The COVID-era brought about a significant change in our lifestyle. Staying within the confines of our houses for months made us turn towards technology for entertainment purposes. Many streaming services allow their customers to relish the smooth Live TV streaming experience on their iPhones and iPads.
Currently, the market offers a wide range of platforms devoted to Live TV streaming for iOS and iPadOS. However, finding the right one that fits your preferences and budget can be a task. So here is a list of the best Live TV apps for iPhone and iPad.
Note: Though these apps are free to download, you’ll need subscription plans to access most of the content they provide.
1. YouTube TV – Editor’s choice
YouTube TV thrives as one of the best free live TV apps. The online platform lets you avoid the hassle cable TV brings with itself. In addition, YouTube TV offers access to more than 85 channels to new subscribers with a Base plan.
Coming to the content library, YouTube TV takes the bar much higher than other streaming portals. From typical cable-TV channels to the not-so-common ones, you can stream 100+ channels here. Moreover, YouTube TV allows users to enjoy live content streaming and get on-demand shows on iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. In addition, the platform lets you access local affiliate channels like CBS, NBC, FOX, etc., by entering your ZIP code.
If you are using YouTube TV for Live TV, you get 4K streaming, high-end DVR features, offline viewing of DVR recordings, and unrestricted simultaneous streams on your registered home network. You get access to 1080p HD streaming and a framerate of 60 FPS (Frames per second). YouTube TV spoils its customers by offering multiple subscription packages for different budgets and preferences.
Pros
- Wide range of sports and news channels
- Subscription-sharing facility, up to 6 YouTube TV accounts within a family
- DVR recordings stored for 9 months
- Add-on packages for sports lovers
Cons
- Loading issues disrupt Live TV at times
Price: Free
2. Apple TV – Budget-friendly 4K streaming
Apple launched its exclusive streaming platform Apple TV+ in 2019 to allow users to enjoy Live TV for sports, news, movies, and web shows. The user-friendly interface, authentic programming, and various products give the platform an edge over its competitors. In addition, the platform provides pocket-friendly subscription plans that start at $6.99 per month.
Enjoy high-definition 4K streaming clubbed with Dolby Atmos support on the Apple TV+ app. Apple has recently announced a 10-year streaming deal with the top-rated soccer league Major League Soccer (MLS).
As per reports, some of the upcoming shows on Apple TV+ are Ted Lasso – Season 3, Extrapolations, Monster Factory, My Kind of Country, The Big Door Prize, Tetris, etc. In case you didn’t know, Apple gives three months of free Apple TV+ subscription with the purchase of a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac.
The portal allows you to access high-quality premium features and download content for convenient offline viewing on iOS. If you are an ardent live TV fan, you must be aware of the constant pain that popup ads bring with them. However, with Apple TV+, you don’t have to worry about these ads.
Pros
- Offline downloads on iOS
- 4K and HDR streaming, Dolby Atmos
- Seamless accessibility and UI
Cons
- Limited content compared to competitors
- Live TV limited to sports and news channels
Price: Free
3. Sling TV – User-friendly live streaming
Sling TV can be a perfect choice if you are looking for trusted, cost-friendly, and efficient free live TV apps. The platform offers two base plans to choose from, namely, Sling Orange and Sling Blue. You can buy Sling Orange or Sling Blue individually or combine both base plans to enjoy more features, channels, and services. Use Sling Free to watch thousands of hours of free live TV.
Each plan has its benefits and limitations. For instance, Sling Blue does not support ESPN, so if you are a sportsperson, I suggest you check Sling Orange. Sling Orange offers 32+ channels, Sling Blue offers 42+ channels, and the combo has 50+ channels. Recently, Sling added ABC local affiliates to 8 regional markets. With the Sling Freestream option, you get to stream for free.
You can pick the most feasible Sling TV plan using the in-built Service Optimizer Tool. The portal provides 50 hours of cloud DVR storage without extra cost. You can also record multiple shows running at the same time simultaneously. Sling Orange allows streaming on one device, while Sling Blue allows streaming on four devices. With the combo pack, you can stream four screens at a time.
Pros
- Rewind, fast-forward, and pause allowed on live TV
- Low starting cost
- Huge catalog of content
- Special add-on plans
Cons
- No free trial period
- Limited local affiliates
Price: Free
4. fuboTV – Curated for sports lovers
If you are a sports lover, fuboTV can be a perfect choice amongst the best Live TV apps for iPhone and iPad. The platform thrives as an excellent sports streaming app for NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, and NCAA. The app operates in the U.S., Canada, France, and Spain.
fuboTV supports 100+ channels laid out in a variety of plans. In addition, you get access to 1,000+ hours of DVR storage and an exquisite range of sports channels. The list includes channels covering college, national, and international sports. Apart from the regular games, you can also view non-traditional games such as adventure sports, F1 racing, and cycling. In addition, you can watch Spanish and Portuguese sports channels on fuboTV.
The portal works on iOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, Android, Android TV, and Windows PC. You can watch three shows simultaneously, though there is an extra charge for additional streams. There are three plans for English language users and one for Spanish people on fuboTV.
The Pro plan has 125+ channels and three screen streams, and the Elite plan supports 178 channels and streaming to up to 10 screens. The third plan is the Ultimate Plan, which offers 214 channels and incorporates the Sports Plus included with the NFL RedZone channel, Showtime, and the News Plus pack.
Pros
- Fast-forward or skip ads on recorded shows
- Supports Euro sports leagues
- Wide range of sport content
Cons
- Costly
- Does not support local sports channels
Price: Free
5. DirecTV – Enjoy regional TV
DirecTV is a market-leading platform for enjoying live TV apps on iOS for free. It allows you to get away with cable or satellite subscriptions and lets you view TV programs at your convenience. However, the portal spoils customers by offering over 150 channels in its premium plan.
You can access DirecTV on Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, Android, Roku, smart TVs, and PCs. The live-streaming app offers access to top-rated networks like CBS and FOX News, and ESPN channels. DirecTV offers different plans for customers with different budgets and choices. The lowest-priced plan available here is the Entertainment plan. You can find popular sports, entertainment, and news channel in this plan.
The second plan, Choice, lets you stream regional sports networks connected to your area. For instance, if you are from New York, you can watch SNY, YES, and MSG on DIRECTV STREAM. Where the Entertainment plan offers 65+ channels, the Choice plan gives 90+ channels. The premium package of DirecTV is called Ultimate or Premier.
Pros
- Add premier pack channels to lower-level packs with an extra charge
- Unlimited DVR storage
- Bookmark allows you to add on-demand shows to your watchlist
- Massive channel portfolio
Cons
- Does not provide an NFL Sunday ticket
- Poor content search features
- Higher lag times
Price: Free
6. Hulu – Customized live TV experience
Hulu shines as one of the industry’s most trusted and oldest streaming apps. The basic version of the platform does not include Live TV, as the latter forms part of the additional subscription plan. If you are an existing Hulu user, you can quickly switch to the additional subscription and enjoy the Hulu Live TV app experience on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, and other smart TVs.
The basic plan on Hulu comes at $7.99 per month. If you want to work on the add-free version, you must pay $14.99/month to the portal. You can include add-ons like HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and Starz. In addition, the platform lets you club your Hulu subscriptions with Disney Plus and ESPN and boost your savings on the original subscription cost of these platforms.
The Live TV streaming service is available as a part of the Hulu+ Live TV subscription plan. This plan offers access to 85+ channels in different fields. In addition, the Live TV option allows you to record your shows for 50 hours. However, through add-ons, you can increase this period.
Pros
- Low basic plan monthly cost
- Fast updates of shows
- Option of bundling and add-ons
- Free trial
Cons
- Smaller content library
- Missing seasons of old shows
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $7.99)
7. Plex – Enjoy live and on-demand TV
If you are looking for the best app for watching TV live, Plex must be one of your top choices. This excellent app provides a diverse content library beyond just the freebie channels. You can find over 250 live-streaming channels and 50,000+ on-demand TV shows and movies here.
One of the most exciting features of Plex is its ability to include your paid subscription services into the Plex cluster to curate a customized ‘one-stop solution’ for a personalized streaming experience. You can download Plex for free on iOS phones, iOS tablets, Android devices, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast with Google TV, Samsung smart TVs, and many more.
Plex offers a free account to customers where you get to access all the basic streaming and media functionalities. In addition, it allows you to cast media to other devices and supports many media formats, including 4K. For high-level services, you can switch to the Plex Pass account, which costs $4.99/month, $39.99/year, or $149.99 for lifetime access.
The premium account includes features such as auto-tagging, automatic lyrics, Live TV support through an antenna or tuner, and offline mobile syncing. In addition, multiuser support is available on the Plex Pass account.
Pros
- Seamless setup
- Growing content library
- DVR storage
Cons
- Lengthy and frequent ads
Price: Free (In-app purchases start at $4.99)
8. Pluto TV – Free live TV
Pluto TV shines as one of the best live TV apps for iPhone and iPad. Owned by Paramount Global, Pluto TV works without a monthly subscription fee module. Moreover, the app is compatible with multiple devices like Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Samsung smart TV, etc.
As part of the content library, you get more than 250 live-streaming TV channels for free. The list includes news channels like Pluto News, CNN, CBSN, Bloomberg TV, and Newsmax TV, sports channels like Fox Sports, CBS Sports HQ, and NFL Channel, and entertainment channels like Comedy Central, VH1, MTV, Nickelodeon, etc. You get access to various on-demand movies and television shows as well.
The platform is available in the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Germany.
Pros
- Free to access
- Diverse content library
- No account registration
Cons
- Too many ads
Price: Free
Wrapping up
Live TV streaming lets you immerse in the magic of television, movies, and shows from the comfort of your home. Unfortunately, while many platforms allow you to watch live TV, finding the best from the lot can take time and effort. That’s where I hope this created list of the best live TV apps for iPhone and iPad will come in handy.
You can choose the plan that fits your budget and offers shows that suit your interests. Though I have tried to enlist the most feasible ones here, you can still enlighten me with your favorite apps not included in the list.
Read more:
- Best movie apps for iPad and iPhone
- Best anime streaming apps for iPhone and iPad
- Best iPhone apps to track movies and TV shows
