TL;DR: You don't need cable to follow breaking news anymore — ABC News Live, CBS News 24/7, NBC News Now, and LiveNOW from FOX all stream free, 24 hours a day, no account required. If you specifically need CNN, Fox News Channel, or MSNBC, the cheapest reliable routes are DirecTV's news-only streaming pack at around $40 a month or Sling TV at about $46 — roughly half of what YouTube TV charges.

That's the short version. Now the long one, because whenever a big international story flares up — and this week it's the Middle East again — my inbox fills with some version of the same question: 'I cut cable years ago, and now I actually want a news channel. What do I do?'

I've tested basically every mainstream streaming app on the US market at this point, and news is the one category where cord-cutting got dramatically better than cable, not worse. You just have to know where the good feeds live, because nobody advertises them.

The free 24/7 news streams (start here)

The broadcast networks all quietly built free streaming news channels over the last several years, and during fast-moving international stories they go wall-to-wall just like cable does:

  • ABC News Live — free in the ABC News app, on YouTube, Hulu, Roku, Pluto TV, and pretty much every smart TV platform.
  • CBS News 24/7 — free in the CBS News app and on Pluto TV; it's also included live inside Paramount+ if you already pay for that.
  • NBC News Now — free in the NBC News app and included with Peacock, even the cheap ad tier.
  • LiveNOW from FOX — my personal favorite for breaking news, and the one most people have never heard of. It's a free channel (find it on YouTube, Tubi, and the Fox Local apps) that runs raw, mostly commentary-free feeds: press conferences, briefings, live cameras. When something is actually happening, this is the tab I open first.

Beyond the US networks, Sky News and Al Jazeera English both stream free on YouTube around the clock, and for a story centered on the Gulf region they frequently have correspondents on the ground before the American channels do. Reuters and the Associated Press also run free live feeds of major events on YouTube — no anchors, no panel arguing, just the event.

If you want all of this in one place, the free ad-supported apps bundle it: Pluto TV has an entire news category (ABC, CBS, NBC's streams plus Bloomberg, Euronews, and more), and The Roku Channel and Tubi carry most of the same lineup. I keep Pluto pinned on my Roku home row basically for this reason. The apps themselves are mediocre — Pluto's guide still lags when you scroll — but the price is zero and the feeds are legit, licensed streams.

The honest catch: none of the free options include CNN, Fox News Channel, or MSNBC. Those three are still locked behind a paid TV package of some kind. Which brings us to the money section.

If you need the big three cable news channels

Here's the landscape as of 2026, cheapest first:

DirecTV MyNews (~$40/month). DirecTV — yes, that DirecTV, now with a no-dish streaming service — sells a genre pack that's just news channels: CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, CNBC, BBC, NewsNation, and a stack of others, without paying for 100 sports and entertainment channels you don't want. If cable news is the only thing you miss from cable, this is the most rational product on the market. Check DirecTV's site for the current channel grid and price, because these packs have shifted since launch.

Sling TV (~$46/month). Sling splits its lineup across two plans, and the news channels aren't all in one place — Fox News and MSNBC live on Sling Blue, while CNN has bounced between plans over the years. Look at the channel grid before you commit. Sling's app is dated but stable, and it runs frequent half-off-your-first-month promos, which makes it a good 'just for this news cycle' option you can cancel afterward.

YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV (~$83/month each). Both carry CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC plus your local ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX stations, unlimited DVR, and everything else. YouTube TV has the best app I've tested, full stop. But you're paying cable-sized money, so only go here if you want the whole bundle, not just news.

One naming note so you don't think you're going crazy: MSNBC was renamed MS NOW after Comcast spun off its cable channels. Guides and channel lineups use both names interchangeably right now. Same channel.

Direct subscriptions, no bundle required

The newer development — and honestly the direction I think all of this is heading — is news channels selling straight to you:

  • CNN now offers its own streaming subscription (about $7/month) that includes live CNN programming in the CNN app. If CNN is your channel, this is far cheaper than any bundle. Details and exact tiers are on CNN's site.
  • Fox One (about $20/month) is Fox's direct app and includes the Fox News Channel live feed. Note that Fox Nation, the cheaper $8-ish app, does not carry the live channel — that mix-up costs people money constantly.
  • BBC put its US news livestream behind a subscription on BBC.com (around $9/month) for full live coverage, though a lot of BBC reporting remains free.

For anything in this section, verify current pricing on the official sites — direct-to-consumer news apps have been repricing and repackaging constantly.

The antenna, still undefeated

A $25–$40 indoor antenna gets you ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and PBS in most metro areas, free forever. When a story is big enough, the broadcast networks cut into programming with special reports, and PBS News Hour remains, in my opinion, the best single hour of news on American television. An antenna won't give you 24/7 rolling coverage, but paired with the free streams above, it covers more than most cable subscribers ever actually watched.

What's driving searches right now (September 2026)

This section is the time-sensitive part; everything above should hold up for a long while. The current spike is the escalation around Iran — postponed Strait of Hormuz talks, attacks in the region, oil prices jumping. For a story like this, my practical advice: the free LiveNOW, Reuters, and Al Jazeera English feeds are excellent for raw live coverage, and Sky News covers the Gulf heavily. If you find yourself wanting CNN-style continuous anchored coverage, grab Sling or CNN's direct app for a month — both cancel in about four clicks — rather than committing to an $83 bundle out of urgency.

Quick FAQ

Are those free news apps actually legal? Yes. Pluto TV is owned by Paramount, Tubi by Fox, The Roku Channel by Roku. These are licensed, ad-supported streams — the networks want you watching them.

Can I get CNN or Fox News free anywhere? No, and any site claiming otherwise is one to close immediately. The cheapest legitimate paths are the direct apps or a trial/first-month promo on a live TV service.

Do I need a VPN to watch international channels like Al Jazeera or Sky News? No — both stream to US viewers free on YouTube.

What's the single cheapest setup for a news junkie? An antenna plus the free 24/7 streams costs you the antenna and nothing else. Add DirecTV's news pack or CNN's app only if you find yourself missing a specific channel.

That's the whole map. I've been cable-free for nine years, and big-news weeks like this one are exactly when the setup proves itself — more feeds, more perspectives, and a fraction of the old bill. Stay informed out there.

— Marcus

— Marcus Bell