Live News & Top Streaming Options for News Junkies

Thanks to multitudes of online resources, we get the news all. the. time. (Thanks push notifications.) You might be comfortable checking Twitter or your news app for daily news updates, but when something big is happening--like an election--we all feel the need to throw breaking news on the big screen. Luckily, cutting cable out of your life doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on the breaking news experience.

Think of your news on three levels: local, national and international. Whether you want to home in on one category or be up-to-date on all three, here are your best options for how to watch news online so you can get your information fix.

National News with Streaming Services

In all likelihood, your go-to nightly news channel, like ABC, NBC or CBS, has a website and a mobile app that they keep up-to-date with the latest news segments, written and video. If you need more news than that, head over to streaming services.

Watch with Streaming Services

All major streaming services have access to major news networks (yep, you can catch Mindy Kaling’s Four Weddings and a Funeral and live-stream the news on Hulu). The most popular ones include:

Hulu with Live TV ($44.99/month)

• 60+ channels, including CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, ESPN.

YouTube TV ($49.99/month)

• 70+ channels, including CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, ESPN and BBC World News.

Sling TV ($15-$25/month)

• All options include CNN.

Roku (Free with a Roku device)

• Roku has all the typical channels like CNN, ABC, CBS, and has their own local news solution called NewsON.
• All-in-all, there are 200+ options to live-stream local and national news.

AT&T TV Now ($59.99-$79.99/month)

• All options include CNN, MSNBC and Fox News.

You’ll need to subscribe to one of the streaming services above to live-stream these channels.

World News with Streaming Services

Of course, if you’re interested in national and international happenings, your network news apps and websites will include that coverage. But if you’re looking for something a bit more in-depth, or just not an American news network, there are streaming options for that as well.

International News Outlets

With a focus on world news, these outlets have multimedia coverage with international interest. All three have iOS and Android apps, so no matter your device, you can keep up with current affairs.

• BBC News (available on YouTube TV)
• Aljazeera (available on Aljazeera’s site)

Local News with Streaming Services

Last but not least, local news streaming. Both Google News and Apple News have options to get local news for your area. For specific stories, your local news stations and newspaper might have apps and content online as well. Since the news is delivered digitally, there will often be video adding more coverage beyond the standard editorial component and you don’t need to worry about what time a segment will air.

Watch with an Antenna and Digital Channels

Speaking of your local station, all you need is an antenna to tune into live local news every night. (Also…it’s free!)

If you aren’t familiar with antennas, or need to know what you can get out of one, find out more here.

Watch through Streaming Services with Local News

Some of the streaming services you already pay for include local channel options in addition to national news and more mainstream content. Of course, for each of these services, you’ll need to confirm that they cover your individual market. The best options are the same as the national news streaming services listed above:

• Hulu with Live TV ($44.99/month)
• YouTube TV ($49.99/month)
• Sling TV ($35/month)
• Roku NewsON (Free with a Roku device)
• AT&T TV Now ($50-70/month)

Some benefits of using a bigger streaming service to access your news is that these platforms usually carry all local channels, and most will allow you to record them using a virtual DVR.

But Wait — There’s More!

Social media can be a great way to keep up with breaking news, but, of course, you should be wary of anyone who isn’t a trusted news source. Watching trending topics on a platform like Twitter can be a good way to stay alert about breaking news or developing stories in a given region or across the world. You can also follow the accounts of your favorite news publications, anchors and reporters.

Keep Up with the News Ad Hoc

Though it may not be your go-to when tuning your TV to watch the news, YouTube has tons of content and commentators talking about world events. Major news networks like CNN, MSNBC and Fox News all regularly update their YouTube channels with major stories and feature segments.

You can also access active YouTube communities to keep up with current events like The Young Turks. With more than 4 million YouTube subscribers, it covers everything from politics to pop culture. Vice News is another channel that publishes in-depth pieces on different aspects of culture from all over the world.

If you’re looking for live or on-demand news related to tech, culture, or business, tune into Cheddar. This news network was launched specifically for the post-cable world and broadcasts live on SlingTV, Hulu Live, YouTube TV, Philo, Twitter, Facebook Watch, and Pluto. Even better, they have a daily newsletter, so you can tune into the headlines without having to dig through the noise.

Maybe you’re looking for financial updates, and only financial updates, all the time. Bloomberg TV is the spot for you. You can watch via their website or app, or through SlingTV, Pluto or Xumo. You’ll get most of your news during the work day, since that’s when the markets are open.

One of the biggest benefits of turning to an app or website to get your news is that you can explore more angles to the story. Without the same time limits of broadcast TV, the story can be told in a multimedia way that you can digest at your own pace. Why not stream news and scroll through your MSNBC app and listen to BBC World News Live Radio? The news is at your fingertips (and thanks to your touchscreen mobile devices, we mean that very literally).