For all the criticism it gets, the enduring success of the App Store shows there is a substantial public appetite for curated apps and services. People are hungry for games, apps, and services that meet trust and quality standards.
Given this is true, perhaps Apple could expand its App Store to distribute strictly vetted software and services for other platforms, including those from competitors.
While unlikely, one day the most popular version of Fortnite might be the one sold via the App Store with an Apple imprimatur to denote verified trust and security. Perhaps you’ll visit the Apple App Store to get your Windows and Android software, confident it has been put through strict quality and security testing. I imagine IT would be pleased with that extra layer of verification, particularly in regulated industries.
If you’re thinking about getting a live TV streaming service, you’re probably looking for some combination of live news, local stations, linear channels and live sports — without having to sign a cable contract. The good news is that, even though YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling, Philo, DirecTV Steam, and Fubo have all raised monthly subscription prices over the past year, these offerings are still usually cheaper than many cable packages. Plus, if you have an internet connection and a smart TV, you don’t need any additional equipment to stream.
There are a few major players out there and we tested them all. We also point out other options to check out, now that the streaming landscape overall has shifted. For example, some standard streaming services offer linear channels and liveprogramming, and free ad-supported streaming (FAST) services like Plex and Pluto stream linear programming that echoes broadcast TV. Prime Video subscriptions will now include NBA and WNBA games and Peacock aired the Olympics last summer. Even the Super Bowl was available for free through Tubi, thanks to its parent company, Fox.
Still, a live TV streaming service is your best bet for the most comprehensive access to news, sports, linear and local channels. Here, we break down which service offers which, comparing pricing, plans, channels and ease of navigation to help you pick the best live TV streaming service for you.
Editor’s Note (2/14/25): A dispute over contract negotiations between Paramount and YouTube TV has the potential to remove all of Paramount’s content from the streaming service. That includes channels like MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and probably most concerning for sports fans interested in March Madness coverage, CBS and CBS sports. The current contract was set to expire February 13, 2025 but Variety has reported that the two companies have extended the deadline, though it’s not clear for how long.
In a Tweet, YouTube TV wrote that “We’ve reached a short-term extension with Paramount to keep their content on YouTube TV. Subscribers continue to have access to Paramount channels, including CBS. We appreciate your patience as we continue to negotiate on your behalf.” YouTube TV also released a statement promising subscribers an $8 credit if the channels disappear for “an extended period of time.” Meanwhile, Paramount has published a webpage encouraging subscribers to contact YouTube TV to express their concerns over the potential loss.
Table of contents
Best live TV streaming services for 2025
YouTube TV
Monthly price: $83/mo. and up | Local channels: Yes | Sports coverage: National, local, international | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: Yes (with an add-on) | Total channels: 100+ (base plan) | DVR limits: Unlimited, 9 mo. expiration | Profiles per account: 6 | Simultaneous at-home streams: 3 | Picture-in-picture: Yes (mobile and computer) | Multiview: Yes (select programming) | Contract: No | Free trial: Yes (length varies)
In mid-December of 2024, subscribers got a bummer of an email letting them know the price of YouTube TV would be going up yet again, this time to $83, which is a $10 hike from the last increase of $8 in March of 2023. Even still, Google’s option makes a strong case for delivering the best streaming service for live TV.
Compared to our top pick for sports, YouTube TV covers major and minor teams, regional games and national matchups almost as well. It gives you clear navigation, a great search function, unlimited DVR and broad network coverage. But, even beyond the price increase, YTTV is financially precarious if you’re not great at resisting temptation.
Upon signup, you’re presented with nearly 50 different add-ons, including 4K resolution, premium channels and themed packages. Even if you fight the urge to roll Max, Shudder and AcornTV into the mix at signup, the enticement remains as it’s dangerously easy to add more to your subscription — when I searched for a program on a network I didn’t have, I was prompted to add it. And of course, you can also rent or buy movies that aren’t currently showing on any channels, just like you can via YouTube. While it’s convenient to be able to order up anything I might want on a whim, I could easily see this pushing one’s bill far above Google’s listed price per month..
Still, it’s nice to have all your entertainment in one place. And if you only want the add-ons, you can actually subscribe to most of the standalone networks without paying for the base plan. Either way, you get a familiar user experience, with navigation you’ll recognize if you’ve spent any time on regular ol’ YouTube. Unsurprisingly, Google’s search function was the best of the bunch, finding the shows and games I searched for quickly and giving me clear choices for how to watch and record.
At signup, you’ll also pick the shows, networks and teams you like, which are added to your library. YouTube TV then automatically records them. You get unlimited cloud DVR space (though recordings expire after nine months) and it’s dead simple to add programming to your library. Like a real cable experience, YouTube TV autoplays your last-watched program upon startup by default, but it was the only service that allowed me to turn that feature off by heading to the settings.
Searching for and recording an upcoming game was easy. Once the game was recorded, I had to hunt a little to find it in my library (turns out single games are listed under the Events heading, not Sports). But after that, playback was simple and included a fascinating extra feature: You can either play a recorded game from the beginning or hit Watch Key Plays. The latter gives you between 12 and 20 highlight snippets, each about 10 seconds long. It focuses on the most impressive shots in an NBA bout and includes every goal in an MLS matchup. The feature was available for NCAA basketball and in-season major American leagues (hockey, soccer and basketball at the time of testing). Foreign and more minor games didn’t have the feature.
Sports fans will also appreciate the new multiview feature that YouTube TV added mid-2024 that lets you pick up to four sports, news and weather channels from a select list and view them all at the same time on your screen. If you find yourself constantly flipping back and forth between games, this could save you some hassle.
YouTube TV also gives you the most in-app settings. You can add parental controls to a profile or pull up a stats menu that shows your buffer health and connection speeds. You can lower playback resolution for slow connections and even send feedback to YouTube. It was also the best at integrating VOD and live programming. For example, when I searched for a show that happened to be playing live, a red badge in the corner of the show’s image let me know it was on right then. I know it makes no difference whether I watch an on-demand recording or a live show, but I like the imagined sense of community knowing someone else might be watching this episode of Portlandia too.
Pros
Intuitive and smooth interface
Accurate search functions
Cool multiview feature
Good coverage of sports, news and linear programming networks
Monthly price: $85/mo. and up | Local channels: Yes | Sports coverage: National, local, international | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: Yes (mid- and high-tier plans) | Total channels: 215 (base plan) | DVR limits: Unlimited, 9 mo. expiration | Profiles per account: 6 | Simultaneous at-home streams: 10 | Picture-in-picture: Yes (mobile and computer) | Multiview: Yes (select programming, Apple TV, Roku) | Contract: No | Free trial: Yes (length varies)
You may have heard about the recent announcement of the merger between Fubo and Hulu + Live TV and find yourself wondering how that’ll affect the two services. For now, the companies plan to operate the two as separate entities, but will use their combined power to leverage carrier and content deals. Shortly after the merger was announced, Fubo raised the price on all of its English-language plans by $5 monthly, putting it two dollars above YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV.
Until things change further, our top pick for live sports coverage is Fubo. When you first sign up, it asks which teams you follow across all kinds of associations. Pick teams from in-season leagues and you’ll quickly have DVR content to watch. That’s because Fubo records every game your chosen teams play as long as it’s aired on a supported channel – and its sports coverage is vast.
I tested out the top-tier package and the guide said there were 118 sports networks to choose from. In addition to the usual suspects from ESPN, Fox, NBC and CBS, you can watch motorsports, international leagues, adventure sports and even poker. Add-ons give you NBA TV, NHL Network, NFL Red Zone and MLB Network. And if you need access to all one thousand games the NBA plays in a season, you can add the NBA League Pass to your lineup for $17 per month.
Fubo even has its own sports channels. The only notable lack for sports fans is the absence of TBS and TNT which have licensing deals to show some NBA, MLB, NHL and NCAA games.
Still, the coverage is comprehensive. The UI designers obviously put effort into making everything easy to find with endless categorization, including breaking down sports offerings by type, giving lots of filtering options for live guide and on-demand content, as well as including interesting groupings on the home page.
Fubo also makes finding and recording your favorite games easy. Searching for an upcoming game was simple, as was sifting through the ample amount of recorded games I ended up with. I particularly liked FanView for live games, which inserts the video into a smaller window and surrounds that window with continually updating stats plus a clickable list of other games currently airing. But, unfortunately, the feature isn’t currently available. Hopefully Fubo will bring it back, as it was a differentiating perk for the service.
Fubo did recently expand its multiview feature, letting you watch up to four live channels at once. This feature used to only be available on Apple TV boxes and only with sports fare, but I used it in January 2025 with a Roku device and was able to have two NCAA men’s games, my local evening news and CSI Miami from ion Mystery all up on the screen at the same time.
Fubo has made an obvious effort to win at sports, but recently it’s tried to deliver on the live TV experience as well. Based on what I’ve seen so far, it’s certainly made strides. The guide was impressive in the number of ways it let you organize live TV, yet everything felt clean and uncluttered. The Home, Sports, Shows and Movies pages were filled with recommendations and many iterations of categories, with almost all suggestions being live TV.
The focus on live TV can make the VOD and DVR playback functions feel second-rate. The search function wasn’t the best at finding the shows I looked for, and navigating available VOD content wasn’t as breezy as browsing through live programming. The lack of a pop-up preview window as you fast forward or rewind through recordings makes it tough to gauge where you are in a show.
At $85, this is technically the most expensive base package (now that DirectTV offers a 26-channel, sports-only package). And it’s now $2 more than YouTube TV and Hulu+ TV, which are both $83. But if you need all the sports – and want some nicely organized live TV during the few moments when there’s not a game on – this is the way to go.
Pros
Best coverage of sports networks
Automatically records your favorite teams
Informative FanView feature
Uncluttered live TV interface
Cons
DVR and VOD experience is inferior to the live component
Monthly price: $83/mo. and up | Local channels: Yes | Sports coverage: National, local, international | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: No | Total channels: 95+ (base plan) | DVR limits: Unlimited, 9 mo. expiration | Profiles per account: 6 | Simultaneous at-home streams: 2 | Picture-in-picture: Yes (mobile and computer) | Multiview: No | Contract: No | Free trial: Yes (3 days)
When increased the price of its ad-supported base plan to , it was the most expensive option out there. YouTube TV caught up a few months later and now both are the same price. Of course, because the service comes bundled with Disney+, ESPN+ and includes Hulu’s original programming, you get a lot of content you can’t find elsewhere. So if you already subscribe, or plan to get the regular Hulu app and/or Disney+, Hulu’s live component makes a lot of sense. Note that $83 gets you that content with ads — for ad-free Disney+ and Hulu, it’s $96 monthly.
Hulu + Live TV carries your local affiliates and most of the top cable channels. For sports, you get all available ESPN iterations plus FS1, FS2, TBS, USA, NBC Golf, the NFL Network and TNT (Turner Network Television). You can also add on premium VOD channels like Max and Showtime, and it’s the only provider that includes Disney+ at no extra cost.
Navigation isn’t as smooth as most of the other options — as I used Hulu + Live TV, it felt like the live component had been shoehorned into the standard Hulu app. But for viewers who are already comfortable with (and paying for) Hulu and Disney+, this might be the best pick for your live TV subscription.
Monthly price: $70/mo. and up | Local channels: Yes | Sports coverage: National, local, international | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: Yes (three channels) | Total channels: 90+ (base plan) | DVR limits: Unlimited (9-month expiration, maximum of 30 episodes per series) | Profiles per account: 1 | Simultaneous at-home streams: Unlimited | Picture-in-picture: Yes (mobile and computer) | Multiview: No | Contract: No | Free trial: Yes (5 days)
Live TV streaming was supposed to replace cable, but if you want an experience that’s as close to cable as you can get, right down to (optional) equipment and (also optional) two-year contracts with early termination fees, go for DirecTV Stream. Other cable-like quirks include the serendipity of flipping from one channel to the “next” (yes, DirecTV Stream numbers its channels) with your remote just like the good old days.
In January, the private equity-owned cable company added a new tier to its streaming plans called MySports. It’s the cheapest service the company offers at just $70 per month and it carries 26 channels, nearly all of them sports networks. In addition to five ESPN stations, four major league networks (MLB, NBA, NHL, NFL) and FS1 and 2, it also gives you TNT, TBS, USA and a few news outlets like CNN, MSNBC and Fox News and Fox Business. Two of DirecTV’s 4K channels (which show a range of hi-res content) are included as well. You can’t add-on any channels, and available local affiliates like FOX, ABC and NBC will vary by location.
If you go with the next package up, Entertainment, you’ll pay $87 for around 90 channels, which include nearly all of the 33 most popular cable networks, plus you can add multiple packages and premiums like Paramount+ with Showtime, Starz, Max and Discovery+. You can add all of those to YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV and all but Max to Fubo, but DirecTV was the only service I tried that allowed you to add Peacock. Of course, you could also just download these apps separately to your smart TV, but for approximating the all-in-one convenience of cable, it’s a nice perk.
When you fire up DirecTV Stream, you have the option of starting out on the home page or it’ll keep playing whichever live network you watched last (head to the settings to set your preference). Whatever you’re watching will continue to play when you switch over to the guide, and I could find no way to turn that off. I strongly prefer the quiet experience of looking for my next watch in peace (like you can do on traditional streaming apps after turning off autoplay), so the sound bombardment drove me crazy, but it might not bother everyone.
The navigation doesn’t feel particularly intuitive, partly because the right and left directional buttons change the channel, instead of the usual rewind and fast forward. The up button takes you to a selection of recent channels and the down button creates a mini guide of sorts overlaid on your current show.
The live guide organization is pretty minimal with just a few categories (sports, kids, movies, TV shows) and the option to sort channels by name or number — though you can view upcoming shows, which is nice for recording something you might otherwise miss. The search function was pretty solid, finding the shows and movies I searched for and accurately presenting the upcoming games I wanted just from typing in one of the teams. But other services had more creative ways to help me find something to watch by way of browsing.
One thing that you may or may not love is that you can’t add new channels or packages through the app, only through the browser. This contrasts most with YouTube which made it so easy to add-on channels and packages, I worried for my bank account. So DirecTV Stream’s limitation might be a relief to anyone worried about succumbing to subscription overload. Or you may find it annoying.
Monthly price: $46/mo. and up | Local channels: Yes (ABC, FOX, NBC in 20 markets) | Sports coverage: National, local | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: Yes (in 16 markets) | Total channels: 35 or 46 (base plans) | DVR limits: 50 hrs, no expiration | Profiles per account: 4 | Simultaneous at-home streams: 1 (Orange), 3 (Blue) | Picture-in-picture: Yes (mobile and computer) | Multiview: No | Contract: No | Free trial: No
To me, the idea of spending time fine-tuning channel choices sounds exhausting. But if you’re the type who wants to get exactly what you want without paying for too much of what you don’t, Sling TV may be your best bet. It breaks its base plan into two packages, Blue and Orange, with different channels on each.
Sling snuck in a price increase at the tail end of 2024 and now Blue costs $51 a month. It carries a larger number of networks, while Orange seems to have spent its lineup dollars on ESPN and ESPN 2. But even at the new $46 monthly, Sling Orange is still the cheapest way to get those two sports outlets (ESPN+ is only $12 monthly, but doesn’t show all of ESPN’s content.)
After picking a plan, you can choose from a stable of add-on packages, with monthly prices ranging from $6 to $11. These include blocks of sports or lifestyle channels, kid-friendly fare, the Discovery+ bundle and a news package. There are 29 individual premium offerings, including AMC+, Starz, MGM+, Shudder and Acorn, which go for between $2 and $10 per month. Sling has pay-per-view movies, too.
As far as local coverage, Sling Blue grants access to ABC, Fox and NBC local affiliates in about 20 of the larger US markets including Los Angeles, Seattle, Dallas, NYC, Miami and DC. ABC coverage began in March 2023. That raised the price of Sling Blue in supported markets from $40 to $45. For people not in those areas (or who opt for Orange) Sling suggests getting an HD antenna to catch local stations for free.
Sling now offers select sports in 4K. You’ll need a Roku, Amazon Fire or Apple TV device that supports 4K (and a compatible TV) but for no extra charge, you’ll get to certain sports events with a bump in resolution.
Sling’s navigation is speedy and the interface is nicely organized, putting an emphasis on what you like to watch, with recommendations that are pretty accurate. The UI also makes the add-ons you’ve chosen easy to find. In my tests, though, the app froze a number of times as I navigated. While most services froze once or twice, it happened enough times with Sling to frustrate me. I had to force quit or back out of the app and start over five or six times during the three weeks of testing. Compared to others, Sling’s DVR allowance is on the stingy side, only giving you 50 hours of recordings, though they won’t expire. You can pay for more DVR storage, but that will increase your overall costs.
I tried not to wander too far off-path during testing, but I feel it’s my duty to inform you that Sling has an Elvis channel, a Bob Ross channel and ALF TV (yes, an entire station devoted to the ‘80s sitcom starring a puppet). There’s also a Dog TV network intended to be played for your dogs when you leave the house, which you can add to Sling or get as a standalone app for $10 per month.
Monthly price: $28/mo. and up | Local channels: No | Sports coverage: No | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: No | Total channels: 70+ (base plan), 100+ (free) | DVR limits: Unlimited, 1 yr. expiration | Profiles per account: 10 | Simultaneous at-home streams: 3 | Picture-in-picture: Yes (mobile and computer) | Multiview: No | Contract: No | Free trial: Yes (7 days)
Philo held out at $25 monthly for a few years but increased to $28 in 2024 — though they did add AMC+ to the channel lineup to lessen the blow (and it has some goodshows!). Despite the bump, it’s still one of the cheapest ways to get a cordless live TV experience. Philo’s free offerings recently increased as well, bumping up to more than 100 channels.
The biggest caveat is that you won’t find any local stations or sports programming on Philo. If that’s not an issue, the service is great, with a clean, streamlined interface and generous DVR limits.
I’m a fan of minimalist design, so I appreciated presentation of the menus and guide. There are just four top navigation headings: Home, Guide, Saved and Search. And instead of the usual guide layout that stretches out or shortens a show’s listing to represent its air time, Philo’s guide features monospaced squares in chronological order with the duration of the program inside the square. Another nice touch is when you navigate to a square, it fills with a live video of the show or movie.
Philo doesn’t limit the amount of programming you can DVR and lets you keep recordings for a full year, which is more than the nine months other providers allow. Like all live TV streamers, Philo won’t let you fast forward VOD programming. If skipping commercials is important to you, I recommend taking advantage of that unlimited DVR policy and hitting “Save” on any show or movie you think you may want to watch, then fast forwarding it on playback (you can do this with all the services we tried).
As far as channels, Philo covers many of the top cable networks, with notable exceptions including Fox News, CNN, ESPN and MSNBC. Anyone looking for great news coverage should look elsewhere anyway, but the lack of a few must-have entertainment outlets like Bravo and Freeform was a little disappointing.
The 100 or so channels in Philo’s free service are baked into the paid plan, bringing the total to 170, which is a pretty good deal for under $30 monthly.
There are plenty of ways to get free TV these days. To start, many standard streaming apps have added live components to their lineups. You’re paying for the service, so it’s not technically “free,” but you can get a dose of live TV without spending more than necessary. Peacock includes some regional NBC stations, and notably access to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. Paramount+ subscribers can watch on-air CBS programming. The standard Hulu app has a live ABC news channel and Max now includes a live CNN outlet with its service, along with cable-like linear channels.
The smart TV operating system (OS) you use likely provides free live content too: Amazon’s Fire TV interface has a live tab and Roku’s built-in Roku Channel includes hundreds of live channels at no extra cost. The same goes for Samsung TV Plus, which added a trove of K-dramas to its free live and on-demand lineup in 2024. The PBS app offers local live streams of its channels — even NASA has a free streaming service with live coverage.
But for a full suite of live TV networks, and don’t want to sign up for any paid service, there are a number of free ad-supported TV services that have live TV. Even cable company DirecTV has joined the crowd with MyFree, though we haven’t had a chance to test that one yet. Here’s the best of what we tried:
Tubi
Local channels: A few | Sports coverage: Replays and shows about sports | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: No | Total channels: 260 | Profiles per account: 1 | Picture-in-picture: No | Multiview: No | Contract: No
You don’t have to make an account or give Tubi any of your information to start watching live content. Though the service likely had an huge influx of account signups just before Super Bowl 2025, when the service allowed anyone with a Tubi account to live stream the game for free in 4K.
Tubi also grants access to your local ABC and Fox station and includes the news-stream channels that other similar services carry, like NBC News Now, Fox Live Now and ABC News Live. Fox is Tubi’s parent company so you get picks like Fox Sports, Fox Soul and over a dozen regional Fox networks.
The live TV component lives within the Home menu and, from there, the stations are organized by category, making it easy to browse the more than 200 live channels. Navigation is speedy and, along with a good library of on-demand movies, shows and kids’ stuff, Tubi has a few regional news stations plus at least five regional Fox News stations.
Despite being billed as a live TV service, TUBI has a wide range of VOD movies and series. Whenever I flipped on the app, there were at least a few movies I was interested in. If you like the idea of fine-tuned browsing, you’ll probably appreciate Tubi’s Categories tab, which includes such hyper-specific topics as “shonen anime,” “vampire romance,” “black independent cinema” and “heist films.” In fact, I prefer Tubi’s on-demand experience over its live TV competency — the live TV guide only stays open for 10 seconds if you’re not actively clicking around and, like PlutoTV, your current show keeps playing as you browse the guide.
Local channels: No | Sports coverage: Replays and shows about sports | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: No | Total channels: 800+ | Profiles per account: 15 (with a free Plex Home acct) | Picture-in-picture: No | Multiview: No | Contract: No
I test lots of gadgets and services but only a few make their way into my off-hours life. Plex feels likely to be one of those rarities. The FAST service has around 800 live TV channels that are organized fairly granularly and you can have up to 15 profiles. You can also rent a good selection of new-release and popular older movies directly from the app. There was once a nifty integration with notable music streaming service Tidal, but that collaboration sadly came to an end late in 2024.
But the reason I’ll keep using Plex is the search function. It not only lets you hunt for shows and movies on its own platform, it also tells you which other services are currently carrying a particular title. I searched for Glass Onion, Get Out, Buckaroo Banzai and Billy Eichner’s Bros and found out I could watch those movies with my subscriptions to Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video and Starz, respectively.
Searching by an actor’s name, like Jamie Lee Curtis or Donald Glover, will give you a list of movies and shows they’ve been in. You can then find out that Halloween 1978 is available for free on Plex and Atlanta is included with a Hulu subscription. Recently, Plex added movie and show reviews culled from other Plex users and professional critics — users can even share their reviews with friends on the service, creating a Letterboxd-like social media element.
It’s also quite easy to add any title to your Watchlist — together with the search feature, that could be a unifying way to organize your streaming aspirations. I checked every service Plex indicated for the titles I searched for and, so far, it’s been correct every time. My only real complaint is how painfully slow the search can be at times, but the results are spot-on.
So, yes, you can watch a linear stream of old episodes like the BBC’s The Office or NCIS:New Orleans for free, but you can also find out which streamer is currently playing Joker: Folie à Deux (it’s Max).
Pros
Good selection of free live channels
Helpful and accurate search for any title
Detailed organization that’s not overly complicated
Local channels: A few | Sports coverage: Replays and shows about sports | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: No | Total channels: 400+ | Profiles per account: 4 (with sign-up) | Picture-in-picture: Yes | Multiview: No | Contract: No
When I first tried out Freestream, it was tough to find out where the free content was. It uses the same app as the paid Sling service, and I only found the prompt to watch for free when I was about to close the app. It has since become far easier to find the gratis option and, once you do, you get access to over 400 channels of free stuff, including a good deal of national and global news networks, such as BBC News, CBS News 24/7, USA Today, ABC News Live and Bloomberg. Yes, many of these are already available for free at their respective websites, but it’s nice to have a one-stop location to browse them all.
Since the last time I tried Sling’s free service, the navigation has improved greatly. Where once there were just a few organizational options, now you’ll find categories for sports, movies, comedies, true crime, kids, documentaries, science and nature, classic TV and more. When you flip back to the guide, what you’re watching pops into a picture-in-picture window — but if you don’t like that, it’s easy to close it so you can browse in peace.
Pros
Good national news network selection
Nicely organized interface
Your current show becomes a pop-out as you browse and is easily closed
Local channels: A few | Sports coverage: Replays and shows about sports | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: No | Total channels: 400+ | Profiles per account: 1 | Picture-in-picture: No | Multiview: No | Contract: No
Editor’s Note: Amazon recently announced it was and integrating the free content into its Prime Video subscription. People who don’t pay for Prime will still be able to access some of the free content through that app. But as of this writing, the Freevee app was available to download and use.
It was first called IMDbTV, but Amazon changed the name of its free streaming option to Freevee to better hint at its price. What’s available is pretty similar to the Live TV menu option you’ll find within the Prime Video app — in fact, the interface on that app is actually better organized, with listings by category. Freevee’s live TV menu is just a long, single list of channels. Prime’s version is speedier, too.
However, Freevee is, true to its name, completely free. You don’t even have to sign in, though you’ll be prompted to do so when you first open the app (just select “Watch as a guest” in the lower corner to bypass that). There are currently around 400 channels with news networks like ABC News Live, Fox Live Now and NBC News Now. Sports showcases include the MLB Channel, NBC Sports and Fubo Sports. Tons of reality, true crime and current and classic TV avenues round out the offerings.
For original content that you can’t watch elsewhere, you not only get Freevee’s own shows like Jury Duty, but you can also watch select episodes of Prime shows like Fallout and Outer Range. Plus there are plenty of live channels arranged around specific classic shows including Saved by the Bell, Sailor Moon, The Addams Family and Murder, She Wrote.
It’s possible Freevee has the most regional news channels of any other FAST service too, but it’s almost impossible to find them without scrolling endlessly through the guide. You can’t search for them and there’s no way to organize the channels by category as you can with the live TV section in the Prime Video app (which almost gives you the impression Amazon would rather you just pay for the membership). But while flipping through the guide, I saw NBC Chicago, Philadelphia and New York affiliates, Fox in Milwaukee, LA and Tampa Bay, and the Bay Area’s ABC station.
Local channels: A few | Sports coverage: Replays and shows about sports | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: No | Total channels: 250+ | Profiles per account: 1 | Picture-in-picture: No | Multiview: No | Contract: No
Pluto TV is granularly organized, separating out nearly two dozen categories for its live content — including local news, kids, sports, daytime TV along with more specific topics like anime, competition reality, and history/science. The service also has a slew of its own stations such as Pluto Sports, Pluto News, Pluto True Crime and Pluto Star Trek.
Actually, much of Pluto’s service is made up of content owned by its parent company, Paramount, who owns, in addition to Star Trek properties, CBS, Nickelodeon and MTV brands. Thanks to that affiliation, you’ll get access to a bunch of original content here. Regional news options are, however, limited to about a dozen CBS stations, but the live news-stream selection is pretty good and includes NBC News Live, BBC Headlines, Bloomberg Television, Cheddar News and others.
As for sports, you get CBS Sports HQ, a version of Fox Sports and league-specific sports shows from the NFL, MLB, and Golf Channels. Though, as with any free live TV streaming service, you won’t find much in the way of live games.
One thing I have to point out is that whatever you’re watching keeps playing when you browse the guide, and after searching the settings in the app and forums online, I could find no way to turn this off. If, like me, hearing your currently playing show natter on as you look for something else to watch drives you insane, you’ll have to hit mute.
Streaming live TV is a lot like using Netflix. You get access through apps on your phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device and the signal arrives over the internet. A faster and more stable connection tends to give you a better experience. Most live TV apps require you to sign up and pay via a web browser. After that, you can activate the app on all of your devices.
Monthly Price
When I started testing these cord-cutting alternatives, I was struck by the price difference between live TV and a standard video streaming app. Where the latter cost between $5 and $20 per month, most live TV services hit the $80 mark and can go higher than $200 with additional perks, channel packages and premium extras. The higher starting price is mostly due to the cost of providing multiple networks — particularly sports and local stations. And, in the past year or so, every service except Sling has raised base plan prices.
Local channels
Only two of the services I tried don’t include full local channel coverage for subscribers and one of those makes no effort to carry sports at all. That would be Philo and, as you might guess, it’s the cheapest. The next most affordable option, Sling, only carries three local stations — and only in larger markets — but it still manages to include some of the top sports channels.
When you sign up with any provider that handles local TV, you’ll enter your zip code, ensuring you get your area’s broadcast affiliates for ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC. Of course, you can also get those stations for free. Nearly all modern television sets support a radio frequency (RF) connection, also known as the coaxial port, which means if you buy an HD antenna, you’ll receive locally broadcast stations like ABC, CBS, PBS, FOX and NBC. And since the signal is digital, reception is much improved over the staticky rabbit-ears era.
Live sports coverage
One reality that spun my head was the sheer number and iterations of sports networks in existence. Trying to figure out which network will carry the match-up you want to see can be tricky. I found that Google makes it a little easier for sports fans by listing out upcoming games (just swap in NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL and so on in the search bar). When you click an event, the “TV & streaming” button will tell you which network is covering it.
That just leaves figuring out if your chosen service carries the RSNs (regional sports networks) you want. Unfortunately, even with add-ons and extra packages, some providers simply don’t have certain channels in their lineups. It would take a lawyer to understand the ins and outs of streaming rights negotiations, and networks leave and return to live TV carriers all the time. That said, most major sporting events in the US are covered by ESPN, Fox Sports, TNT, USA and local affiliates.
I should also point out that traditional streaming services have started adding live sports to their lineups. Peacock carries live Premier League matches, Sunday Night Football games and aired the 2024 Olympic Games from Paris. Thursday Night Football as well as NBA and WNBA games are on Amazon Prime and Christmas Day Football aired on Netflix. Max (formerly HBO Max) now airs select, regular season games from the NHL, MLB, NCAA and NBA with a $10-per-month add-on. You can watch MLS games with an add-on through the Apple TV app, and Apple TV+ includes some MLB games. Roku users can watch the just-added free sports channel and those who subscribe to Paramount Plus can see many of the matches aired on CBS Sports, including live NFL games. This year, even the Super Bowl was live-streamed for free on Tubi. While all of these alternatives may not cover as much ground as live TV streamers, they could end up being cheaper avenues to the sports you want.
And if sports is all you’re after, there are sports-only plans that are a touch cheaper too. While the promised sports streaming service from ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. called Venu was cancelled early this year, shortly after, DirecTV announced a $70-per-month, sports-only streaming package called MySports and Comcast now has a sports and news bundle for the same price (as long as you’re an Xfinity customer with auto-pay, otherwise it’s more expensive).
Traditional cable networks
Dozens of linear programming networks were once only available with cable TV, like Bravo, BET, Food Network, HGTV, CNN, Lifetime, SYFY and MTV. If you only subscribe to, say, Netflix or Apple TV+, you won’t have access to those. But as with sports, standard streamers are starting to incorporate this content into their offerings. After the Warner Bros. merger, Max incorporated some content from HGTV, Discovery and TLC. Peacock has Bravo and Hallmark shows, and Paramount+ has material from Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central.
Other channels like AMC+ have stand-alone apps. The Discovery+ app gives you 15 channels ad-free for $9 per month (or with ads for $5 monthly). And a service called Frndly TV starts at a mere $7 per month and streams A&E, Lifetime, Game Show Network, Outdoor Channel and about 35 others. Of course, most live TV streaming options will deliver more sizable lists of cable networks, but just note that you may already be paying for some of them — and if all you need is a certain channel, you could get it cheaper by subscribing directly.
On-demand streaming
Most live TV subscriptions include access to a selection of video-on-demand (VOD) content, like you would get with a traditional streaming service. Much of this content is made up of the movies and TV series that have recently aired on your subscribed networks. This typically doesn’t cover live events and news programming, but I was able to watch specific episodes of ongoing shows like Top Chef or BET’s Diarra from Detroit. Just search the on-demand library for the program, pick an episode and hit play.
Partnerships, like Hulu’s relationship with Disney, and add-ons, such as bundling Max with your YouTube TV subscription or Starz with your Sling plan, will let you watch even larger libraries of on-demand content. But again, if VOD is all you’re after, paying for those networks directly instead of through a live TV plan will be far cheaper.
Digital video recordings (DVR) limits
Every option I tried offers some cloud DVR storage without needing a separate physical device. You’ll either get unlimited storage for recordings that expires after nine months or a year, or you’ll get a set number of hours (between 50 and 1,000) that you can keep indefinitely. Typically, all you need to do is designate what ongoing TV series you want to record and the DVR component will do all the hard work of saving subsequent episodes for you to watch later. You can do the same thing with sports events.
Aside from being able to watch whenever it’s most convenient, you can also fast-forward through commercials in recorded content. In contrast, you can’t skip them on live TV or VOD.
Simultaneous streams and profiles per account
Each plan gives you a certain number of simultaneous streams, aka how many screens can play content at the same time. And while most providers will let you travel with your subscription, there are usually location restrictions that require you to sign in from your home IP address periodically. Stream allowances range from one at a time to unlimited screens (or as many as your ISP’s bandwidth can handle). Some plans require add-ons to get more screens.
Most services also let you set up a few profiles so I was able to give different people in my family the ability to build their own watch histories and libraries, set their favorite channels and get individual recommendations.
Picture-in-picture mode and multiview
Picture-in-picture (PiP) usually refers to shrinking a video window on a mobile device or computer browser so you can watch it while using other apps. Sling, YouTube TV, FuboTV, Philo, DirecTV Stream and Hulu + Live TV all have PiP modes on computers and mobile devices. Another feature, multiview, lets you view multiple live sports games at once on your TV screen. YouTube TV and FuboTV are the only live TV streamers that let you do this. With YouTube TV, you can select up to four views from a few preset selection of streams. FuboTV offers the same feature, but only if you’re using an Apple TV or Roku streaming device.
4K live streams
Right now, just FuboTV, YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream offer 4K live streams — but with caveats. YouTube TV requires a $20-per-month add-on, after which you’ll only be able to watch certain live content in 4K. DirecTV Stream has three channels that show live 4K content — one with shows and original series, and two with occasional sporting events. You don’t have to pay extra for these but you do need to have either DirecTV’s Gemini receiver, or a device from Fire TV, Apple TV or Roku. You’ll need those same streaming devices to watch the select 4K programming on Sling as well. FuboTV shows certain live events in 4K but access is limited to the Elite and Premier packages, not the base-level Pro plan.
Of course, watching any 4K content also requires equipment that can handle it: a 4K smart TV or 4K streaming device paired with a cord and screen that can handle 4K resolution.
Tiers, packages and add-ons
Comparing price-to-offering ratios is a task for a spreadsheet. I… made three. The base plans range from $28 to $85 per month. From there, you can add packages, which are usually groups of live TV channels bundled by themes like news, sports, entertainment or international content. Premium VOD extras like Max, AMC+ and Starz are also available. Add-ons cost an extra $5 to $20 each per month and simply show up in the guide where you find the rest of your live TV. This is where streaming can quickly get expensive, pushing an $80 subscription to $200 monthly, depending on what you choose.
How to stream live TV for free
I also downloaded and tried out a few apps that offer free ad-supported TV (FAST) including Freevee, Tubi, PlutoTV and Sling Freestream. These let you drop in and watch a more limited selection of live networks at zero cost. Most don’t even require an email address, let alone a credit card. And if you have a Roku device, an Amazon Fire TV or Stick, a Samsung TV, a Chromecast device or a Google TV, you already have access to hundreds of live channels via the Roku Channel, the live tab in Fire TV, through the Samsung TV Plus app or through Google TV.
When I begin testing for a guide, I research the most popular and well-reviewed players in the category and narrow down which are worth trying. For the paid plans, just six services dominate so I tried them all. There are considerably more free live TV contenders so I tested the four most popular. After getting accounts set up using my laptop, I downloaded the apps on a Samsung smart TV running the latest version of Tizen OS. I counted the local stations and regional sports coverage, and noted how many of the top cable networks were available. I then weighed the prices, base packages and available add-ons.
I then looked at how the programming was organized in each app’s UI and judged how easy everything was to navigate, from the top navigation to the settings. To test the search function, I searched for the same few TV shows on BET, Food Network, HGTV and Comedy Central, since all six providers carry those channels. I noted how helpful the searches were and how quickly they got me to season 6, episode 13 of Home Town.
I used DVR to record entire series and single movies and watched VOD shows, making sure to test the pause and scan functions. On each service with sports, I searched for the same four upcoming NHL, NBA, MLS and NCAA basketball matches and used the record option to save the games and play them back a day or two later. Finally, I noted any extra perks or irritating quirks.
Streaming simply refers to video content that is delivered to your screen over the internet. Live streaming can be split into two categories: linear programming and simultaneous transmission. That first one is similar to what you get with cable or broadcast TV, with channels that play a constant flow of movies and shows (sort of what TV looked like before Netflix). Simultaneous streaming lets you watch live events (like a basketball game) or a program (like the evening news) as they happen.
What is the difference between streaming and live streaming?
Standard streaming, the most popular example being Netflix, lets you pick what you want to watch from a menu of choices. It’s also referred to as “video on demand.” Live streaming refers to sports and news events that you can stream as they happen in real time. It also refers to channels that show a continuous, linear flow of programming.
What streaming service is best for live TV?
FuboTV does the best job of letting you organize live channels to help you find just what you want to watch. The interface is uncluttered and when you search for something, the UI clearly tells you whether something is live now or on-demand. YouTube TV also does a good job making that info clear. Both have just over 100 live channels on offer.
What is the most cost effective TV streaming service?
Free TV streaming services like PlutoTV, Plex, Tubi and FreeVee show plenty of ad-supported TV shows and movies without charging you anything. Of course, they won’t have the same channels or content that more premium subscriptions have. Ultimately it depends on what you want to watch and finding the service that can supply that to you in the most streamlined form so you’re not paying for stuff you don’t need.
Is it cheaper to have cable or streaming?
A basic cable package used to be more expensive than the base-level live TV streaming service. But now that nearly all major providers have raised their prices to over $75 per month, that’s no longer the case. And with add-ons and other premiums, you can easily pay over $200 a month for either cable or a live TV streaming service.
What streaming service has all the TV channels?
No service that we tested had every available channel. Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV Stream carry the the highest number of the top rated channels, according to Neilsen. Hulu’s service also gets you Disney+ fare, which you can’t get elsewhere. FuboTV has the most sports channels and YouTube TV gives you the widest selection of add-ons.
What is the most popular live TV streaming platform?
YouTube TV has the most paying customers. According to 2024’s letter from the CEO, the service has over eight million subscribers. Disney’s 2024 third quarter earnings put the Hulu + Live TV viewer count at 4.6 million. Sling’s customer count dipped from two million to about 1.9 million in 2024 and FuboTV grew its subscriber list to 1.6 million.
How safe are free streaming services and websites?
You may have heard certain sites that provide free content can be dangerous, leading to stolen info and/or exposing you to malware. That’s likely in reference to certain peer-to-peer (P2P) networks and file-sharing sites that let people download free movies and series — which can come bundled with malicious code.
But if you’re talking about the free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) services listed here, from providers like PlutoTV, Tubi and Freevee, they are just as safe as any other streaming service. Since you sometimes don’t even have to provide your email address or credit card info, they can even be more anonymous than apps that require login credentials.
January 31, 2025: Added information about which streaming service would live-stream the Super Bowl, including Tubi’s free option. Updated Fubo’s pricing. Added details about DirectTV Stream’s sports-only package and Comcast’s sports and news bundle.
January 16, 2025: Included higher prices for Sling’s Orange and Blue plans. Noted the demise of the never-launched Venu sports streaming service and mentioned the inclusion of DirecTV’s new sports package.
December 31, 2024: Noted increased pricing for YouTube TV, Hulu+ Live TV and DirecTV. Updated information for 4K streaming capabilities and requirements for multiple services. Reported on the upcoming shut down of Amazon’s Freevee service and the addition of DirecTV’s free service.
August 6, 2024: Updated with the addition of Plex as a free live TV streaming recommendation and mentioned the additional free channels Philo is now including with the free version of its service. Added pricing information for ESPN’s new sports-only streaming service, Venu.
June 12, 2024: Updated with more information about 4K live streaming, picture-in-picture and multiview modes, as well as video on-demand options. We expanded our recommendations around free live TV streaming services and added a FAQ query about the safety of free streaming services and clarified the difference between standard and live streaming. More traditional streaming services have added live and sports components, so we revised that section accordingly.
Drake has been making headlines recently for his ongoing feud with Kendrick Lamar, especially after Super Bowl LIX and the “Money Trees” rapper’s performance. The 38-year-old artist just released a new album, Some Sexy Songs 4 U ($$$4U), amid the buzz surrounding him. The record, a collaboration with PARTYNEXTDOOR, has already sparked discussions among fans.
When Did Drake Drop a New Album?
Drake released Some Sexy Songs 4 U ($$$4U) on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2025.
Does Drake’s New Album Address the Kendrick Lamar Beef?
According to Forbes, while Drake doesn’t directly mention his feud with Kendrick Lamar, fans believe he subtly references it in his track Gimme A Hug, rapping, “F— a rap beef, I’m tryna get the party lit.”
The tension between the two artists has been ongoing for some time but gained renewed attention when Kendrick released Not Like Us, in which he raps, “Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young/ You better not ever go to cell block one/ To any b*tch that talk to him and they in love/ Just make sure you hide your lil’ sister from him.”
Following the song’s release, Drake sued his record label, Universal Music Group (UMG)—which also happens to be Kendrick’s label—over its promotion of the track. According to USA Today, his legal team stated, “UMG wants the public to believe that this is a fight between rappers, but this lawsuit is not brought against Kendrick Lamar.” They further added, “This lawsuit reveals the human and business consequences to UMG’s elevation of profits over the safety and well-being of its artists, and shines a light on the manipulation of artists and the public for corporate gain.”
Drake’s Some Sexy Songs 4 U ($$$4U) Tracklist
The album features 21 songs, including collaborations with PARTYNEXTDOOR, Pim, Chino Pacas, and Yebba. Here’s the full tracklist:
“CN TOWER”
“MOTH BALLS”
“SOMETHING ABOUT YOU”
“CRYING IN CHANEL” – Drake
“SPIDER-MAN SUPERMAN”
“DEEPER” – PARTYNEXTDOOR
“SMALL TOWN FAME” – Drake
“PIMMIE’S DILEMMA” – Pim, PARTYNEXTDOOR & Drake
“BRAIN STEEL” – Drake
“GIMME A HUG” – Drake
“RAINING IN HOUSTON” – Drake
“LASERS”
“MEET YOUR PADRE” – PARTYNEXTDOOR, Drake & Chino Pacas
Whilst the latest cruise ships offer plenty of luxurious features, some passengers can feel somewhat cramped, particularly if they have made the common mistake of overpacking for the trip.
To help tourists make the most of their cabin, the travel expert Ilana Schattauer from the YouTube channel Life Well Cruised posted a video suggesting that passengers look under their sofa.
She explained: “This is one of my favourite things in this cabin. In the couch that you can see right behind me there are actually two drawers right underneath, and these can be used for extra storage.
“Now, if you have three or four people in the cabin, you’ll definitely appreciate having those extra drawers. Plus, as my husband and I realised, we can actually put our shoes there. My husband took one drawer, I took the other, and now our shoes are out of sight!”
Most cruise ship cabins feature a two-seater sofa, which can typically be converted into another bed – particularly if three or more guests are sharing the same room.
However, few passengers realise that the sofas found in cabins typically feature drawers underneath the cushions, which can be used for storing items such as shoes.
Ilana also advised that cruise passengers check underneath the bed and around the mirrors in the bathroom to see whether the cabin features any other storage areas.
Similarly, the YouTuber recommended that tourists getting ready to go on a cruise holiday make good use of their cabin’s safe, reassuring viewers that nobody else will have access to it.
She added: “Take a look inside your closet and you’re usually going to find a mini safe. Now, even if you don’t use this when you’re in a hotel, I do suggest that you use this on a ship. You can use it to store your passports, anything else that’s valuable like jewellery, money, or your car keys.
“And, by the way, if you’re concerned about the safety and security of the safe in your cabin, my understanding is that cabin attendants cannot open them on their own – the only times they could do this is with a supervisor with them.”
Finally, Ilana also highlighted that many cruise ship cabins feature a small clothesline within the shower that can be used to dry towels and swimwear.
She continued: “Heading into the bathroom, there is usually going to be a secret clothesline.
“Now, you’re going to find this at the top of your shower, where you just pull a little silver tip and you’ll find a little string that will go right across [the shower area].”
When a grieving neuroscientist uses AI technology that allows her to reconnect with her dead father, she finds herself surfing waves of emotion and questioning life itself. That’s the winning premise in O Horizon, writer/director Madeleine Rotzler’s adult fairy tale starring Maria Bakalova (The Apprentice, Creature Commandos, Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm), David Strathairn (Nomadland), and — big surprise — Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Aimee Mann, whose music fueled the Magnolia soundtrack and was also featured in Jerry McGuire. “Obviously this is a dream cast,” Rotzler told MovieWeb in a recent interview, adding:
“Great actors make writing great. They’re everything. With Aimee, we just got so lucky. I love her music. For her to guide Maria’s character and sing music live was a dream. I really wanted the film to cross genres as much as possible, and I’ve always wanted to do live music in a movie. So, having her there, to physically be there singing for us in the film, was really special. It was the last day of the shoot [when] she did that and everybody was crying. She moved us, and I think it will move people when they see the movie as well.”
Aimee Mann’s Pivotal Character
Mann doesn’t appear until the latter half of the film. There’s great storytelling beforehand, however, as Bakalova’s character, Abby, considers doing the unthinkable: downloading an app (supplied by a techy played by Adam Pally) that pulls everything from voice messages to emails a person received from a loved one. In this case, Abby’s father (played by Strathairn). The result finds Abby chatting with her father, all the while trying to balance her new scientific study and a potential new beau, Jerry (played by Dante Jeanfelix).
On that note… Abby and Jerry’s impromptu weekend escape finds them renting a forest pad from Aimee Mann, who plays herself in the film. The popular singer, who rose to fame in the 1990s and delivered hit songs like “Save Me,” “Wise Up,” “One,” and “Charmer,” plays a sage-like figure in the film as it leans into magical realism.
Mark Gill, Madeleine Rotzler, Audrey Tommassini, Joseph Cross, Paul Nelson
Rotzler said the idea for the movie came during the pandemic. “I just really wanted to watch something uplifting, something that didn’t shy away from the serious things that we all go through but left me with a feeling of hope. I wanted to live in an alternate reality for a little while.”
With all the uncertainty circulating around the globe these days, Rotzler hopes the film inspires audiences to reflect on their own relationships, and maybe lean into a little magic along the way.
“When I wrote O Horizon, it was really meant to be a fable,” Rotzler said, adding:
“Abby falls into ‘the rabbit hole,’ and from then on, her world is really transformed. She can speak to someone who is gone. The crazy things that happen in this movie definitely stretch reality, then Abby encounters a mysterious oracle in the forest [Mann] who helps her. So, she finds inspiration and motivation to step forward in her life, taking in this loss with her father rather than rejecting it or feeling that she has to move past it.”
O Horizon is playing at film festivals across the country, most recently at SBIFF. Mark Gill executive produced O Horizon with Paul Nelson and Audrey Tommassini Cross producing. Watch this space for updates.
Warning: Contains spoilers for Dragon Ball Daima episode #18.Dragon Ball Daimahas finally done what no one thought possible: it made Super Saiyan 4 canon. For decades, Super Saiyan 4 has been cited as one of the best parts of Dragon Ball GT, if not the best, and even with GT being non-canon, fans have always wanted at least Super Saiyan 4 to be worked into canon in some way.
People have wanted a canon Super Saiyan 4 for decades, and it’s finally come to fruition with Dragon Ball Daima. When it became clear that Dragon Ball Daima was remaking Dragon Ball GT, a common theory was that the series would make Super Saiyan 4 canon in some way, and sure enough, Dragon Ball Daima episode #18 finally made Super Saiyan 4 canon by having Goku use the form in the fight against Gomah. There are plenty of differences between the canon form and the original, but regardless, it’s still the most exciting development in Dragon Ball Daima, to date.
How Goku Obtained Super Saiyan 4 In Dragon Ball Daima
How Super Saiyan 4 Works In Canon
Dragon Ball Daima is the first canon appearance of Super Saiyan 4, and it, of course, has a different origin from Dragon Ball GT. In GT, Goku unlocked Super Saiyan 4 in the battle with Baby Vegeta, the form a result of Goku turning into a Golden Great Ape after using the Earth as a substitute for the moon. In Dragon Ball Daima, however, Goku obtained Super Saiyan 4 after Neva cast magic on him in the fight with Gomah to give him a power boost, although unlike in GT, Super Saiyan 4 doesn’t turn Goku back into an adult.
Dragon Ball Daima episode #18’s interpretation of Super Saiyan 4 is probably the most organic way that it could have been brought into canon. A common theory about Daima was that Goku would use magic to unlock a new form of Super Saiyan, and because of that, Dragon Ball Daima making Super Saiyan 4 Goku a product of Neva’s magic was the most organic way of making it canon within the confines of the story. That makes its appearance even better, and it’s bound to go down as the anime’s biggest highlight, by far.
Dragon Ball Daima’s Take On Super Saiyan 4 Is A Great Combo Of Super & GT
The Perfect Fusion Of Dragon Ball GT & Dragon Ball Super
Image By Joshua Fox
What’s especially notable about Dragon Ball Daima’s take on Super Saiyan 4 is how it bridges the gap between Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super. In GT, Super Saiyan 4 was presented as the Super Saiyan form of the Legendary Super Saiyan, but that was retconned by Super with the creation of Super Saiyan God. The new version of Super Saiyan 4 has far more red compared to the original, however, meaning that Dragon Ball Daima’s version of Super Saiyan 4 can be seen as a visual fusion of GT and Super’s differing takes on the Legendary Super Saiyan.
That idea also works on a thematic level, of course. One problem with Super Saiyan God’s design in Dragon Ball Super is that it doesn’t do a great job of presenting itself as the pinnacle of Saiyan power with its simplistic design, something that, conversely, is perfectly conveyed in Dragon Ball GT with Super Saiyan 4’s wild and animalistic appearance. Because of that, Dragon Ball Daima’s take on Super Saiyan 4 works on a thematic level by adding the aesthetic of Super Saiyan 4 to Super Saiyan God; it’s unknown if that was intentional, but regardless, it works exceptionally well.
Why Does Goku Never Use Super Saiyan 4 In Dragon Ball Super?
Did Dragon Ball Daima Just Contradict Dragon Ball Super?
As great as it is for Super Saiyan 4 to be canon, it does create an issue with Dragon Ball Super. Much like Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta, Goku never uses Super Saiyan 4 during Dragon Ball Super, and in his fight with Beerus, Super Saiyan 3 is framed as the strongest form he has access to, even though Super Saiyan 4 should be far stronger. Because of that, Super Saiyan 4 Goku being canon creates a clear continuity issue with Dragon Ball Super, and it’s one that’s hard to ignore.
That being said, the issue is fairly easy to resolve. While Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta might be hard to explain, Goku obtained Super Saiyan 4 through Neva’s magic, thus making it a magical transformation in nature, so Goku probably never used Super Saiyan 4 in Dragon Ball Super because the canon interpretation can only be used when magic is involved. Ideally, the last few episodes of Dragon Ball Daima will clarify the issue, but whatever the case, it doesn’t make it any less exciting for a form as iconic as Super Saiyan 4 to finally be canon.
Dragon Ball Daima releases new episodes Fridays on Crunchyroll.
A woman who had accused Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jay-Z of raping her at a house party following the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000 dropped her lawsuit against the two men on Friday.
Court papers filed in New York federal court on Friday said the suit had been “voluntarily dismissed with prejudice.” It cannot be refiled. The new filing comes months after attorneys for Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, asked a judge to scrap the complaint, citing inconsistencies in the woman’s story.
The hip-hop mogul’s attorney, Alex Spiro, said in a statement that the “false case” against Jay-Z “never should have been brought.” He added that his client had not paid the accuser to settle the case.
“By standing up in the face of heinous and false allegations, Jay has done what few can — he pushed back, he never settled, he never paid one red penny, he triumphed and cleared his name,” Spiro said.
The lawsuit was initially filed against Combs in October, accusing him of raping a 13-year-old girl at a house party following the star-studded music awards. In December, the complaint was amended to add Jay-Z as a defendant. The complaint alleged that the two men took turns assaulting her, which Jay-Z and Combs have repeatedly denied.
Jay-Z said in a statement Friday that the allegations in the suit were “frivolous, fictitious and appalling.”
“This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere,” he said. “The fictional tale they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims. I would not wish this experience on anyone. The trauma that my wife, my children, my loved ones and I have endured can never be dismissed.”
His statement went on to say that an NBC News investigation in December found inconsistencies in the plaintiff’s story:
“The plaintiff originally told NBC News that she spoke with musician Benji Madden at the after party where the alleged assault took place, but a representative for Benji and his brother Joel confirmed to the publication that neither of the brothers attended the 2000 VMAs because they were on tour in the Midwest. Furthermore, the plaintiff said her father picked her up after the alleged assault, but he denied her account, telling NBC News that he ‘cannot verify the claims.’”
Jay-Z’s statement continued: “The plaintiff’s fabricated lies further unraveled after she indicated that she watched the 2000 Video Music Awards show on a jumbotron outside of Radio City Music Hall. However, according to the New York Police Department, there was no permit issued for a jumbotron that year. She also said she ‘stumbled’ upon a limousine despite the fact that the limousine area was blocks away from the venue.”
A sprawling federal indictment alleges Combs used his power for decades to coerce victims into sex in gatherings known as “freak-offs.” Combs, who has denied any wrongdoing, was arrested last September after nearly a year of investigations by federal authorities. He remains in custody in Brooklyn awaiting trial.
There have been suggestions that other big names will be swept into the scandal. But federal prosecutors have not named any co-conspirators or said that any of Combs’ alleged victims were minors.
The lawsuit that was dropped Friday was one of 40 civil suits filed against Combs, but was the only one to name an A-list alleged accomplice. Attorney Tony Buzbee, who has filed more than two dozen lawsuits against Combs, including the one just dismissed, declined to comment.
Attorneys for Combs said in a statement that the dismissal was “another confirmation that these lawsuits are built on falsehoods, not facts.”
“Sean Combs has never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone — man or woman, adult or minor,” the statement said. “No number of lawsuits, sensationalized allegations, or media theatrics will change that reality.”
It’s about damn time for some new Lizzo music! The superstar went live on Twitch on Friday (Feb. 14), and after navigating some technical difficulties with her muted microphone, she gave her fans a Valentine’s Day gift with a new teaser.
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The brief clip featured a close-up shot of Lizzo crying while looking into the camera, as a flute melody played in the background. The crying then turned into laughter, all before the singer stared dead-pan into the lens, with tears streaming down her face. The scene then ends with a date: February 28.
While Lizzo didn’t reveal if the upcoming release will be a song or a full-length album, she revealed, “I’ve been working on music for the last two years, and took my time and I did it right. The new era begins today.”
She then added, “I truly am coming to gag throats.”
Fans suspected something new was on the horizon when she said goodbye to her 2022 album, Special. “It’s the end of a very Special era. This album was my strut back into society after a hard 2020 & 2021. I wanted to help people turn up the music, turn down the lights and get a feeling they’ll be alright,” she wrote on Instagram on Thursday (Feb. 13) alongside the album cover. “I wanted to remind people of how they may be broken but still perfect in their own way. 12 songs, 68 shows, 14 countries, 3 continents and nearly a million voices later we saw our specialness. We got through it together. I’m proud of the accolades, the Grammys the Emmys the Platinum plaque… but I’m most proud of the Legacy I’m leaving this world— lyrics that uplift you, music w real instruments, a reminder to dance and that it’s okay to cry… and high vibrations! I thank God every day that this is my job, and I don’t take it lightly.”
She followed up with another post, a video truly bidding adieu to the Special era by spray painting “Bye B—-” over the album cover in red paint. See it here.
The Bachelor Season 29 is in full swing with leading man Grant Ellis already forming strong connections. However, some Bachelor Nation viewers are concerned with Grant’s true intentions on the show. In only two episodes, Grant has already shown a few red flags, which has some fans worried. Is Grant in it for love? Or is he just there to have a fun time?
Photo Credit: Disney via John Fleenor
One of the most surprising things about Season 29 so far has been the amount of singing. When Grant first stepped out of the limo to meet Jenn Tran on The Bachelorette, he sang a little song. It seemed like something that was just cute and clever for his entrance. Grant isn’t a bad singer by any means; however, his constant singing on The Bachelor is making some viewers suspicious.
During his one-on-one date with Alexe Godin, Grant sang her a song while playing the piano for her. This was a sweet gesture, although the song seemed a little long for the scene. A day later, Grant took a group of the women on a music-themed group date, where he also performed a song again. Both scenes became a hot topic of debate, with some fans thinking it was cute while others found it to be too much.
In addition to singing on the show, Grant released his first single Party Girl right before the premiere. Grant’s actions have caused some fans to feel like Grant is on the show to promote his music, rather than to find love. If it was just the singing on the show, I’d say it’s just one of Grant’s passions. However, the timing of his single was just a little too coincidental.
Others aren’t sure that Grant is looking for something serious
Photo Credit: Disney via Matt Sayles
Grant hasn’t only been criticized for showing off his talents. After the second episode, some viewers are doubting that Grant is looking for a long-term relationship. This was in part due to his steamy make-out session with Carolina Quixano. After Carolina won the singing and dancing contest on the second group date, she received extra stage time with Grant. During her special time, she and Grant weren’t shy about showing their affection off in a public make-out session. A few kisses are understandable, but it was so much that the other women felt quite uncomfortable.
Another red flag was Grant’s comment to Litia Garr on night one. Grant told Litia that she must not “get told no a lot” due to her beauty. Litia was put off by the comment, and rightfully so. It’s never ok to assume anything about anyone, but there’s never an excuse to assume something about a woman because of her looks. During the after-party of the second group date, Litia brought her concerns to Grant. While he did genuinely apologize, it still seemed like Grant didn’t fully understand his mistake.
The Season 29 trailer foreshadows a difficult ending for Grant
Every season of The Bachelor tries to tease a dramatic and never-before-seen ending. Grant’s ending, however, seems to feature a big dilemma. In the season trailer, Grant is shown struggling once he gets down to the final two women. Grant reveals that he isn’t sure who to choose, merely minutes before the proposal. Host Jesse Palmer seemed incredibly concerned, as he emphasized to Grant that he needed to know which woman to send down first.
It’s not uncommon for the lead to have almost equally strong connections with both of the finalists. However, their hearts usually lead them a little more in one direction. The fact that Grant didn’t know who he wanted to choose less than an hour before doing so is concerning. Grant might’ve felt forced to decide on something he could’ve felt differently about a few hours later. It seems like Grant proposed to whichever woman he chose, as he said that he had a ring. Hopefully, nerves just got the best of Grant and he did feel stronger for the woman he ended up choosing.
While Grant has had a few hiccups on his journey so far, he’s also made a lot of progress. The singing is a little much for some viewers at times, but it could very well just be one of Grant’s passions. As for his intentions regarding marriage, we can only hope that Grant will prove the skeptics wrong as the season continues.
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Way Home Season 3 Episode 7 “Tell Me Something Good.”]
Who is Casey (Vaughan Murrae)?! That’s the question that has been prevalent on The Way Home since Season 2, and now, we’re finally getting some answers.
Alice (Sadie Laflamme-Snow) has been so certain all this time that Kat’s (Chyler Leigh) intern is actually from the future; with Casey saying they’re a Goodwin (and Cassandra and variations a family name), Alice has also been wondering if she might marry Max (Dale Whibley) and avoiding him instead of working on a school assignment together. Well, by the end of “Tell Me Something Good,” Alice has confirmed that she was right about Casey being from the future!
Del (Andie MacDowell), now in the know on all things time travel and the pond, uses an opportunity to ask her boyfriend Sam (Rob Stewart) about seeing him with Casey to get clues. “They called, said they were in town,” he shares. “We were just catching up.” Casey’s one of his clients; they came to him last year for legal advice. Del, of course, wonders why someone so young would need legal advice. Unfortunately, Sam can’t help due to attorney-client privilege. Alice does finally meet up with Max at Lingermore and asks to see the attic, where she finds a coffee cup as well as a burner phone and a chess piece hidden. There was a squatter, he reveals. But why would a squatter leave those things behind?
Alice then fills Kat in on that and her new theory: Casey was the squatter. Kat argues there’s no proof … which is when Casey shows up and confirms they were the squatter. They know they haven’t been entirely truthful: Lewis is their second cousin, not father, and things had been really bad at home for them last summer. “By that, you mean the summer of 2024, right?” Alice checks. The internship was more than a job for them —it made them feel like family — so they came back to say thank you. They had their parents call Lewis to change his mind about buying their land and got legal help from Sam, Casey shares. The Landry’s did so much for them that they wanted to do something in return. They then beg off (just passing through town) and leave. Kat thinks that should put Alice’s theory to bed, that they’re not a time traveler, but her daughter wonders who was in the field the night she was pushed in the pond if not Casey?
Well … Alice is on her way back to the house from her own trip back in time via the pond when she runs into Casey on the Landry property. Casey claims they remembered something to tell Kat but she wasn’t there. But as they walk away, Alice asks about the ring (Kat’s engagement ring) around their neck. “It’s a family ring,” Casey says. “Goodwin family?” Alice checks. “No,” Casey says, then runs. Alice follows them … into the woods … to the pond … where they jump in and don’t come back up!
There’s the proof: Casey is from the future! After all, the pond is about reflection and has only taken people (Landrys) to the past… But does this mean that Alice’s future is with Max? Is Casey Alice’s kid? That’s still very much up in the air.
What do you think of the reveal about Casey? What’s your theory about their connection to Alice? Let us know in the comments section below.
