Everything You Need to Know About Cutting the Cord in 2025

Millions of Americans still pay for TV with a cable company. But in 2025, you’re better off “cutting the cord.” The phrase refers to leaving cable and getting your TV over the internet. How is that possible? What do you need to make it happen? And why is it a better choice than cable? I’ll explain everything you need to know.

Benefits of Cord-Cutting

Watch More Than Cable

Your cable company may offer lots of channels and movies on demand, but streaming services open the door to many more live channels and an almost endless library of movies and TV shows. Some services like Netflix and Disney+ don’t allow their original content to be broadcast on regular TV channels, so you have to subscribe to see their original hits.

Cutting the cord gives you more choice. You’re not stuck with a package of channels you don’t want.

No Contract and No Cancellation Fees

Cable companies often lock you into long-term contracts. That’s not a problem when you cut the cord.

Many streaming services offer a free trial. If you cancel before the trial ends, you won’t be charged.

Once you have a paid subscription, you’re only obligated for one month. It’s up to you if you want to continue or cancel anytime. You won’t pay anything extra to cancel.

No More Commercials

Most streaming services give you the option to watch without commercials. When you watch a TV show on cable, it may be 42 minutes of entertainment and 18 minutes of commercials every hour. When you pay to go ad-free, you save a ton of time in your day.

Lots of Competition

Depending where you live, you may only have one or two cable TV companies offering service. But as long as you have high-speed internet access, you can take your pick of hundreds of streaming services instead.

Every streaming service is locked in a race to earn your subscription, so they’re spending tons of money on new and original films and TV shows. The winner of this battle is you!

Better Pricing

You can stream TV and movies for free. Seriously!

If you’re willing to pay for streaming services, the sky is the limit. Some go on sale for just 99 cents/month. Several cost about $3/month. Live TV packages start around $8/month and can cost over $100/month if you want a giant channel lineup. But you’re in charge of how much you pay.

No Equipment Rentals

It’s ridiculous to have to pay to rent a cable box. When you cut the cord, your days of endless rental fees are over.

Watch on More Devices

Unlike cable services, you can stream TV and movies on almost any internet-enabled device: computers, phones, tablets, VR headsets, and some video game consoles.

Watch on the Go

If you pay for an ad-free streaming service, you can download movies and shows to your phone or tablet. This comes in handy on long road trips with the kids or when you’re on an airplane.

What Equipment Do You Need to Cut the Cord?

Chances are, you already have the equipment you need to watch TV over the internet. First, you need an internet connection. That means you’ll need:

• an internet service provider
• a modem
• a Wi-Fi router

In many cases, your modem and Wi-Fi router may be the same device. It depends on your internet service provider. Whenever possible, we recommend buying a modem/router, rather than renting it indefinitely from your provider.

Next, you’ll need a streaming device capable of accessing the Wi-Fi signal.

Smart TV

Nearly every TV you buy today is considered a “smart TV.” That means the TV comes equipped with an operating system and the ability to access the internet. In fact, it’s hard to buy a TV that isn’t a smart TV these days.

If you’re using an older TV, this isn’t a problem as long as you have an HDMI port on the TV – you can use the port to attach a streaming device.

Streaming Device

While you may have a smart TV capable of helping you watch TV over the internet, I prefer a streaming device. They usually look like small plastic rectangles. In some cases, streaming devices require a dedicated electric plug. In other cases, the device may draw power from the HDMI jack.

The most popular streaming devices are:

• Apple TV
• Roku
• Fire TV Stick
• Onn
• Google TV Streamer

For first-time cord-cutters, I recommend a Roku device. If you’re willing to spend more, Apple TV is my favorite streaming device.

Related: Apple TV vs. Roku vs. Onn – Which Streaming Device is Best?

When you connect your streaming device to your TV’s HDMI jack and turn it on, you’ll follow the on-screen instructions to set everything up. A streaming device is basically the same as a smartphone – just use the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store to find the apps you’d like to use to watch TV and movies.

Choose Your Streaming Services

There are over 350 different streaming services you can use to watch TV and movies. Some of them offer live channels just like cable, some have a library of movies and TV that you access whenever you want.

Live TV Streaming Services

If you’re coming from cable, a live TV streaming service may be a good start. These services offer different bundles of channels at different price points. All of them include a cloud DVR (digital video recorder) to store your recordings online.

• DIRECTV offers the most channel packages and the most regional sports networks. It’s a wonderful streaming service with a 5-day free trial.
• Sling TV is a great budget option. There are lots of channel bundles to mix and match. Get started with 50% off your first month.
• Hulu + Live TV is a strong contender for families. You’ll get a solid channel lineup and free Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu on-demand. Try it free for 3 days.
• Philo is an ultra-cheap live TV option at just $28/month. The channel lineup isn’t as strong as the others, but the price is right.
• YouTube TV is the most popular live TV streaming service, but I don’t recommend it. It only has one channel package and the price is high when you compare it to others.
• Frndly TV is the cheapest live TV option around, but the channel lineup isn’t one I recommend.

On-Demand Streaming Services

The huge majority of streaming services are considered “on-demand,” which means you get to look through the provided library and decide what to watch and when to watch. Here are some of the major players:

• Netflix – The world’s most popular streaming service offers some familiar Hollywood hits and a huge library of originals like “Squid Game,” “Love is Blind,” “Stranger Things,” and “Bridgerton.”
• Hulu – Flip through a giant library of TV favorites from yesterday and today. You’ll get 30 days to try this streamer for free.
• Disney+ – Families with kids will find plenty to love with Disney+. You’ll see tons of cartoons, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Pixar, The Muppets, and Disney animated films.
• Prime Video – This huge collection of movies and shows comes free if you subscribe to Amazon Prime. You’ll see originals like “Reacher,” “The Boys,” “Invincible,” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” Try it free for 30 days!
• Paramount+ – Alongside TV hits from CBS, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and Smithsonian Channel, you’ll see originals from Taylor Sheridan like “1923,” “Landman,” “Tulsa King,” “Mayor of Kingstown,” and “Lioness.” It’s also great for European soccer.
• Peacock – A library of classic NBC entertainment pairs up with a nice sports package and originals like “Poker Face” and “The Traitors.”
• AMC+ – Dig into AMC favorites like “Mad Men” and “The Walking Dead,” and see a ton of independent film and horror movies with the libraries of Shudder, IFC Films Unlimited, and Sundance Now.
• Apple TV+ – This growing streamer feels like a throwback to the glory days of HBO. I love their high-quality series like “Severance,” “Ted Lasso,” “The Studio,” and “Your Friends and Neighbors.”

There are hundreds more on-demand services and almost all of them offer something worth watching. There are streamers based on extreme sports, horror movies, international films, music, hobbies, sports teams, documentaries, exercise, animals, cult films, martial arts, religion, hobbies, news, and more. Follow Streaming Smarter for coverage of them all.

Sports Streaming Services

While live TV streamers like DIRECTV are still necessary for most sports, there’s another level of providers with games you can’t see on traditional TV.

• ESPN+ – See 1,000+ out-of-market NHL games, classic boxing, and tons of college sports with this great option.
• NBA League Pass – See every out-of-market NBA game with this basketball powerhouse.
• MLB.TV – Track your favorite baseball team with this go-to out-of-market streaming service.
• NHFS Network and BallerTV – Follow high school teams around the country with services like these.
• NFL+ – Get access to NFL Network and NFL RedZone, along with all-22 coaches’ film.

With hockey, baseball, and basketball, most teams have a direct-to-consumer streaming option for in-market games. A streaming option like FanDuel Sports Network Detroit gives all 3 sports. But fans in Washington, D.C. would need MASN+ for the Nationals and Monumental+ for the Capitals, Mystics, and Wizards.

Most international soccer rights are split between Peacock and Paramount+, while MLS Season Pass covers the American league.

Beyond this, there are streamers for smaller sports: Red Bull TV, The Surf Network, Echoboom Sports, etc.

Free Streaming Services

One of the best parts of cutting the cord is that you have access to lots of free services. Nearly all require you to watch ads, but we already have to do that with cable TV.

• Kanopy and Hoopla – These services may be free through partnership with your local library. Access movies, TV, music, and educational programming ad-free!
• Haystack News – My pick for best free news streamer allows you to customize which categories you follow. There are plenty of other free news options like Zeam, NewsON, Local Now, and NewsNation.
• Pluto TV – Kick back and enjoy endless reruns of your favorite shows like “Star Trek,” “Survivor,” and “I Love Lucy.”
• PBS Kids – If you have preschool kids, this free streamer is a must-have. It’s safe, smart, and sensitive content for every child.
• Tubi – You’ll be blown away the first time you try Tubi. Its seemingly endless movie library includes Oscar winners, B-movie trash, and everything in-between.
• Plex – This brilliant free service includes lots of free channels, plus movies and shows on-demand. But Plex also allows you to stream and share any videos or music that may be on your computer’s hard drive. You choose whether you keep access limited to yourself, your home, your friends, or your family. You can even use it to record TV from an antenna if you pay for a “Plex Pass.”

Using a Digital Antenna

Believe it or not, you can use an antenna to get TV for free. It’s a great option to save money and watch more. Simply connect an antenna to your TV’s coaxial jack and go into the TV menu to scan for channels.

I prefer plugging my antenna into a HDHomeRun device. That allows me to send the antenna signal to my phone, tablet, computer, and streaming devices. After paying for the equipment, I can stream ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS, ION, MeTV, and more for free!

What Setup Do I Use?

I have several TVs in my home. With my Sony Bravia, I just use the built-in smart TV operating system. I use two Apple TV streaming devices, but I also have a Roku and an Onn streaming device. Apple TV is my favorite of these options.

I only subscribe to a live TV provider during the NFL season. For the past two years, I’ve used Sling TV for that – it has been the best price for the channels I need.

For paid on-demand streaming services, I have Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, and Disney+.

I use a lot of free services: Kanopy, Pluto TV, and Plex are my favorites.

I use an antenna and a HDHomerun box to receive free TV over the air. Because I subscribe to Plex Pass, I record shows to my computer’s hard drive.

Basic Overview

“Cutting the cord” refers to leaving cable and getting your TV another way, either through a streaming service or an antenna.

You need an internet connection and a smart TV or streaming device.

Once you have the equipment, start downloading the apps you want to try. Some apps offer traditional live TV channels, some have movies and TV shows that aren’t on a set schedule – they’re available whenever you want to watch.

It’s normal to switch services a few times until you find the lineup that’s right for you. One simple solution would be to try Hulu + Live TV so you can try the live channels and sample on-demand standouts Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ at no extra charge.

At Streaming Smarter, our team is dedicated to helping you understand how to cut the cord and save money while enjoying more entertainment. Follow us on Facebook, X, Threads, Instagram, and Bluesky!