Key insights

• Cable alternatives like Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV offer customization and flexibility that you don't always get with streaming services.
• The YouTube TV basic plan includes popular channels like ABC, CBS, NBC, and more.
• YouTube TV has special packages for sports fans, with options like NFL RedZone and NFL Sunday Ticket.

Alternatives to cable have become incredibly well established over the last ten years. Eventually, many people realized that being locked into a cable contract wasn't the right circumstance for them. But that doesn't mean they don't want to enjoy cable TV anymore – it just means they don't want to be subject to the parameters set by the cable companies. Some of the alternatives are free, but you may have to do a little heavy lifting to get broadcast signals in your area with one Smart TV antenna.

However, even an antenna won't always give you the strongest signals and you won't be able to choose which channels you want. You have to make do with what it can hold. Pluto TV has live channels and is free, but they are curated channels and won't give you the channels you might be used to. If you don't mind paying for some form of entertainment but don't want to sign up for a cable contract, there are plenty of options available to you. Hulu + Live TV gives you access to Hulu Originals as well as live TV channels to keep you up to date.

YouTube TV is another popular option that lets you stream the TV channels you want, not all the ones you don't. It is completely unique as you can choose a package and then add a variety of different channels. So what channels are generally available to choose from on YouTube TV?

What channels are included in the YouTube TV basic plan?

It's the plan you need to start with

To start your YouTube TV trial, you'll need to sign in. There is currently a promotion where you can get $23 off each of the first two months, meaning it only costs $50 per month. The Basic YouTube TV Subscription Plan is the basic plan you start with and get regardless of what else you add. There are numerous popular channels such as ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, TBS, CNN, BBC America and more.

The channel list includes:

• ABC
• CBS
• FOX
• NBC
• ABC News
• ACC Network
• AMC
• AMC thriller
• All Reality WE TV
• Swimming for adults
• Animal planet
• BBC America
• BBC News
• BET
• You BET
• Big Ten Network
• Bravo
• Bounce
• CBS Sports Network
• CNBC
• CNBC World
• CNN
• Cartoon Network
• Charge!
• Cheddar
• Cheddar news
• Country Music Television
• Comedy Central
• Comedy TV
• comet
• CourtTV
• Cozy TV
• Dabl
• discovery
• Disney
• Disney Junior
• Disney XD
• Docudrama
• Pigeon Canal
• E!
• ESPN
• ESPN2
• ESPNU
• ESPNews
• FOX business
• FOX News
• FOX SOUL
• FOX Weather
• FS1
• FS2
• FX
• FXM
• FXX
• Food Network
• Freeform
• Galavision
• GetTV
• Golf Channel
• Game Show Network
• Hallmark Channel
• Hallmark family
• Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
• HGTV
• HLN
• HSN
• IFC
• ID
• ION
• Justice Central TV
• Law and crime
• Live Now FOX
• Now local
• Local ABC
• Magnolia Network
• MSNBC
• Motor trend
• MTV
• MTV2
• MTV classics
• My TV network
• NBA TV
• NBC News Now
• NBC Universe
• NBCSN
• NBC LX
• NEON
• Nat Geo Wild
• NatGeo
• Newsmax
• News Nation
• NFL Network
• Nickelodeon
• Nick Jr.
• Nicktoons
• Orlando City FC
• OWN
• oxygen
• Oxygen true crime
• Paramount Network
• PBS
• PBS Children
• PCMag
• pop
• Portlandia
• QVC
• RecipeTV
• Scripps news
• SEC Network
• Smithsonian Channel
• StartTV
• Stories from AMC
• Sundance TV
• SYFY
• T2
• Still open
• TBS
• TCM
• TLC
• TNT
• TYT
• Made to taste
• TeenNick
• Telehit
• Telemundo
• The CW
• The signature collection of Great Courses
• Trvl
• truTV
• TVLand
• USA
• Unimas
• Universal children
• Univision
• VH1
• The Walking Dead universe
• WETV
• The Weather Channel
• World at war
• YouTube Originals

For the most part, these channels remain the same. But there are occasional tweaks by adding new channels and deleting some channels from the program.

Which channels are available as add-ons?

You can select individual channels and add them to your basic plan

Once you've chosen your basic plan, you can add additional channels to your subscription. It's similar to the ability to add premium channels to your cable packages – many of which can also be added to YouTube TV. With the option to add channels or packages, you can customize your package more than almost any other streaming service that offers live TV.

Some of the additional channels can also be purchased as standalone channels, so you don't need a basic plan for them.

The additional channels or packages are as follows:

• Acorn TV
• AllBlk
• AMC+
• Atresplayer
• BET+
• Cinemax
• Comedy dynamic
• CON TV
• Curiosity Stream
• Dekkoo
• Docurama
• Pigeon Canal
• Fandor
• Filipino Plus
• Fox Nation
• Gaea
• GMA Pinoy TV
• Hallmark+
• Max
• Watch TV here
• Hello-Yah!
• Hopster learning
• IFC
• Law and crime
• Magnolia selection
• MGM+
• Moviesphere
• My outdoor TV
• NBA League Pass
• External functions
• PokerGo
• Qello concerts by Stingray
• RCN Total
• ScreenPix
• Writing box
• Paramount+ with Showtime
• Shudder
• Starz
• Stingray Classica
• Stingray DJazz
• Sundance Now
• Made to taste
• Up Faith & Family
• VixPremium
• VSiN
• WNBA League Pass
• YouTube TV Entertainment Plus
• YouTube TV Sports Plus
• Zee

With the option to add channels or packages, you can customize your package more than almost any other streaming service that offers live TV.

Which channels are only included in special packages?

The biggest draw for YouTube TV is NFL RedZone

YouTube TV is an ideal choice for sports lovers. As I listed above, there are a number of sports channels included in different packages. But you can also choose packages that are completely geared towards sports. The most popular is NFL RedZone, which allows fans to watch every NFL game in the “red zone” so they don't miss any touchdowns or field goals.

You can choose the YouTube TV basic plan plus NFL Sunday Ticket, which gives you access to every single NFL game every Sunday. You will need to make four monthly payments of $168, and then the monthly payments will be $73 per month.

You can get an NFL Sunday Ticket without having to purchase the RedZone package.

However, if you just want RedZone, you can choose the NFL RedZone with Sports Plus add-on package. This package includes:

• Billiard TV
• Fox Soccer Plus
• Fanuel TV
• Battle Network
• Effects!
• MavTV
• NFL RedZone
• Outside TV+
• Over time
• Player TV
• PokerGo
• Sports grid
• stadium
• Tennis Channel
• VSiN
• beIN Sports

If sports isn't your thing – but you're interested in Spanish or Filipino packages – there's a Spanish Plus add-on, a Spanish plan and a Filipino Plus add-on.

The channels included in the Spanish plan compared to the Spanish Plus add-on are as follows:

Finally, the Filipino Plus add-on includes:

• GMA Life TV
• GMA News Television
• GMA Pinoy TV
• TFC