Here’s How to Get Free Channels on Your Smart TV

Given the amount of advertising for expensive cable TV packages and cable-cancelling services, you might be surprised to learn that there are plenty of ways to watch free movies and shows on most TVs.

If you want a solid set of streaming options—live or on-demand—your best bet is to spend some money on at least one of the top streaming services or get a cable subscription.

But if you don’t mind having fewer options to choose from, here’s how you can get by without them.

Free TV shows and movies straight to your Smart TV

(Photo source: Google)

Chances are you already have access to free TV channels right on your current smart TV. These days, new TVs come with free viewing options. It’s no wonder these options are free, since most shows come with ads that you can’t skip — just like regular TV. When it comes to content, options range from news outlets (like CNBC and CNN) to channels that specialize in one very specific thing, like classic Doctor Who or action movies.

Below is a quick overview of how streaming platforms from different TV brands implement these options.

Google TV Live (available on Hisense, TCL and Sony TVs)

Most of the latest Sony, Hisense, and TCL TVs offer Google TV as a pre-installed smart platform. On the Google TV homepage, there’s a tab called Live. The Live tab expands the schedule on the screen, which visually resembles those available on basic cable TV services.

From here, you can browse dozens of free channels, choosing to browse by air date and time or by content category. The Live tab is a one-stop shop for many of the most popular free TV services (like Plex, Pluto TV, and Tubi), but it also conveniently includes a selection of paid services you may have a subscription to (like Sling TV and YouTube TV), so all your options are in one place.

Samsung Plus TV

For several years now, Samsung has been introducing its smart TVs with a pre-installed app called Samsung TV Plus. If you own a Samsung TV, chances are you already have it.

Samsung TV Plus offers hundreds of live TV channels, organized in a familiar guide. Unlike Google TV, it does not integrate paid subscription services.

Full list of Samsung TV Plus TV channels

LG TV

Like Samsung, LG also offers its own app for hundreds of free live TV channels. It’s called LG TV and works much the same way as Samsung TV Plus; you can sort by genre or browse programming options arranged in an hourly schedule.

Full list of LG TV channels

Digital antenna is great for watching sports, local news and comedy series

(Photo source: Mohu)

All of the above internet-based options are great, but what about good old-fashioned over-the-air TV? The bunny ears of yesteryear may be gone, but their replacement, digital antennas, are a great way to expand your free programming library.

A digital antenna is a one-time purchase that unlocks a range of options that are hard to access without an antenna, such as local news, sports, and sitcoms. Network options like ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox are often available with paid subscriptions, but unless you have a cable or cord-cutting service, you may have difficulty tuning in to your local weather.

If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve tested some of the best indoor and outdoor digital antennas available today. I can’t recommend them enough—I use them more often than I stream content from the internet.

Be sure to check out YouTube too

(Photo source: YouTube)

You may know that YouTube lets you buy and rent videos, but did you know it also offers a changing selection of movies and shows you can watch for free, with ads?

Since all the major smart platforms support the YouTube app, it is worth considering the free videos site YouTube when you are looking for something to watch.

You won’t find the hottest, newest releases here, but if you want to watch Water world, Scary Movie 3or something called The Tale of the Turtle 2: Sammy’s Escape from ParadiseYou’ll find everything you need on YouTube’s free ad-supported content page.

“Free” content is the future

If the past decade is any indication of what’s to come, movies and TV shows will become increasingly available without a cable subscription. Yes, there will always be premium programming locked behind paywalls, but increasingly, content creators are trying to make their content as visible as possible while still maintaining a healthy profit margin.

Free streaming services like the ones mentioned above will continue to grow in popularity in the coming years, so now is the perfect time to take advantage of them and enjoy the wave of free shows and movies.