It's no secret that cable television has been on life support for a while now. The Age of Streaming is upon us and frankly the option to watch a huge library of shows on-demand with no commercials at a low monthly price is just a better deal than cable.
There remain a few things that streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus have not perfected, however. Those would be live events, news, and sports.
Enter fuboTV, which started primarily as an outlet for streaming sports channels but has since become a full-blown cable alternative with over 100 streaming “cable” channels like USA, AMC, HGTV, Nickelodeon, FX, and The Hallmark Channel. They provide a good source for sports, news, and live programming that you wouldn't get from Netflix. Read on for my fuboTV review.
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Feature Overview
You get an extensive amount of content with fuboTV. The channel line-up varies by zip code, but you can see the full list on their website here. Not only is there a huge selection of sports channels like the NFL Network, ESPN, and FS1 but most standard channels you'd see on a typical cable package are here including local channels, too (with the exception of PBS).
Just like you would with a typical cable service, you have the option to record shows, minus the equipment since everything is recorded to a “cloud DVR” and is streamed over the internet. Their main package includes 250 hours of cloud storage and can stream from 3 screens in a household at a time.
Everything goes through the FuboTV app, which is available on most smart TVs and streaming devices like Roku, Chromecast, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. Additionally, FuboTV can be watched on computers, tablets, and smartphones (both Android and iPhone) either through your web browser or through the app.
One notable feature is a large library of on-demand content. This can be helpful if you forget to record a show, but take note that lots of the on-demand content does not allow you to skip commercials, which is a pretty frustrating setback.
Pricing
fuboTV's base package (referred to as the “Starter” package) is going to be the option that will satisfy most viewers. For this package you get 250 hours of cloud DVR space, the option to stream from three different devices at one time (e.g. your kids stream TV downstairs while you stream a different show upstairs), and 100+ channels for $64.99/month. There are no extra fees and you can cancel at any time without a contract commitment.
The next option is the “Elite” package for $79.99/month. This adds 46 additional sports and entertainment channels like the MLB Network, NBA Network, Cooking Channel, Game Show Network, and MTV 2. You'll also get an upgraded 1000 hours of cloud DVR space and the option to stream on 10 devices at once, making this a better option for large families that record a lot of shows.
Finally, there is an option for Spanish language channels for $33/month and additional add-ons for premium networks including Showtime, Starz, and Epix.
Get a free trial PLUS 15% off your first month when you sign up here.
fuboTV vs Hulu Plus Live TV vs Youtube TV vs Sling
If you are looking to compare fuboTV to similar services like Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and Sling be aware that the main differences between each service will be the channel line-up and recording features.
The main packages for fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV are all currently set at the same price for $64.99/month. Sling is the cheaper option at only $35/mo. but you get significantly fewer channels and won't get any local channels from the big networks like CBS, Fox, and NBC.
Hulu's live TV option offers the convenience of bundling your live TV together with a standard Hulu subscription, however, they have a much more limited selection of channels and only 50 hours of cloud storage.
fuboTV's closest competitor is definitely YouTube TV. Their services start out at the same price but YouTube TV offers unlimited cloud storage for recorded shows, which is a very nice feature. Still, fuboTV has more channels than YouTube TV so this is really going to come down to whether you want fubo's channel lineup or Youtube's cloud storage.
Again, the channel lineups do vary by region so I would definitely encourage you to look through their website to see which channel package seems better for you.
fuboTV Review Final Thoughts
fuboTV offers an excellent range of features and a huge assortment of channels. My experience with fubo has been pretty seamless, although the rewinding and fast-forwarding features aren't that great and I do wish the cloud DVR could automatically delete older content to free up space.
If you are looking to “cut the cord” from a traditional cable service, but still want the ability to watch live shows (including local channels) fuboTV is a superior choice.
Hope you enjoyed this fuboTV review! Have you tried fubo? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below!
Sign up here and get a free trial of fuboTV PLUS 15% off your first month!
Where to stream: fubo.tv or the fuboTV app
Best for: Sports fans, news junkies, people who can't quite give up the old ways of cable television
Shall I stream it? Yup.
