The 4 Best Streaming Services for Movies, Sports, and Live Television

Streaming is the number one way people watch TV in today's world. This phenomenon is called cord-cutting, and it's the process of switching from cable or satellite services to streaming platforms.

There are many reasons people choose to cut the cord, from saving money because streaming services are much less expensive than cable or satellite to have the flexibility to watch TV whenever it's most convenient. With that being said, here are the best streaming services today. 

#1: YouTube TV

Hands-down, YouTube TV is the best streaming service for streaming live television— sports and movies included. While it shares the same name with the video-sharing platform, it doesn't feature user-generated content. Instead, it offers live television shows available in most cable packages. It can be played simultaneously on three different screens, and a five-day free trial period is available.

The best part about YouTube TV is that it costs less than cable— with monthly subscriptions starting at $64.99. So far, these prices haven't seen an increase like so many cable and satellite users are used to seeing. 

#2: HBO Max

HBO Max isn't a live-streaming service, but it allows you to stream TV shows and movies already present on the platform. Like YouTube TV, you can stream simultaneously on three devices, and subscriptions start at $9.99 per month.

HBO Max has one thing that YouTube TV doesn't is exclusive and original shows. Although you can't watch TV live like you can on YouTube TV, you can watch some shows currently showing on regular television. 

#3: Netflix

Netflix was around long before streaming platforms were even thought of, so it's considered one of the top streaming platforms. Unfortunately, the recent price increases have made it drop in popularity, but it's still much less expensive than cable or satellite. Monthly subscriptions start at $9.99 to stream on one device and close to $20 to stream on four devices.

Still, Netflix offers a wide variety of TV shows and movies, even though none of them are live. Netflix is also one of few platforms that's completely add-free at all subscription levels.

#4: The Disney Bundle

The "Disney Bundle" consists of Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus. Separately, these services cost $7.99, $6.99, and $6.99 per month, respectively— but the entire bundle costs $13.99 per month, saving you $8.

The Disney Bundle is the perfect, low-cost option for families because it has something for everyone. Disney Plus is very popular among all ages, especially kids and teens, and Hulu even offers a variety of TV shows and movies for all ages. Finally, ESPN Plus is great for any sports lover. As for living TV, there's a Hulu Live TV option that allows you to watch live shows, but Hulu also offers current TV shows.

Ways to Access these Services

So after you've signed up for a monthly subscription, you'll need to be able to watch on these platforms. The most common way people watch on these platforms is with a smart TV. The newest smart TVs come equipped with all streaming services, and you can even log in to a service from your phone or computer to activate it on your smart TV. 

Not everyone has access to a smart TV, or maybe their smart TV isn't updated with all of the latest apps. In this case, many people use an Amazon Fire Stick to access streaming services. Fire Sticks may also lack certain streaming services, but there's a way to unlock new apps to enjoy a variety of content. Other external devices that allow you to watch streaming services include gaming systems, such as Xbox and PlayStation4.

And lastly, you can access these streaming services on your personal computer, laptop, smartphone, or another smart device such as a tablet. Phones and tablets allow you to download the apps for these services to watch, while you can access your shows through the streaming service's website on your laptop or computer.

So the top four streaming services can all be accessed through a smart TV or a regular TV that supports HDMI devices like the Amazon Fire Stick— or even with certain Xbox and PlayStation systems. You can also access these streaming platforms on the go with your smartphone, tablet, and even your laptop computer.