Here's everything you need to know about the world of television for Tuesday, September 30th, 2025:
SOME OPTIONS FOR BUILDING YOUR IDEAL LIVE TV BUNDLE
As I mentioned yesterday, I have been a subscriber of Hulu Live TV since it launched. Even though I find its interface is buggy and it refuses to do even the simplest tasks consistently. But I have kept it this long because my son is a super sports fan. Which means I need live sports feeds.
But if you are looking for alternatives, I have some suggestions that will come very close to completely replacing Hulu Live TV at a lower cost. I'll also include some suggestions for other mini-bundle options to help you find the perfect balance between your pocketbook and having the channels you need.
And even if you don't have Hulu Live TV, this is a complete rundown of what is available at the moment. While it's possible to save a bit of money if you are only interested in a specific genre of television, this is more about finding what works for you and helping you to curate the firehouse of programming options available right now.
I want an alternative that is as close to Hulu Live TV as possible.
Assuming that you're not interested in going back to traditional cable or satellite television, the only real option is YouTube TV. It has basically the same channel lineup as Hulu Live TV, and costs roughly the same (currently $82.99 a month). You can't bundle Hulu with it, but the user interface is much cleaner than the one for Hulu Live TV.
Although if you are looking for a better moral choice than Disney, I'm not convinced that Google-owned YouTube TV is any improvement.
I want something that sort of looks like the old basic cable TV lineup.
There are a couple of platforms that offer some sort of mini-live TV bundle. I think the best choice right now is the DirecTV entertainment bundle, which costs $34.99 a month and includes ad-supported versions of the Disney+/Hulu bundle and HBO Max as part of the package.
Here is the current channel lineup being offered in most areas:
What's missing compared to Hulu Live TV: local affiliates and live sports channels (see below for suggestions). Also, Bloomberg TV, Cartoon Network, Disney, Disney Jr., Fox Weather, Fox Soul, Great American Family, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Mystery, Newsmax, News Nation, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., PBS (in some areas), QVC, Smithsonian, TBS, TCM, The Weather Channel, TNT, TruTV, Univision, USA, as well as some smaller digital-only networks.
Another option is the entertainment-centric platform Philo. Most of its major linear channels were added after several major media companies took a equity slice of the service when Philo launched. So its lineup is a bit quirky and mostly would work for viewers primarily interested in lifestyle, unscripted and some drama programming.
For $28 a month, you get the channels below. Which does include several networks you won't find elsewhere (AMC, BBC America, the Hallmark Networks), along with the Paramount-owned kids networks. But no news channels, none of the NBCU-owned networks like Bravo or E!. And while the old Scripps Networks channels are available, the old Turner linear networks such as TBS are not.
There are a couple of other features worth noting. Philo includes an unlimited DVR and up to three people can watch at the same time.
What? Just some or even no kids channels? Are you trying to make sure that my kids will grow up hating me?
One option is the DirecTV My Kids Bundle, which costs $19.99 a month and includes Baby First, Boomerang, Discovery Family, Disney Channel, Disney Jr., Disney XD, DirecTV Kids Mix, LoLo Kids, MeTV Kids, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and Nicktoons.
How about those Hallmark Channels? How can I replace those?
As I mentioned above, Philo is an option. But the niche live and on demand TV platform Frndly TV is another option. It includes the Hallmark channels as well as the AMC Networks channels and the Weather Channel. But most of the rest of its lineup is comprised of a lot of smaller digital-only networks. 
Frndly TV costs $7.99 month, billed annually for the basic tier, which includes unlimited DVR recording that is saved three months and two simultaneous screens. The Premium tier costs $9.99 month, billed annually, which includes unlimited DVR recording that is saved nine months and four simultaneous screens.
I'm sorry, but not having access to TCM is a dealbreaker for me.
Because of its corporate ownership, TCM tends to be lumped in with its other sister linear networks during carriage negotiations. Which means its often lost in the shuffle.
But one option is the DirecTV My Cinema bundle, which is available to MyEntertainment, MyNews and MySports customers for $9.99/month. It includes FMC, Great American Family, Grit, INSP, LMN, Shorts TV, Smithsonian Channel, Sony Movies and TCM.
I don't want to give any more money than necessary to Disney. But I need my live sports.
You are not the only person who feels that way. Which explains why sports programming is the most expensive part of any TV package.
Sports fans are in a weird spot. There is more programming available nationally than in any other time in history. But it is scattered across a growing number of platforms. So when it comes to sports, it really depends on what sports you care about most. Then you find the easiest way to cover all the games you care about.
Here are the best current options:
Fox One Sports App
FOX One combines all of Fox's News, Sports and Entertainment branded programming together in one streaming platform. The programming includes FOX News Channel, FOX Business, FOX Weather, FOX Sports, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, FOX Deportes, FOX Local Stations and the FOX Network as well as the option to bundle FOX Nation and B1G+ within one platform.
Fox One costs $19.99 a month. A Fox One/Fox Nation bundle costs $24.99 a month. An add-on subscription to B1G+ costs $12.99 a month.
ESPN DTC Sports App
This newly beefed up app carries all of the ESPN programming and games, although weirdly, not everything that streams on ESPN+. Besides stand-alone games, all of the ESPN linear channels as well as some other regional and league-centric channels are available live: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN 3, ESPN on ABC, ESPN News, ESPNU, ESPN Depportes, SEC Network, SEC Network+, ACC Network, ACC Network X, and the Big 12 Network.
There are several bundle options available right now. ESPN Unlimited is available in a bundle with Disney+ and Hulu for $29.99/month for the first 12 months. Fans with subscriptions to the Disney+, Hulu and ESPN bundles will be able to watch ESPN content within Disney+ alongside Disney and Hulu entertainment and family programming. Also, Hulu + Live TV plans include access to the full ESPN Unlimited experience within the ESPN app. There is also an ESPN DTC bundle with NFL Redzone that costs $39.99 a month.
If you want even more sports, a bundle of ESPN DTC and Fox One will be available on October 2nd for $39.99/month. So you could subscribe to that bundle, along with the $34.99 DirecTV MyEntertainment bundle and get both major sports apps, 40+ entertainment channels, and ad-supported tiers of Disney+, Hulu and HBO Max for a total of around $75. Which is a pretty good replacement for Hulu Live TV.
A somewhat quirkier but also interesting choice is the DirecTV My Sports bundle. It costs $69.99 a month, so it's not cheap. But it bundles the local broadcast affiliate stations (in most areas), the major ESPN and Fox sports nets, along with TNT, TBS and the USA Network. You also receive the three major cable news networks: CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC. It's a mix that isn't for everyone, but it has a wide enough mix that I can see it working for some people:
One other interesting wrinkle about the MySports bundle is that for an additional $19.99 a month, you can add on a MyHome Team bundle. MyHome Team draws from an initial portfolio of 20 regional sports networks or team-specific channels to offer fans access to games of the respective MLB, NBA, or NHL teams available in their market. Currently, it includes games for 37 professional teams—12 MLB, 15 NBA, and 10 NHL. That includes Altitude Sports and Entertainment (servicing Denver and other regional cities), Chicago Sports Network and Marquee Sports Network (including Chicago), all the FanDuel Sports Networks (including Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Orlando, San Antonio, St. Louis, Tampa, and several others), and the recently created Rangers Sports Network (including Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and others).
What is the best way to stream local broadcast TV stations?
Obviously, you can just use an antenna to watch the signals over-the-air (OTA). But that is a clunky solution if everything else you watch is on streaming.
My advice is to invest the $100 or so to purchase a Tablo TV box. It's incredibly simple to set up. You plug in your TV antenna, it scans everything it finds and sets up a programming guide that includes all of the available OTA channels along with more than 100 FAST channels. It's worth the investment because it includes a built-in DVR and you can access everything on your smart TV or mobile device via the Tablo TV app. Even better, any smart TV with the app that is connected to your home internet network can access the programming. So you can use one Tablo TV for multiple televisions in your home. And there are no additional monthly fees or costs.
I know this is a lot, but I hope this gives you an idea of what is available out there.
TWEET OF THE DAY
ODDS AND SODS
* Marisa Kabas of Handbasket reports that Disney saw more than 1.7 million total paid streaming cancelations during the period 9/17-9/23. The total includes Disney+, Hulu and ESPN.
* YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a 2021 lawsuit filed by Donald Trump over its suspension of his account following the Jan. 6 insurrection. Around $22 million of that settlement will go directly into the pocket of the President.
* Sarah Sherman’s unholy alter ego, Sarah Squirm, gets her first stand-up special this December when Sarah Squirm: Live + In The Flesh, premieres on HBO. Here is the brief official logline: "After four seasons (and counting) on Saturday Night Live, Sherman rips off the straitjacket, unleashing a festering hour of bodily fluids, open-wound confessionals, and jokes that will leave skid marks on your soul. The special taped at The Bell House in Brooklyn, New York earlier this year."
* Speaking of upcoming stand-up specials, a number of people who attended Theo Von's recent taping of his Netflix special report that it was a bit of disaster. The performance was described as "confused" and "meandering," with some fans suggesting he seemed to be under the influence. They claim he left the stage in the middle of his performance several times and by the end of the show, as many as a third of the crowd had left.
* The single cam comedy Mid-Century Modern has been cancelled after one season by Hulu.
WHAT'S COMING TOMORROW
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH:
* Chad Powers Series Premiere (Hulu)
* Chef Grudge Match Season One Finale (Food Network)
* Earthquake: Joke Telling Business (Netflix)
* Hard Hat Riot (PBS)
* Nature: Cabin In The Woods (Netflix)
* Nightmares Of Nature Series Premiere (Netflix)
* On Brand With Jimmy Fallon Series Premiere (NBC)
* Prime Minister (HBO)
* Yano-kun's Ordinary Days Series Premiere (Crunchyroll)
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1ST:
* Abbott Elementary Season Premiere (ABC)
* Chicago Fire Season Premiere (NBC)
* Chicago Med (NBC)
* Chicago PD Season Premiere (NBC)
* Fatal Engineering Series Premiere (Science)
* Ice Road Truckers Season Premiere (History)
* Kakuriyo -Bed & Breakfast For Spirit Series Premiere (Crunchyroll)
* Let's Roll Series Premiere (Crunchyroll)
* Love Is Blind Season Premiere (Netflix)
* Play Dirty (Prime Video)
* Riv4lries Series Premiere (Netflix)
* Shifting Gears Season Premiere (ABC)
* The Great American Baking Show: Celebrity Halloween (The Roku Channel)
* The Friday The 13th Murders (Investigation Discovery)
* The Real Murders On Elm Street (Investigation Discovery)
SEE YOU EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING!