainment” package for $69.99 per month. The plan includes the following features:

• watch 20 streams simultaneously per subscription 
• a cloud-based DVR
• channels like MSNBC, AMC, HGTV, Discovery, and more
• supported on Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Amazon FireTV, and more

You can check out this streaming service through this 5-day free trial or read about it in our DIRECTV STREAM review.

Watch MSNBC on FuboTV

FuboTV is a streaming service built for cord-cutters. It offers MSNBC, along with 70+ other channels for $69.99. FuboTV includes the following features.

• MSNBC, ESPN, FS1, and more are available in fuboTV’s channel lineup
• You can watch on three screens at the same time 
• 250 hours of cloud DVR storage
• The FuboTV app is available on major platforms, including Apple TV, AndroidTV, Roku, and Amazon FireTV. 

You can sign up for a 1-week free trial or check out our review of FuboTV for more details.

MSNBC is Streaming on Sling TV

While Hulu is the best option for streaming MSNBC, a more affordable way to stream live MSNBC  is with Sling TV. Subscribers will need to sign up for Sling TV’s Blue Package for $35 per month.

• access to MSNBC, AMC, History Channel, A&E, and other channels on Sling TV
• Sling also offers on-demand and a cloud DVR
• You can stream up to three devices simultaneously on the Sling Blue plan.
• 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.
• Includes a cloud DVR along with other great features.

You can sign up and see if this solution will work for you. For details on Sling TV’s service offerings and the difference between them, check out my review of Sling TV.

Stream MSNBC on Hulu Live TV

Live streaming of MSNBC is available through Hulu Live TV. This service offers a ton of live TV channels. You can see all channels offer in your area with this handy tool: Hulu Channels By Zip Code or by checking out our list of channels available on Hulu. Previously Hulu was known for its vast on-demand streaming library. Hulu Live TV is one of the best live TV streaming services available. It includes the following features:

• Unlimited cloud DVR storage. (Recordings save for 9 months)
• Watch on 2 screens at once. (Upgrades available)
• Comes with 6 customizable profiles
• Includes entire Hulu streaming library

Sign Up for Hulu Live TV

After promotions, Hulu Live TV will cost you $69.99 per month. I find it the best value of the services currently out there because it will allow you to stream your local broadcast networks in addition to MSNBC and a whole host of other channels.

For more information on this service, please check out Hulu Live TV review.

Watch MSNBC on YouTube TV

YouTube TV also offers MSNBC streaming live. MSNBC is included in the base package for $64.99 a month and includes the following features.

• access to MSNBC, ESPN, FS1, 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 has also returned to Roku devices after settling a dispute between the two companies. 
• Includes YouTube TV on-demand

Check our review of YouTube TV for all the information on this service. YouTube TV offers a 1-week free trial.

Watch MSNBC for Free

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

• DIRECTV STREAM – 5-day free trial
• FuboTV – offers a 1-week free trial.
• 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 MSNBC free. If you get creative with email addresses and payment methods, you could watch free MSNBC 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 MSNBC Live on Roku

To watch MSNBC on Roku, follow these instructions.

1. Subscribe to a streaming service that carries MSNBC (Sling TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, or Hulu Live TV)
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. MSNBC will be a channel available through the apps live TV guide.

Watch MSNBC Live on Fire TV

To watch MSNBC on Fire TV, follow these instructions.

1. Subscribe to a streaming service that carries MSNBC (Sling TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, or Hulu Live TV)
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. MSNBC will be a channel available through the apps live TV guide.

Watch MSNBC Live on Apple TV

To watch MSNBC on Apple TV, follow these instructions.

1. Subscribe to a streaming service that carries MSNBC (Sling TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, or Hulu Live TV)
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. MSNBC will be a channel available through the apps live TV guide.

MSNBC On Roku, Fire TV, and Android

You can watch MSNBC using the app for the streaming service you have a subscription to. Those apps download to your supported streaming device, and MSNBC is available through the guide in the app. However, some readers were curious about watching an MSNBC specific app.

While there is an MSNBC app available on iOS, you want to watch MSNBC through the NBC app if you are using any other device. Several NBC Owned networks are now available through the NBC app, including MSNBC. Below are the steps to install the NBC app and watch MSNBC on Roku. However, the steps for other streaming devices like Fire TV, Chromecast with Google TV, and Apple TV are similar.

1. Go to the channel store on your device.
2. Search for “NBC” You will see the “NBC app.” Add it to your device. 
3. Open the app. Scroll over to “Network” then select MSNBC
4. You will then see an activation code and a URL (NBC.com/activate.)
5. Using a web browser, go to nbc.com/activate and enter the activation code.
6. Still, on your browser, choose the streaming service you subscribe to for MSNBC. I use Hulu, but Hulu, Sling TV, and YouTube TV are acceptable. Sign in using your login credentials to that service.
7. Your TV screen will refresh, and you will see NBC and other NBC networks available through the app.

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