How to Watch PBS Without Cable

Intro: How to Watch PBS Without Cable

“Viewers like you” continue to support PBS, which is now over fifty years old. For cord cutters, however, you might wonder how to watch PBS without cable?

This article will break down everything you need to know in order to watch PBS without cable for free. 

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What's on PBS?

America’s leading public broadcaster has a mixture of programming that appeals to all ages. This includes shows for children, documentaries, news, and local programs as well as comedies and dramas from around the world. 

Some of the most popular shows on PBS include:

PBS member stations also have their own shows that are local to your area. 

Stream for Free with the PBS App or on PBS.org

Unlike some of the other local channels like ABC or NBC, you don’t need to sign in with a television provider to watch PBS online. As a public broadcaster, it is widely available for free. 

Most member stations offer a live feed of their broadcast online for free, either at PBS.org or by downloading the PBS app. 

To watch it on the website, just navigate to PBS.org, select your member station, and click on “Live TV” in the upper-right hand corner of the screen.

As for the app, it’s available on the following devices:

• iOS (Apple devices)
• Android
• Roku
• Apple TV
• Amazon Fire TV
• Samsung TV (Tizen)
• Android TV
• Chromecast

On Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Samsung TV devices, you will need to activate the PBS app after downloading. First navigate to pbs.org/activate and enter the code that is displayed on your screen in the app. Now you can watch your PBS station! 

You won’t need to activate if you’re using an iOS or Android mobile device like a tablet or a smartphone. 

Besides the live feed of your PBS station, many shows are available to watch for free on-demand through the PBS app or on PBS.org. To get extended access to everything, however, you’ll need PBS Passport (more on that below).

What About PBS Kids?

To watch videos and shows from PBS Kids like Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood or Arthur, you’ll need to go to PBSKids.org or download the PBS Kids app.

Like the PBS app for grown-ups, your kiddos can watch their local PBS Kids channel for free through either the app or the website. There’s also numerous fun, educational activities for kids 2-8 on the website and on the PBS Kids apps.

PBS Passport

As a reminder, you can access the live feed of your PBS station as well as recent on-demand episodes of PBS programs for free on both PBS.org and through the PBS app. To get extended access to the back catalog of PBS shows, however, you’ll need to become a PBS Passport member. 

When you make a tax-deductible recurring donation of $5 or more to your local PBS station, you’ll unlock PBS Passport. This gives you access to over 1,500 episodes of PBS shows, including early access to some Masterpiece shows.

Some of these include:

New! Watch with Local Now

In December 2022 PBS announced that they will begin streaming over 300 of their local stations, as well as PBS Kids, through the free Local Now app.

Local Now is a free platform that provides local news and entertainment across over 450 live streaming channels. 

The rollout of PBS stations to Local Now will being in December 2022 and will last a few months before its final completion in 2023. Local Now also offers a free streaming channel with content from PBS Digital Studios. 

PBS Add-on Channels for Amazon and Apple

In addition to PBS Passport, you can get extended access to the PBS catalog with premium channel add-ons from Amazon and Apple. This allows you watch PBS content through the same app as your other shows and movies. 

Amazon

For Amazon, there are four PBS channels (and one in the UK) you can add to watch alongside other content in the Prime Video app or on the Prime Video website. You must be an Amazon Prime or Prime Video member to add these channels.

These include:

• PBS Documentaries: $3.99 a month after a seven day free trial. Highlights include: Ken Burns documentaries, various episodes of Nature, Finding Your Roots*, This Emotional Life*, The French Chef *
• PBS Living: $2.99 a month after a seven day free trial. Highlights include: Antiques Roadshow, Art21, American’s Test Kitchen, Lidia Celebrates America, The French Chef*, Finding Your Roots*

*These shows, among others, are on both PBS Documentaries and PBS Living. 

• PBS Masterpiece: $5.99 a month after a seven day free trial. Highlights include: All Creatures Great and Small, Broadchurch, Hotel Portofino, Endeavour, Les Misérables, Howards End, The Forsyte Saga
• PBS America on Demand (offered in the UK): £3.49 after a seven day free trial. Highlights include: documentaries from Ken Burns, NOVA, Frontline, and American Experience
• PBS Kids: $4.99 a month after a seven day free trial. Highlights include: Wild Kratts, Arthur, Caillou, Reading Rainbow, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Dinosaur Train, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Take note that HBO Max has the streaming rights to Sesame Street.

Apple

With Apple, PBS Living is offered as a channel through the Apple TV app. 

Here’s what you need to know:

• PBS Living: $2.99 a month after a seven day free trial. Highlights include: Finding Your Roots, Antiques Roadshow, The French Chef, America’s Test Kitchen, The Great American Recipe.

Watch with an Antenna

Let’s not forget cord cutters can always watch local channels with a TV antenna, including PBS. This will give you access to PBS, as well as its sub channels like PBS Kids and (in some markets) PBS Create. 

Antennas have come a long way since the days of the traditional rabbit ears. In the digital era, you can pick up dozens of local channels with an antenna and even cast it to multiple TVs over Wifi using an over-the-air DVR such as the ones made by Tablo. 

For some antennas that we recommend, check out our page on Amazon by clicking the button below!

Watch with a Live TV Streaming Service

Live TV streaming services make it easy to watch TV over the internet without cable. There’s no equipment needed, no annual contracts, and their cloud DVRs allow you to record shows in a snap. 

If you’re thinking about signing up for a live TV streaming service and want to make sure it includes PBS, pay attention to the channel lineup. Several of these services do not include PBS.

Services WITHOUT PBS include: Hulu + Live TV, fuboTV, Sling TV, Philo, Frndly TV, and Vidgo.

The two services that INCLUDE PBS are YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream. To sign up for either of these services, click on the buttons below and for more on YouTube TV check out our review here.

Final Thoughts: How to Watch PBS Without Cable

PBS has entered into the streaming age in multiple ways. If you want to watch PBS without cable, you’ve got options! 

How do you plan to watch PBS? Have you tried out any of these methods? Let us know if the comment section below!