Discovery is essential viewing for those who enjoy scientific and tech shows, documentaries about nature, outer space, and other similar programs. If you’re cutting the cord, that doesn’t mean that you want to give up on Discovery.
In this article, we’ll cover all the different ways you can keep watching your favorite science channel without cable.
Are There Any Free Options?
There are no proven ways to watch the Discovery Channel for free. You need to stick with your cable provider or choose a paid streaming service to keep watching Gold Rush, Deadliest Catch, and other popular Discovery shows.
However, you may take advantage of the fact that most streaming services offer a free trial. They typically last a week, but switching from one service to another could give you more than a month of free Discovery streaming.
Just don’t forget to unsubscribe when it’s time to make your first payment. You can also try this. Download the DiscoveryGO app, available to those who can log in with their cable credentials. You can try using your internet service credentials, but there’s no guarantee you’ll succeed. You can also check if your TV provider, such as Hulu or Philo, is accepted and use these credentials to log in and use the app.
There’s some free content available within the DiscoveryGO app, but mostly just small clips from the most famous Discovery shows and not full episodes.
If you’re interested in Discovery live content and want to access entire episodes of all the shows you love, you’ll need to pick a subscription.
Discovery Plus
If you’re only interested in Discovery content, check out Discovery Plus first. This low-cost subscription plan means you can watch pre-loaded content without having to sign in with a cable provider. Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer Live content, but nonetheless, you’ll find your favorites shows here.
Starting at $4.99/mo. you get access to Discovery’s TV shows any time you want to watch them. If you’d prefer ad-free content, that’s just $6.99/mo. The subscription also offers a 7-day free trial just like DiscoveryGo.
What Streaming Services Carry Discovery Channel?
Plenty of them! The list is pretty comprehensive, as nearly all popular streaming services include this channel in their line-up. The question is, what package you’ll find suitable and how compatible the service is with your devices.
You can watch Discovery with the following services:
- Philo
- Sling TV
- YouTube TV
- FuboTV
- AT&T TV Now
- Hulu + Live TV
You have one more option. If you’re only interested in a show or two, there’s no need to buy a whole package of channels that you’ll never watch. You can purchase specific episodes of your favorite shows on Amazon.
For example, the newest season of a Discovery show costs $14.99. This is less than the monthly subscription to the cheapest streaming service. Therefore, it makes more sense if you only want to watch one show. But, if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you’ll have plenty of Discovery Channel shows to watch for free too!
How to Watch Discovery with Philo
One of the most affordable options, Philo, provides you with access to your favorite Discovery episodes for just $20 a month. It comes with a free trial, and, as of this writing, offers 63 channels to choose from. The line-up includes almost the whole Discovery family, so you’ll also be able to enjoy Animal Planet, DIY Channel, History Channel, and more.
Philo allows for ten profiles per account and for three devices to stream at any one time, not bad for $20/month.
Most platforms support Philo, so you can get started today – just visit the app store on your device, and you’re ready to go.
How to Watch Discovery with Sling TV
Discovery is available to Sling TV subscribers as a part of the Blue package. If you’re interested in a more comprehensive channel line-up, you can opt for a bit more expensive Orange + Blue plan, which costs $50 a month, while the Blue one costs $35.
Sling TV Blue package includes some other channels from the Discovery family too, like TLC or Food Network. You can watch streams on three devices at once if you opt for the Blue plan.
How to Watch Discovery with YouTube TV
YouTube TV is another streaming service that features the Discovery Channel. Although it’s relatively young, this platform is already pretty popular, due to its compatibility with a wide range of devices.
YouTube offers a single plan for $64.99 per month and has more than 85 channels. The line-up includes Discovery, Animal Planet, Nat Geo Wild, TLC, and many more. You can watch Discovery in real-time, or opt for on-demand episodes. In addition, you can even record them to a DVR Cloud that keeps files for up to nine months.
How to Watch Discovery with FuboTV
FuboTV is another streaming service that enables you to watch Discovery live. As of 2020, FuboTV includes Discovery and a few more interesting channels in the Standard package, which is the cheapest available, too. Other than the Discovery Channel, you can enjoy Animal Planet, TLC, Food Network, Travel Channel, and more.
The Starter plan costs $64.99 per month and currently has 115 channels. It’s compatible with almost all devices and allows you to stream on three of them at the same time. There are also the options of storing 250 hours of content and watching on-demand episodes.
How to Watch Discovery with AT&T TV Now
Many people love this cable alternative due to its comprehensive list of available channels (over 140 with its most extensive package). To stream Discovery, you need to at least choose the Entertainment package which currently costs $69.99/month. If you’re looking for even more channels, then check out the Choice, Xtra, or Ultimate plans. They may be more expensive, but they also offer Discovery Family, Discovery Life, Discovery en Español, and more.
Getting your AT&T TV Now subscription is easy. Visit this service’s official website and select one of the packages, create an account, and you’re ready to stream.
How to Watch Discovery with Hulu + Live TV
Hulu is one of the most popular streaming services, along with Netflix. Their plans include a single package at $64.99 per month. For this price, you get more than 60 channels, Discovery Channel included.
Hulu has excellent device support that lets you stream on two devices simultaneously. Unfortunately, the basic plan only contains the primary Discovery channel. Still, you can choose the Entertainment add-on for an additional $8 a month to get Discovery Family and Discovery Life as well. The add-on in Spanish includes Discovery en Español and Discovery Familia.
How to Watch Discovery Channel on Different Devices?
Previously listed streaming apps are supported by almost every device there is. Rest assured, you’ll find an appropriate one for whatever device you’d like to stream on.
Android smartphones and tablets didn’t have a native Philo app before, but they do now. Therefore, they support all of the streaming services mentioned above. The same goes for iPhones and iPads – they’re compatible with all the apps that stream Discovery.
If you have an Amazon Fire TV, you have several options. You can watch Discovery on Philo, YouTube TV, Sling TV, FuboTV, AT&T TV Now, and Hulu +Live TV.
If you want to stream Discovery on an Apple TV, you can download the DiscoveryGO app and try to sign in with your streaming service credentials. Any service from our list will work on your Apple TV, just visit the App Store to download it.
Roku devices are known for their excellent compatibility. It’s no wonder that you can stream Discovery using any of the six apps we’ve mentioned in the article. Just pick one that suits your needs from the Roku Channel Store. The DiscoveryGO app will also work.
Gaming consoles can also stream Discovery, although options are a bit limited here. You can choose between Sling TV, which is supported by Xbox One, and Hulu, available for Xbox One and Xbox 360, as well as Nintendo Switch. YouTube TV can also be streamed on Xbox One.
Chromecast support doesn’t fall behind either. You can stream Discovery via Philo, Sling TV, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, and YouTube TV.
Discover the Discovery Family Without Cable
As you see, many TV providers other than cable understand the importance of the Discovery Channel. It’s entertaining and educational and suitable for the whole family. That’s why you have so many options when it comes to streaming this channel live, or watching on-demand content. Find the cable alternative that fits your lifestyle and preferences and start enjoying Discovery today.
What choice will you opt for? Let us know in the comments section below.
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