TruTV has changed a lot over the years, but it now stands as one of the best overall channels for entertainment with a focus on comedy with a healthy dose of sports. Although it is one of the base “cable channels,” it is not necessary to have cable to enjoy it. Read on to learn your options.
In a hurry? Any of the following services will provide you with access to TruTV and many other channels:
- DIRECTV STREAM: Makes it easy to switch from cable to streaming with their 75+ channel Entertainment plan and options for much more. A 5-day free trial is now available for DIRECTV STREAM.
- Sling TV: The top low-cost streaming service provides a great base channel lineup in both its plans. Save 50% with Sling TV.
- Hulu + Live TV: This total entertainment streaming service provides a great on-demand selection and all the essential live TV channels.
If you can’t watch your favorite movies and shows because of your location, try ExpressVPN to get access to the content you deserve.
Table Of Contents
TruTV was launched in 2008, rising phoenix-like from the ashes of CourtTV. At the time, it was still very much a drama- and action-based reality network — so “real” that the channel’s staff felt the need to coin a new word for it: “actuality.”
Courtroom coverage was reduced to the “In Session” programming block from 9 am to 3 pm, then whittled away until it was removed altogether.
By 2014, the station’s content had completely shifted to comedic-themed reality shows, semi-scripted docuseries, sketch comedy, and reality competitions aimed at “funseekers.” Some syndicated series and films were also thrown into the mix.
The joke is on your cable company, though, if they think you need their expensive contracts to catch the latest Backyard Bar Wars. Just check out the streaming services discussed below, and you’ll be the last one laughing.
March Madness on TruTV
March Madness 2024 is on. TruTV will be showing First Four and first- and second-round coverage.
- Selection Sunday: March 17
- First Four: March 19, 20
- First/Second Rounds: March 21, 22, 23, 24
- Sweet 16/Elite 8: March 28, 29, 30, 31
- Final Four: April 6
- NCAA Championship: 9 p.m. Monday, April 8 (ET)
Here’s the full schedule:
| Round | Date | City |
| Selection Sunday | March 13 | N/A |
| First Four | March 15 and 16 | Dayton, Ohio |
| First/Second | March 17 and 19 | Buffalo, New York |
| First/Second | March 17 and 19 | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| First/Second | March 17 and 19 | Fort Worth, Texas |
| First/Second | March 17 and 19 | Portland, Oregon |
| First/Second | March 18 and 20 | Greenville, South Carolina |
| First/Second | March 18 and 20 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| First/Second | March 18 and 20 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| First/Second | March 18 and 20 | San Diego, California |
| Sweet 16/Elite Eight | March 24 and 26 | San Antonio, Texas |
| Sweet 16/Elite Eight | March 24 and 26 | San Francisco, California |
| Sweet 16/Elite Eight | March 25 and 27 | Chicago, Illinois |
| Sweet 16/Elite Eight | March 25 and 27 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Final Four | April 2 and 4 | New Orleans |
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If you can’t watch your favorite movies and shows because of your location, a VPN will allow you to get the access you are entitled to, plus extra security and unequalled privacy. Check out our VPN Guide for everything you need to know, including our top pick ExpressVPN.
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How to Watch TruTV Live Without Cable
TruTV is currently marketed together with its closest sibling stations, TBS (more standard scripted comedy) and TNT (scripted drama), which were in turn part of the Turner Broadcasting family, which also included CNN, HLN, Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, Boomerang, and Turner Classic Movies. Turner Broadcasting is currently owned by WarnerMedia, making TruTV a step-sibling of HBO, Cinemax, and The CW.
Unfortunately, you can’t get TruTV with an antenna, because it’s not an over-the-air network (think NBC, ABC, CBS). It’s considered a “pay” or “cable” channel because you can only watch it if your local cable or satellite provider — like Xfinity or Verizon — makes it available.
At least, that’s how it used to work.
These days, more and more people turn to OTT (over-the-top) services that find alternate methods to deliver the same TV channels. No year-long commitments, no hidden fees, no waiting around all day for the cable guy to come just to plug in a few cords.
You can get all your favorite shows, live, just like you watch them on cable, through a streaming service that provides all the TV you love over the internet.
Streaming Services With TruTV
Another great advantage to streaming services is that you have choices. Usually at least two or three (and sometimes up to six or more) give you access to the channels you want.
Each service has its own pros and cons. You can choose one that works best for you. TruTV is carried by several of the biggest services: Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, and DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV).
Let’s talk details.
Sling TV
The great strength of Sling TV is its flexibility. You can get around 40 channels or over a hundred. It’s the most customizable service out there. It’s cheap too. Sling Blue gives you TruTV plus 40+ other channels for just $40.00/mo!
This plan also comes with Cartoon Network (Adult Swim), Comedy Central, FX, TBS, and TNT. You also get your local NBC and Fox affiliates in most areas. Plus, you can watch on up to three devices at the same time if your household doesn’t always agree on what to watch. And you get 50 hours of cloud DVR.
Sling TV doesn’t have a free trial. Save 50% on Sling TV now! Read our thorough review for more information. You can also check out our guide to March Madness coverage and schedule.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) carries TruTV and all the Warner sister stations (including TBS) in its base Entertainment package. You get Comedy Central, FXX, TV Land, and TLC.
DIRECTV STREAM offers four tiers of service. The lowest level is the Entertainment Plan with 75+ channels for $79.99/mo. The top-level is the Premier with 140+ channels for $164.99/mo. That plan might sound expensive but it comes with a ton of premium channels from HBO, Showtime, Starz, and MGM+.
All packages come with an upgradable unlimited cloud DVR (as long as you sign up online) and the ability to watch on unlimited different devices in the same home (and remotely). All TV packages also come with a full slate of local broadcast channels.
For details, see our DIRECTV STREAM review.
Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days
Hulu + Live TV
Good old reliable Hulu + Live TV has got your back when it comes to Turner-WarnerMedia channels: it’s got them all. You get TruTV plus over 85 other channels, unlimited Cloud DVR with 9 month storage, and the ability to watch on up to 2 screens at a time, for $76.99/mo.
But wait, there’s more! They’ll even throw in access to their huge on-demand library, and Disney+, and ESPN+. Still not convinced? In most areas, your local network affiliates are included in the deal (including The CW). And, HBO and Cinemax are available as premium channels for a little extra.
If you’re still hunting up laughs, they also carry Comedy Central, FXX, and TV Land, plus TLC for more reality-based escapism. Read our Hulu + Live TV review for more information.
Superpower Your Live TV Streaming With a VPN
You can’t beat a VPN for privacy, security, and access. We have used them for years as an important part of our streaming toolkit and we recommend ExpressVPN. Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.
| i | See our VPN Buyer’s Guide for complete information on how to choose the best VPN for your needs. |
Other Ways to Stream TruTV
Searching for more ways to keep up with Fast Foodies? Here are more ways to stream TruTV:
- YouTube TV: Similar to Hulu + Live TV, you can get TruTV, TBS, TNT, plus over 80 other channels, including local networks.
- On-demand: TruTV’s shows are available to stream on several services. The most comprehensive collection is on HBO Max (since both HBO and truTV are part of WarnerMedia’s Entertainment division). You can also find some series on Amazon Prime Video and Vudu.
- TruTV App: Offers a live-stream of the channel plus on-demand content of former and current original series. It requires you to sign in with your TV provider so if you don’t already have a cable TV subscription or compatible streaming service it won’t do you much good.
TVs and Other Devices for Watching TruTV
Most modern TVs and streaming devices will allow you to watch TruTV with the services we’ve discussed. In particular, all of the following are supported:
- Smartphones/Tablets
- Android
- iOS
- Casting
- Chromecast devices
- Chromecast-enabled TVs
- TV Stick Devices
- Amazon Fire TV
- Apple TV
- Roku
- Samsung TVs
- Web browsers
- Chrome
- Edge
- Safari.
DIRECTV STREAM offers its own device (like a cable box), which is expensive ($120), but may make the transition from cable to streaming easier.
Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV support Android TV devices and smart TVs from LG and Vizio. They also both support the Xbox One. There are a number of less popular devices that are also supported; see our streaming reviews for more details.
Today’s TruTV Schedule
Here is today’s schedule in Eastern Time:
| Crimes Gone Viral – Fighting Back A young mother faces a home invasion; a band of thieves ransacks a community-minded business; a bold grandmother turns the tables on would-be scammers; a 5-year-old fights to protect his mom. | |
| Crimes Gone Viral – Fearless Criminals Brazen thieves steal catalytic converters right out of people's driveways; a woman wielding an ax puts a baby's life in danger; a stalker kidnaps a woman from her job; cars become weapons in violent smash-and-grab robberies. | |
| Crimes Gone Viral – No Escape A quick-thinking employee outsmarts armed thieves; a mother jumps into action when her son gets snatched off the street; someone attacks a woman in her own driveway; a burglar literally gets stuck, with comedic results. | |
| Crimes Gone Viral – Car Attacks A man is shocked when his car is suddenly attacked by a mob of angry cyclists; a young woman tries to flee the scene of a hit and run incident. | |
| Crimes Gone Viral – Fiery Attacks A man at a gas station with a lighter douses everything with gasoline and threatens to ignite a potentially deadly inferno; an employee bravely fights back when armed robbers hold him up. | |
| Crimes Gone Viral – Get Out A couple watch helplessly through a streaming security camera as a man burglarizes their home; a woman inexplicably fires a gun into a house, then returns and tosses a flaming torch into it. | |
| TNT Sports Tonight A daily look at the top stories in sports. | |
| Crimes Gone Viral – Out of Control A drunken passenger grabs the wheel from an Uber driver's hands, creating a potentially deadly scene on a highway; some friends on a fishing excursion find themselves in terrifying peril when a speeding boat plows into them. | |
| TNT Sports: The Line TNT Sports covers the odds and prop bets for the upcoming night in sports. | |
| TNT Sports Tonight A daily look at the top stories in sports. | |
| NHL on TNT Face Off Wayne Gretzky, Liam McHugh, Anson Carter, and Paul Bissonnette present pregame coverage. | |
| TNT Sports: The Line TNT Sports covers the odds and prop bets for the upcoming night in sports. | |
| NHL Hockey – Vancouver Canucks at Nashville Predators The Canucks try again to eradicate the Predators as they visit Music City for Game 6 of their first-round series. Nashville defensemen Roman Josi and Alexandre Carrier scored third-period markers to stay alive with a 2-1 win at Vancouver in Game 5. | |
| NHL on TNT Face Off Wayne Gretzky, Liam McHugh, Anson Carter, and Paul Bissonnette present pregame coverage. | |
| NHL Hockey – First Round: Teams TBA The latest hockey action from across the NHL. | |
| NHL Hockey – Dallas Stars at Vegas Golden Knights The Stars seek to slay the Golden Knights in Game 6 of their Western Conference quarterfinal. Dallas seized a 3-2 series lead with a 3-2 victory May 1. In NHL history, the winner of Game 5 when a series is tied 2-2 advances at a 79% rate. | |
| NHL Post-Game on TNT Liam McHugh, Anson Carter and Paul Bissonnette recap the night in the NHL. | |
| House of Highlights: Broadcast Boys – Episode 7 Lucas Brody & Nelson Vergara (The Broadcast Boys) react to the best sports moments on the internet. | |
| Impractical Jokers – Boardwalk of Shame The guys use humiliating one-liners on strangers, play a unique word game and attempt to get shoppers in a car trunk. | |
| Impractical Jokers – Drawing a Blank The guys illustrate their lack of skill as caricature artists in the mall, demonstrate their odd living habits while interviewing for roommates, and try to cut the line for Broadway tickets in Times Square. | |
| Impractical Jokers – Panty Raid The guys massage beach goers on the boardwalk, broadcast the news from Times Square, and get their kicks teaching a karate class. | |
| Impractical Jokers – Out of TP The guys swipe food off diners' plates, tutor students in languages they don't speak and try to start a dance party. | |
| World's Dumbest ... – World's Dumbest Daredevils 12 The world's dumbest daredevils. | |
| World's Dumbest ... – World's Dumbest Drivers 21 The world's dumbest drivers. | |
| World's Dumbest ... – World's Dumbest Criminals 24 Twenty of the World's dumbest criminals. | |
| World's Dumbest ... – World's Dumbest Partiers 13 Countdown of the world's dumbest partiers. | |
| World's Dumbest ... – World's Smartest Inventions 3 Twenty desperately needed inventions. | |
| World's Dumbest ... – World's Dumbest Thrillseekers 3 A base-jumper; moronic motorcyclists; a war re-enactor. | |
| World's Dumbest ... – World's Dumbest Brawlers 6 Catch the World's dumbest brawlers caught on tape. | |
| World's Dumbest ... – World's Dumbest Partiers 14 Stupid celebrators from around the globe; a man with a rogue beer slingshot; Filipino friends freaking out over Miss Universe. | |
| World's Dumbest ... – World's Dumbest Performers 7 Dancers damage each other; Russian boy-band with dental issues; comedian with pepper spray. | |
| World's Dumbest ... – World's Dumbest Hillbillies The top 20 dumbest hillbillies. | |
| Impractical Jokers – Crash Test Dummies Murr, Sal, Joe, and Q take some customers for a wild ride, and things get messy when they ask fellow shoppers for a hand; the big losers suffer a monster punishment that leaves them crushed. | |
| Impractical Jokers – The Closer Q, Joe, Sal, and Murr get tech help from some confused tutors; they play hot potato in a shoe store; the big loser wishes he could press escape during a brutal coffee shop punishment. |
Wrapping Up
So whether you love the hilarious firefighter hijinks of Tacoma FD or you go in more for the mind-bending street magic of Big Trick Energy, you don’t have to put up with your cable bill any longer.
Make the switch to one of these streaming services, and keep right on laughing with Impractical Jokers and all your other TruTV favorites.
FAQ
What TV shows can I watch on TruTV?
TruTV stays pretty true to its current theme of taking a standard reality premise and giving it a comedic twist.
The network’s two oldest original shows are still running and still popular: Impractical Jokers (four friends issue and complete outrageous public dares) and The Carbonaro Effect (a magician catches people’s reactions to spontaneous tricks on a hidden camera). Other current top original series include:
- Adam Ruins Everything
- Backyard Bar Wars
- Big Trick Energy
- Double Cross with Blake Griffin
- Fast Foodies
- Hot Ones: the Game Show
- It’s Personal with Amy Hoggart
- Tacoma FD
- Tirdy Works
- Top Secret Videos.
TruTV, because of a deal between Turner Sports and CBS, also airs NCAA Division I Championship games (March Madness) “First Four” and parts of the first and second rounds. Or, as SBNation puts it, “You’re watching college hoops on a comedy channel that used to cover courtroom proceedings.”
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