{"name":"The Licensed TV Cost Index 2026","description":"Per-service monthly pricing for a fully licensed US television setup, with a source and verification date on every row.","url":"https://marinios.live/what-licensed-tv-costs","license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","attribution":"Marinios, https://marinios.live/what-licensed-tv-costs","currency":"USD","market":"United States","lastChecked":"2026-08-26","methodology":{"tierPriced":"Ad-supported plan wherever one exists, cheapest defensible tier otherwise — the total is a floor, not a ceiling.","excluded":["Regional sports surcharges, which vary by market and are billed on top by several providers","Equipment, broadband and taxes","Promotional introductory rates — every figure is the standard rate"],"liveTvBaseline":"The live-TV row used in the headline totals is the package carrying all four broadcast networks plus ESPN; a cheaper package that drops ABC or CBS is not a like-for-like cable replacement.","sourcing":"Every row states its own source and check date. sourceType distinguishes a price published by the provider from one reported by the press."},"headline":{"monthly":179.93,"annual":2159.16,"services":8},"baskets":[{"slug":"broadcast-only","name":"Live TV only","question":"What does it cost to replace a basic cable package?","monthly":82.99,"annual":995.88,"excludes":"No on-demand services, no out-of-market sport, no premium film tiers.","services":["youtube-tv"]},{"slug":"sports-household","name":"Live TV + sport","question":"What does it cost if someone in the house follows a specific team?","monthly":112.98,"annual":1355.76,"excludes":"No on-demand services. Regional sports fees vary by market and are not included.","services":["youtube-tv","espn-unlimited"]},{"slug":"everything","name":"Live TV + sport + on-demand","question":"What does it cost to have licensed access to essentially everything?","monthly":179.93,"annual":2159.16,"excludes":"Ad-supported tiers throughout, so this is the floor rather than the ceiling.","services":["youtube-tv","espn-unlimited","netflix","hbo-max","paramount-plus","peacock","disney-plus","apple-tv"]}],"services":[{"slug":"youtube-tv","service":"YouTube TV","tier":"Base Plan","monthly":82.99,"covers":"100+ live channels including ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX and ESPN, with unlimited DVR","source":"https://www.tipranks.com/news/the-fly/youtube-tv-raises-price-for-base-plan-to-82-99-per-month","sourceType":"press","checked":"2026-08-26"},{"slug":"hulu-live","service":"Hulu + Live TV","tier":"With ads","monthly":89.99,"covers":"95+ live channels, bundled with Disney+ and ESPN Select, unlimited DVR","source":"https://www.dealnews.com/features/hulu/monthly-cost/","sourceType":"press","checked":"2026-08-26"},{"slug":"directv-stream","service":"DIRECTV","tier":"Entertainment","monthly":89.99,"covers":"Entry linear package; regional sports availability varies by market","source":"https://cordcuttersnews.com/youtube-tv-vs-directv-vs-fubo-vs-sling-tv-breaking-down-their-cheaper-sports-package-pricing-channels-more/","sourceType":"press","checked":"2026-08-26"},{"slug":"fubo","service":"Fubo","tier":"Sports + News","monthly":55.99,"covers":"Sports-led linear package; regional sports fees are charged on top","source":"https://cordcuttersnews.com/youtube-tv-vs-directv-vs-fubo-vs-sling-tv-breaking-down-their-cheaper-sports-package-pricing-channels-more/","sourceType":"press","checked":"2026-08-26","changeNote":"Regional sports fees start around $13/mo on base packages and are not included in the headline price."},{"slug":"sling-combined","service":"Sling TV","tier":"Orange + Blue","monthly":60.99,"covers":"The cheapest route to both ESPN and the FOX/NBC side; broadcast coverage is market-dependent","source":"https://techradar.com/deals/sling-tv-packages-price-deals","sourceType":"press","checked":"2026-08-26"},{"slug":"espn-unlimited","service":"ESPN Unlimited","tier":"Standalone monthly","monthly":29.99,"covers":"ESPN's direct-to-consumer tier, including out-of-market events not on the linear feed","source":"https://support.espn.com/hc/en-us/articles/40375475974036-ESPN-Select-or-Unlimited-Plans-and-Prices","sourceType":"provider","checked":"2026-08-26","changeNote":"Rises to $31.99/mo on 17 September 2026 — the first increase since launch. Recorded here rather than averaged away."},{"slug":"netflix","service":"Netflix","tier":"Standard with ads","monthly":8.99,"covers":"Netflix originals","source":"https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/streaming/what-streaming-costs-in-2026-the-price-of-netflix-disney-plus-max-and-more","sourceType":"press","checked":"2026-08-26"},{"slug":"hbo-max","service":"HBO Max","tier":"With ads","monthly":10.99,"covers":"HBO originals and the Warner film slate","source":"https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/streaming/what-streaming-costs-in-2026-the-price-of-netflix-disney-plus-max-and-more","sourceType":"press","checked":"2026-08-26"},{"slug":"paramount-plus","service":"Paramount+","tier":"Essential","monthly":8.99,"covers":"CBS library, Paramount films, NFL on CBS","source":"https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/streaming/what-streaming-costs-in-2026-the-price-of-netflix-disney-plus-max-and-more","sourceType":"press","checked":"2026-08-26"},{"slug":"peacock","service":"Peacock","tier":"Premium with ads","monthly":12.99,"covers":"NBC library, Premier League, NBC sport","source":"https://deadline.com/feature/streamer-subscription-prices-ad-tiers-1236195912/","sourceType":"press","checked":"2026-08-26","changeNote":"Every Peacock tier rose on 18 August 2026, eight days before this check."},{"slug":"disney-plus","service":"Disney+","tier":"With ads","monthly":12,"covers":"Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars","source":"https://checkthat.ai/brands/disney-2/pricing","sourceType":"press","checked":"2026-08-26","changeNote":"Standalone Disney+ spans roughly $12–$19/mo across tiers; the ad tier is priced here as the conservative figure."},{"slug":"apple-tv","service":"Apple TV","tier":"Monthly","monthly":12.99,"covers":"Apple originals; no ad-supported tier exists","source":"https://www.macobserver.com/tips/round-ups/apple-tv-pricing-in-2026-free-trials/","sourceType":"press","checked":"2026-08-26"}]}