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YouTube TV costs $65 a month after yet another price increase
The base plan has jumped up $15 since the last hike in April 2019.
FuboTV adds NHL and MLB coverage to its premium sports packages
With FuboTV, the soccer programming focus is right there in the name. However, the cord-cutting service wants to capture fans of all sports, so it has just unveiled two pretty great new additions. If you subscribe to the FuboTV Extra or Sports Plus packages, you'll now get access to the NHL Network and MLB Network. The latter offers up to 150 live games per year, along with news, analysis and more, while the NHL Network also plays multiple games per week plus shows like NHL Now and NHL Tonight.
The best streaming services for cord-cutters on a budget
Even though there are dozens of video-streaming services to choose from, thankfully they're not all the same. And for those of you who may be on a budget, like students, that's a great thing, because it means you can likely find one that suits your needs. Whether you're trying to save money or simply don't care to have a cable subscription, there are plenty of standalone streaming services for watching TV, movies and sports, both live and on demand, that aren't too expensive.
Sling TV adds MLB Network just in time for Opening Day
Baseball fans can now watch MLB games on Sling TV, just as the new season gets underway. Sling TV announced on Thursday the addition of two new channels exclusively for baseball; MLB Network and MLB Strike Zone. MLB Network will feature live regular season and postseason game telecasts and a nightly news program, "MLB Tonight". Strike Zone will feature highlights, updates and more when live games air on Tuesday and Friday evenings.
Epix is the latest TV holdout to launch a streaming video service
Epix has been one of the TV industry's more conservative outlets. Where HBO, Showtime and other premium services launched stand-alone streaming services a while ago, Epix has insisted that you subscribe to a TV package to sample its wares. Now, however, it's ready to buck tradition. The MGM-owned brand just launched a $6 Epix Now service that provides all four of the network's live channels as well as on-demand access to original shows (like Berlin Station and the Batman-based Pennyworth) and "thousands" of movies.
PlayStation Vue adds Cheddar's online-only news channels
Cheddar's internet-only news channels have been available on cord-cutting services ranging from Hulu to YouTube TV, but there's been a glaring omission: PlayStation Vue. That ends today. Sony has added both Cheddar Business (the more tech-focused channel) and Cheddar News (general news) to Vue's bundles, making it easy to keep up with the day's news when you're done playing Red Dead. Anyone can access Cheddar Business regardless of tier, but you'll need to pony up for an Elite or Ultra package to get Cheddar News.
After Math: Watch out now!
You'd think that the week after CES would bring at least a brief lull in the firehose that is tech news, but you'd be wrong. Google's paying $40 million for Fossil's smartwatch tech; LG's holding a huge sale for last year's most expensive sets ahead of the Super Bowl; and for some reason, Aaron Sorkin doesn't think we've had enough onscreen Zuckerberg (he too is wrong).
NBCUniversal to launch ad-supported TV streaming service in 2020
NBCUniversal isn't going to twiddle its thumbs while competitors like CBS dive deeper into streaming video. The broadcaster has unveiled plans for an ad-supported streaming service that will launch sometime in early 2020. It'll be 'free' if you watch TV through a paid provider with NBCU access (Comcast and Sky included), but you'll have the option of subscribing if you're either a cord cutter or just want to eliminate ads.
This new HDHomeRun DVR makes life easier for cord-cutters
If easy access to a DVR is the only thing keeping you from cutting the cord, then the latest HDHomeRun devices could be just the push you need. While SiliconDust has previously built well-regarded tuners, a software suite that manages your TV experience and even expanded with a $35 per month 'Premium' streaming TV service, now it has an all-in-one DVR. The HDHomeRun Scribe Duo is similar to its Connect Duo DVR, but with the addition of a 1TB hard drive inside and a year of free DVR service (normally $35).
ESPN lost 2 million subscribers to cord cutting this year
We're getting a clearer picture of the devastation cord-cutting has wrought to cable with the release of Disney's annual earnings report. It shows that ESPN lost 2 million subscribers in the past 12 months alone, with its base declining from 88 million in 2017 to 86 million.
HDHomeRun gets into the streaming TV business with $35 Premium service
For years SiliconDust has built hardware and software that helped cord cutters and home theater PC users control their own TV experience. Now it's going a step further by launching its own TV streaming service: HDHomeRun Premium TV. The $35 per month setup augments channels a subscriber catches via antenna with traditional cable channels like CNN, Disney, Comedy Central, FX and TNT. At launch it includes 45 channels, and like other internet TV packages there are no contracts or other strings, while recording is handled just like any other channel in its software.
Comcast may debut a set-top box for internet-only customers in 2019
Comcast hasn't been completely averse to cord cutters, but there are now hints that it might design hardware with those people in mind. CNBC contacts say Comcast is planning a streaming set-top box for internet-only subscribers that would unify Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube and other services. It wouldn't quite be a direct rival to devices like the Apple TV or Roku players, since you wouldn't have an app ecosystem -- Comcast wouldn't want to risk you leaving for DirecTV Now or Sling TV, you see. It would come with a voice-controlled remote, however, and would double as a smart home hub.
Hulu considers a skinnier live TV bundle
A year and a half after getting into the live TV game, Hulu may make some changes to its live offerings. In a new "skinnier" package, Hulu could offer less live channels but more shows on-demand. Hulu CEO Randy Freer told The Information that reshuffling the programming mix could help improve the company's bottom line.
AT&T's WarnerMedia will launch streaming TV service in late 2019
Add AT&T to the list of media giants launching streaming services that revolve solely around their own content. The company's WarnerMedia is launching a streaming offering in the fourth quarter of 2019 with access to the group's collection of movies and TV shows. Most details are under wraps, but CNN has obtained an internal memo from CEO John Stankey showing that it would "start with HBO" and "package" Turner and Warner Bros. content. And while it would be a stand-alone service, Stankey stressed that it would "complement" the company's conventional TV distribution. It's trying to avoid a fight with cable and satellite giants worried they'll lose customers, in other words.
YouTube TV adds NBA League Pass for cord-cutting sports fans
If you're all-in on YouTube TV and want more basketball in the mix, that's an option now. For $40 a month, you can add NBA League Pass to your subscription, or you can pay $249 for the entire 2018-2019 season up front -- as spotted by Cordcutters. This means you'll get every out of market game, commercial-free. Earlier this year, YouTube TV added MLB.tv to its sports streaming lineup, and it launched with the MLB Network and others for watching live games and sporting events. All that to say, the streaming service has slowly become a solid destination for sports fans since arriving early last year.
Amazon could take on UK broadcasters with a smart TV launch
Cutting the cable cord could soon get a lot easier in the UK, as Amazon is getting set to release smart TVs with Fire TV built in, reports the Telegraph. A smart TV from the online retail giant is currently in testing by DTG, a UK standards body for digital terrestrial broadcast equipment. It's not clear who made the TV that's in for testing, but in the US, Amazon's Fire TV-equipped TVs are manufactured by Element Electronics. Best Buy also sells Fire-TV televisions under its in-house Insignia brand.
Sling TV adds à la carte channels, free shows and a rate hike
Sling TV pitches itself as a service for cord cutters, but there's always been one holdover: you've had to subscribe to a bundle of channels you don't necessarily want. Today, though, even that requirement is going away. Sling has introduced a new "experience" that offers access to some content without a bundle-based subscription. There are now certain channels and services available à la carte, for starters. You can subscribe to services like Showtime ($10 per month), CuriosityStream ($6) and the NBA League Pass ($29) on their own. The variety is rather low with just eight channels available so far, but Sling promises more in the months ahead.
T-Mobile and Sprint pitch FCC on the merits of their merger
You've heard T-Mobile and Sprint try to sell you on their proposed merger, but it's now regulators' turn to get an earful. The two carriers have submitted their Public Interest Statement to the FCC outlining the claimed benefits of the union, and it won't surprise you to hear that they've portrayed their move as uniformly positive for the country. They're particularly focused on courting cord-cutters -- they see this as a chance to up-end TV and wired broadband at the same time.
Hulu’s live TV service surpasses 800,000 subscribers
During an interview with CNBC today, Hulu CEO Randy Freer said that the company's live TV service had surpassed 800,000 subscribers, with April being the best month yet for gaining new customers. The live service launched just over a year ago and in January, sources familiar with the company's numbers told CNBC that the live offering had around 450,000 subscribers at the time.
ESPN+ is essential for the cord-cutting sports fan
There are a lot of options for people looking to cut the cord these days, but live sports remains a big hurdle to getting rid of cable. Sure, the likes of Sling TV and others offer streaming access to sports on a range of networks. Those services can cost $30 or more a month, and don't allow you to reap one of the major benefits of not having cable: saving money. A month ago, ESPN extended sports fans an olive branch in the form of ESPN+. While the standalone service doesn't have it all, it's well worth the $5 monthly fee.
