13 Best Services to Watch Lifetime Live Without Cable

cord-cutting › lifetime • December 14, 2024 • Staff

Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Army Wives, and many other popular TV shows have found home in the Lifetime channel.

You can watch Lifetime without cable on Sling Orange, Sling Blue, Philo, Hulu with Live TV, Frndly TV, Now TV, Xfinity Choice TV, Optimum Entertainment TV, DirecTV Stream Choice, DirecTV Stream Premier, Spectrum TV Choice, or Spectrum TV Stream.

The cheapest option to watch Lifetime is Frndly TV for $6.99/month. Unfortunately, you cannot watch Lifetime with YouTube TV, and Fubo.

Below, we count down the top options for how to watch Lifetime that cord-cutters use. We made this ranking based on each service's value: how many other channels each dollar of subscription will get you.

Lifetime on Sling Orange

As Sling’s most bare-bones live TV package, Sling TV Orange still provides a pretty sweet deal. For $40 a month you get more than 30 channels, 50 hours of DVR storage, and the option to customize your channel lineup with “Extras,” additional channel packages catered to your specific interests.

You can also combine Sling Orange with NFL Season Pass for $160 when you prepay for 4 months.

Go to Sling Orange

Price: ~~$40~~ $20

Channel lineup: A&E, AMC, AXS TV, BBC America, BET, Bloomberg Television, Cartoon Network, Charge!, CNN, Comedy Central, Comet, Disney Channel, EPIX Drive-In, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, Food Network, Freeform, Fuse, HGTV, History, IFC, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, Local Now, MGM+, MotorTrend, Nick Jr., QVC, Sling Scapes, TBS, TNT, Travel Channel, Vice

Device availability: Airplay supported, AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Cox, Google TV Streamer, iOS, LG TV, Mi Box, Roku, Samsung TV, TiVo, Vizio, Windows 10, Windows 11, Xbox, Xbox One

Lifetime on Sling Blue

Sling TV Blue lets you be in control of your TV. With a base package of more than 40 channels, you can stream their live and on-demand content whenever you’d like for just $40 a month. Plus, you have the option to customize your package and subscribe to curated add-on channel bundles if the baseline isn’t cutting it.

You can also combine Sling Blue with NFL Season Pass for $160 when you prepay for 4 months.

Go to Sling Blue

Price: ~~$40~~ $20

Channel lineup: A&E, ABC, AMC, AXS TV, BBC America, BET, Bloomberg Television, Bravo, Cartoon Network, Charge!, CNN, Comedy Central, Comet, Discovery Channel, E!, EPIX Drive-In, Food Network, FOX, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, Fuse, FX, HGTV, History, HLN, IFC, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, Local Now, MGM+, MSNBC, National Geographic, NBC, NBC local channels, NFL Network, Nick Jr., QVC, Sling Scapes, SYFY, TBS, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, USA Network, Vice

Device availability: Airplay supported, AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, LG TV, Roku, Samsung TV, Xbox 360

Lifetime on Philo

More than 60 live channels, unlimited DVR storage, and streaming on multiple devices for $28 a month? It’s hard to find a sweeter cord-cutting deal. As good as it is, you do go without some cable mainstays: Philo doesn’t carry any sports channels. But if you get that content elsewhere and you’re fine without it, Philo’s deal is unbeatable.

Go to Philo

Price: $28/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Channel lineup: A&E, AccuWeather Network, AMC, AMC Plus, American Heroes Channel, Animal Planet, aspireTV, AXS TV, BBC America, BBC World News, BET, BET Her, Catchy Comedy, Cheddar News, Cleo TV, CMT, Comedy Central, Cooking Channel, Crackle, Crime-Investigation, Deck the Hallmark, Destination America, Discovery Channel, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, FETV, Food Network, FYI, Game Show Network, GetTV, Great American Family, Great American Living, Gusto TV, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Family, Hallmark Mystery, Heroes & Icons, HGTV, History, IFC, INSP, Investigation Discovery, KIN, Law&Crime, Lifetime, LMN, Logo, Magnolia Network, MeTV, MeTV Toons, Motor Trend, MTV, MTV Classic, MTV Live, MTV2, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Oprah Winfrey Network, Paramount Network, PlayersTV, pocket.watch, Pop TV, RetroCrush, REVOLT, Revry, Ryan and Friends, Science Channel, Smithsonian Channel, Start TV, Story Television, Sundance TV, Tastemade, TeenNick, TLC, Travel Channel, TV Land, TV One, UPtv, Vevo 80s, Vevo 90s, Vevo Country, Vevo Hip-Hop, Vevo Holiday, Vevo Pop, VH1, Vice, WE tv

Device availability: Airplay supported, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, iPhone, Roku, Samsung TV

Lifetime on Sling Orange + Blue

When you combine Sling’s two basic packages, you get the perks of both. The $55 a month price tag gets you 51 channels, 50 hours of DVR storage, and simultaneous use on up to three screens. You don’t have to make any sacrifices on which channels you receive, and you’re still paying less than you would be for cable.

You can also combine Sling Blue with NFL Season Pass for $199 when you prepay for 4 months.

Go to Sling Orange + Blue

Price: ~~$60~~ $40

Channel lineup: A&E, ABC, AMC, AXS TV, BBC America, BET, Bloomberg Television, Bravo, Cartoon Network, Charge!, CNN, Comedy Central, Comet, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, E!, EPIX Drive-In, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, Food Network, FOX, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, Freeform, Fuse, FX, HGTV, History, HLN, IFC, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, Local Now, MotorTrend, MSNBC, National Geographic, NBC, NBC local channels, NFL Network, Nick Jr., QVC, SYFY, TBS, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, USA Network, Vice

Device availability: Airplay supported, AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Cox, Google TV Streamer, iOS, iPhone, LG TV, Mi Box, Roku, Samsung TV, TiVo, Vizio, Vizio Smart TV, Windows 10, Windows 11, Xbox, Xbox One

Lifetime on Hulu with Live TV

Hulu with Live TV ties up its subscribers’ streaming needs in one tidy bow. You get access to all the movies and shows in Hulu’s library, plus over 75 local, regional, and national live channels for $82.99 a month. Since several other streamers offer add-on premium content packages for a fee, with this plan you cut out the middleman and have everything under one roof.

Go to Hulu with Live TV

Price: $82.99/month

Free Trial: 3 days

Channel lineup: A&E, ABC, ABC Localish, ABC News Live, ACC Network, Adult Swim, Animal Planet, BET, Big Ten Network, Bloomberg Television, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CBS, CBS local channels, CBS News, CBS Sports Network, Cheddar News, CMT, C NBC, CNN, CNN International, Comedy Central, Comedy TV, Cozi TV, CW, Dabl, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, E!, ESPN, ESPN College Extra, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, Freeform, FS1, FS2, FX, FXM, FXX, FYI, Golf Channel, Hallmark, Hallmark Mystery, HGTV, History, HLN, ID, Justice Central TV, Lifetime, Lifetime Movies, Localish, Military History Chanel, Motor Trend, MSNBC, MTV, NASA, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic, NBC, NBC local channels, NBC News Now, NBCLX, News Nation, NFL Network, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, OWN, Oxygen, Paramount Network, PBS, PBS local channels, Pop, QVC, RSNs, SEC Network, Smithsonian Channel, Spectrum SportsNet, Start TV, SYFY, TBS, TCM, Telemundo, The Grio, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, TVLand, Universal Kids, USA Network, VH1, Vice, Weather Channel

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, iPhone, LG TV, Nintendo Switch, Roku, Roku TV, Samsung TV, Vizio Smart TV, Xbox

Lifetime on Frndly TV

Frndly TV is a streaming platform focused on family-friendly live TV channels, with an attractive price starting at $6.99. There are three plans, Basic, Classic and Premium, which respectively cost the $6.99 starting price, $8.99, and $10.99. The Basic plan only allows for SD streaming, but both other plans allow for HD. The basic plan doesn't allow for DVR recordings, but the other plans allow for 3 months and 9 months respectively. And lastly, the basic plans allows for only one simultanious stream, but the Classic allows for 2 and the Premium allows for 4.

Go to Frndly TV

Price: $6.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Channel lineup: A&E, AccuWeather, BabyFirst, BYUtv, Circle, Crime-Investigation, Curiosity Channel, DECADES, Dove Channel, Dove Family Movies, Dove Kids, FETV, FMC, FYI, Game Show Netowrk, GetTV, Great American Family, Great American Living, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Family, Hallmark Mystery, Heartland TV, Heroes & Icons, History, INSP, ION Mystery, Justice Central TV, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, Local Now, MeTV, MeTV Toons, Military HISTORY, Outdoor Channel, Pixel, QVC, Recipe.TV, Sportsman Channel, Start TV, Story Television, The History Channel, The Weather Channel, UPtv, Vice, World Fishing Network

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Roku

Lifetime on Now TV

Now TV is the new cable alternative from Comcast (owner of Xfinity). For $20/month, you get over 40 live channels, 20 hours of DVR, and watch on up to three devices. It also doubles as a bundle since you get Peacock Premium included at no additional cost. No need to pay an extra $8/month. And of course, no minimum commitment and you can cancel anytime. To get it, you have to first subscribe or already be a subscriber to Xfinity Internet. You can then add it at checkout. At $20, it is one of the cheapest cord-cutting services out there, especially considering the channels that it offers. It's also one of the few services that offers Netflix in some of its bundles (for more on that, you can check this link).

Go to Now TV

Price: $20/month

Channel lineup: A&E, Afro, AMC, Animal Planet, BBC America, BBC News, Comedy TV, Cooking Channel, Discovery Channel, Discovery Life Channel, Food Network, FYI, GetTV, Great American Family, Great American Living, GSN, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Family, Hallmark Mystery, HGTV, History Channel, ID, IFC, Justice Central TV, Lifetime, LMN, Magnolia Network, Military History Channel, MotorTrend, NBC, OWN, Pursuit, Recipe.TV, Science Channel, Sony Movies, Sundance Channel, The Weather Channel, TLC, Travel Channel, Vice, WEtv

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, iOS

Lifetime on Xfinity Choice TV

For Xfinity internet customers who already have an Xfinity Flex box, you can upgrade your service to Choice TV if you want access to live channels. Alongside premium streaming services that you can link to your Flex box, Choice TV is a good, basic addition to stay connected to heavy hitters like NBC, ABC, and CBS.

Go to Xfinity Choice TV

Price: Varies depending on your location and account history.

Lifetime on Optimum Entertainment TV

Optimum Entertainment TV is a live TV plan that offers about 80 live channels for $30/month, but it's only available to those using Optimum Internet, which starts at $40/month, and an Optimum Stream device, which costs $5/month. Its lineup has yet to feature sports channels and local networks, though it does cover news for the New York tri-state area via its very own News 12 channel. Other notable channels include HGTV, Discovery, History, AMC, Nickelodeon, Hallmark, and Lifetime. For now, Optimum Entertainment TV is only available in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Arkansas, Arizona, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Texas.

Go to Optimum Entertainment TV

Price: $30/month

Channel lineup: A&E, Adventure Sports Network, All Babies, AMC, America's Test Kitchen, American Classics, Animal Planet, Architectural Digest, Backstage, BBC America, BBC News, BET, Bon Appétit, Cheddar, Comedy Central, Cooking Channel, Discovery Channel, Discovery Life, Divorce Court, Fail Army, Family Feud, FilmRise Action, FilmRise Classic TV, FilmRise Free Movies, FilmRise True Crime, Food Network, Food52, Funny or Die, FYI, Game Show Network, Get TV, GoTraveler, GQ, GREAT AMERICAN FAITH & LIVING, Great American Family, Hallmark, Hallmark Family, Hallmark Mystery, HGTV, History Channel, i24, IFC, Investigation Discovery, It's Showtime at the Apollo, Jr., Judge Nosey, Just for Laughs Gags, Kocowa, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, Magnolia Network, MotorTrend, MOTORVISION.TV, MTV, NatureVision, NBC News Now, News 12 NY, News 12 Regional, Nick, Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Nosey, Outdoor America, OWN, Paramount Network, PBS Digital Studios, Pet Collective, Qello Concerts by Stingray, REELZ Famous & Infamous, Science Channel, Scripps News, Stingray Classic Rock, Stingray Greatest Hits, Stingray Hitlist, Stingray Hot Country, Stingray Karaoke, Stingray Soul Storm, Sundance, TLC, Travel Channel, TV Land, USA Today News, VH1, Vice, Vogue, WEtv, Wired, World Poker Tour, Xumo Free Movies, XUMO Free Westerns

Device availability: Optimum Stream

Lifetime on DirecTV Stream Choice

There's a reason why DirecTV Stream Choice is the provider's most popular package to date: it carries over 105 channels, many of which are specialty sports channels like Big Ten Network, MLB Network, and NBA TV; it has local channels and RSNs where available; it offers premium add-ons like Starz and HBO; and maybe most important of all, it's still under a hundred bucks, which is not something you can say about most live TV packages these days. In other words, Stream Choice is for those looking for extra sports coverage while wanting to enjoy the usual benefits of DirecTV, like unlimited screens and DVR, and keeping it all under a reasonable budget.

Go to DirecTV Stream Choice

Price: $83.99/month

Free Trial: 5 days

Channel lineup: A&E, ABC, AMC, Animal Planet, AXS TV, Baby First TV, BBC America, BET, Bloomberg Television, Boomerang, Bravo, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, Cartoon Network, CBS local channels, Cheddar News, CMT, C NBC, C NBC World, CNN, CNN en Espanol, Comedy Central, Comedy TV, Cooking Channel, Cozi TV, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, Disney Jr, Disney XD, E! Entertainment, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, Fanduel TV, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 1, Freeform, Fuse, FX, FXX, Galavision, Game Show Network, Gem Shopping Network, Golf Channel, Great American Family, GRIT, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Mystery, Heroes & Icons, HGTV, History, HLN, Home Shopping Network, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, MeTV, MLB Network, MotorTrend, MSNBC, MTV, MTV2, NBA TV, NBC, NBC local channels, NFL Network, Nick Jr., Nicktoons, One America News, Ovation, OWN, Paramount Network, PBS local channels, PopTV, Pursuit Channel, QVC, QVC2, ReelzChannel, REVOLT, RFD-TV, RSNs, SundanceTV, SYFY, TBS, TCM, TeenNick, Telemundo local channels, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, TV Land, Univision East, Up TV, USA Network, VH1, Vice, WE tv

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Roku TV, Samsung TV

Lifetime on DirecTV Stream Premier

The most cable-like live TV package to date, DirecTV Stream Premier carries every possible channel you can think of. The sports department has ESPN and Fox Sports, to name a few, plus all the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB specialty channels. Meanwhile, the entertainment department has premium networks like HBO, Starz, Cinemax, and Showtime. It even has RSNs and local channels, all of which total more than 150 channels, so if you want your subscription to cover multiple bases, this is as comprehensive as it gets. All this comes to a hefty $160/month, which seems like a lot for a cord-cutting service, but with features like unlimited screens and DVR, it's worth considering if you have the budget to spare.

Go to DirecTV Stream Premier

Price: $169.99/month

Free Trial: 5 days

Channel lineup: A&E, ABC, ACC Network, AMC, American Heroes Channel HD, Animal Planet, Aspire, AXS TV, Baby First TV, BBC America, BBC News, BET, BET Her, Bloomberg Television, Boomerang, Bounce, Bravo, C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, Cartoon Network, CBS local channels, CBS Sports Network, Cheddar News, Cinemax, CMT, C NBC, C NBC World, CNN, CNN en Espanol, Comedy Central, Comedy TV, Cooking Channel, Cozi TV, Destination America, Discovery Channel, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, Disney Channel, Disney Jr, Disney XD, E! Entertainment, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, Fanduel TV, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports FS2, Freeform, Fuse, Fuse Music, FX, FXM, FXX, FYI, Galavision, Game Show Network, Gem Shopping Network, GetTV, Golf Channel, Great American Family, GRIT, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Mystery, HBO, Heroes & Icons, HGTV, History, HLN, Home Shopping Network, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, LMN, Logo, Magnolia Network, MeTV, MLB Network, MotorTrend, MSNBC, MTV, MTV Classic, MTV2, National Geographic Wild, NBA TV, NBC, NBC local channels, NFL Network, NHL Network, Nick Jr., Nicktoons, One America News, Ovation, OWN, Oxygen, Paramount Network, PBS local channels, Pop TV, Pursuit Channel, QVC, QVC2, ReelzChannel, REVOLT, RFD-TV, RSNs, Showtime, Showtime BET, Sportsman Channel, Starz, SundanceTV, SYFY, TBS, TCM, TeenNick, Telemundo local channels, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, TV Land, Universal Kids, Univision East, Up TV, USA Network, VH1, Vice, WE tv

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Roku TV, Samsung TV

Lifetime on Spectrum TV Choice

If you’re a Spectrum internet customer, Spectrum offers a unique deal with its TV Choice package, now with ESPN back after the dispute has been resolved. You take your pick of 15 must-haves from a list of 65 channels, completely customizing your own mini live TV lineup. It’s $30 a month with no cable box and no annual contract, so if you have very streamlined TV interests, it’s a cost-effective move.

Go to Spectrum TV Choice

Price: Varies depending on your location and account history.

Lifetime on Spectrum TV Stream

Exclusive to Spectrum internet users, Spectrum TV Stream is a live TV cord-cutting service that costs $40/month. It's cheaper than Spectrum's other TV plans, but that's because it doesn't carry sports and local channels—only news and entertainment. Some of the more notable ones include Disney, CNN, Fox, AMC, Discovery, and for classic Hollywood fans out there, the elusive TCM. It may not seem like much, especially when you compare it to similarly priced packages like Sling Orange, which for the same price covers sports, but it could be an attractive option for Spectrum users looking to pay for everything under one bill and who only need select cable channels to get their TV fix.

Go to Spectrum TV Stream

Price: Varies depending on your location and account history.

[back to top]

Let's recap the streaming services that allow you to watch Lifetime without cable.

What is the cheapest way to watch Lifetime?

The most cost-efficient way to watch Lifetime content is to get a subscription to Frndly TV for $6.99/month.

How to get a free trial to Lifetime?

You can get a limited time free trial to Lifetime by subscribing to Philo, Hulu with Live TV, Frndly TV, DirecTV Stream Premier, or DirecTV Stream Choice.

How to watch Lifetime for free?

Unfortunately there are no streaming services that offer Lifetime completely for free. That said, as we mentioned above you can get it for free for a limited time by subscribing to a service with a free trial. Here they are, this time ranked by which one offers the longest free trial:

How to get a Lifetime live stream?

The platforms that will get you a Lifetime live stream are:

[back to top]

How to watch Lifetime on Roku?

You can watch Lifetime on your Roku device by subscribing to Sling Orange, Sling Blue, Philo, Sling Orange + Blue, Hulu with Live TV, Frndly TV, Xfinity Choice TV, Spectrum TV Stream, Spectrum TV Choice, DirecTV Stream Premier, or DirecTV Stream Choice.

How to watch Lifetime on an Amazon Fire TV?

Lifetime can be accessed on an Amazon Fire TV device by subscribing to Sling Orange, Sling Blue, Philo, Sling Orange + Blue, Hulu with Live TV, Frndly TV, Now TV, DirecTV Stream Premier, or DirecTV Stream Choice.

How to watch Lifetime on an Apple TV device?

The streaming services that include Lifetime and are available on Apple TV are Sling Orange, Sling Blue, Philo, Sling Orange + Blue, Hulu with Live TV, Frndly TV, Spectrum TV Stream, Spectrum TV Choice, DirecTV Stream Premier, and DirecTV Stream Choice.

How to watch Lifetime on a computer?

On a web browser head to the websites of Sling Orange, Sling Blue, Philo, Sling Orange + Blue, Hulu with Live TV, Frndly TV, Xfinity Choice TV, Spectrum TV Stream, Spectrum TV Choice, DirecTV Stream Premier, or DirecTV Stream Choice to start watching Lifetime.

[back to top]

How to watch Lifetime on iOS (iPhone or iPad)?

You can watch Lifetime on an iPhone or iPad by subscribing to Sling Orange, Sling Blue, Philo, Sling Orange + Blue, Hulu with Live TV, Frndly TV, Now TV, Spectrum TV Stream, Spectrum TV Choice, DirecTV Stream Premier, or DirecTV Stream Choice.

How to watch Lifetime on an Android phone?

You can watch Lifetime on an Android device such as Samsung or Google Pixel by subscribing to Sling Orange, Sling Blue, Philo, Sling Orange + Blue, Hulu with Live TV, Frndly TV, Now TV, Spectrum TV Stream, Spectrum TV Choice, DirecTV Stream Premier, or DirecTV Stream Choice.

How to watch Lifetime on an Android TV?

You can watch Lifetime on a Smart TV that runs on Android by getting a subscription to Sling Orange, Sling Blue, Philo, Sling Orange + Blue, Hulu with Live TV, Frndly TV, Spectrum TV Stream, Spectrum TV Choice, DirecTV Stream Premier, or DirecTV Stream Choice.

How to watch Lifetime on an Xbox?

You can watch Lifetime on an Xbox console through Sling Orange, Sling Orange + Blue, Hulu with Live TV, Spectrum TV Stream, or Spectrum TV Choice.

[back to top]

How to pay for a Lifetime subscription with Paypal?

The services that accept Paypal and carry Lifetime are: Sling Orange, Sling Blue, Philo, Sling Orange + Blue, Hulu with Live TV, Now TV, Spectrum TV Stream, Spectrum TV Choice, DirecTV Stream Premier, and DirecTV Stream Choice.

How to pay for a Lifetime subscription with Apple Pay?

The services that accept Paypal and carry Lifetime are: Sling Orange, Sling Blue, Philo, and Sling Orange + Blue.

How to pay for a Lifetime subscription with Google Pay?

The services that accept Paypal and carry Lifetime are: Sling Orange, Sling Blue, Philo, and Sling Orange + Blue.