TV One provides true crime and other programming aimed at a middle-aged Black audience. But it’s enjoyed by a much broader group. And no one need a cable contract to enjoy it. Read on to learn your options.
In a hurry? TV One is not as widely available online as some channels. But you still have a few good options:
- DIRECTV STREAM: This full cable replacement service gives you everything you expect from cable and more for less money. A 5-day free trial is now available for DIRECTV STREAM.
- Philo: Super inexpensive live TV streaming service with 7-day free trial.
If you can’t watch your favorite sports, TV and movies because of your location, try ExpressVPN to get access to the content you deserve. Signup now.
Table Of Contents
TV One is among several channels launched in the last twenty years to feature programming produced by and for people of color. It differentiates itself from its predecessor (and competitor) BET by targeting an older demographic, 25- to 54-year-olds.
But you don’t need a cable or satellite subscription to catch the latest episode of Unsung. Read on to find out how you can watch the largest Black-owned network without the cable company taking you for a ride.
What Is TV One
TV One’s parent company, Urban One, was founded as Radio One back in 1980 (the same year as BET). TV One itself came along in 2004, in response to criticism of BET’s representation of people of color and a desire from older African-Americans for content that wasn’t wall-to-wall music videos or obnoxious teen reality.
The channel has grown to become the largest African-American-owned media conglomerate, encompassing over 50 radio stations, two TV channels, a syndication service, a set of online brands, and a brand-management agency to support the whole media empire.
TV One is not the only network vying for Black viewers. Aside from its own sister-station Cleo TV (targeting women of color), there’s:
- Allblk (AMC)
- aspireTV (UP Entertainment)
- BET (Paramount Global)
- BET
- BET Her
- BET Gospel
- BET Jams
- BET Soul
- Black News Channel (BNC — a newcomer to the industry)
- Bounce TV (the first African-American targeted broadcast channel)
- Fox Soul (Fox’s digital streaming local-ish channel)
- Oprah Winfrey Network (also known as OWN, targeting Black women)
- Revolt (urban music channel founded by Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs).
TV One Shows
TV One’s content consists mostly of true-crime series (For My Man, Sins of the City, Fatal Attraction), documentaries on Black America and notable individuals (Uncensored, Unsung, Hey, Black America!), lifestyle reality and talk shows (One Stage to the Next, Life Therapy, Sister Circle), original movies (Christmas Dilemma, Blood on Her Badge, Bad Dad Rehab), and classic African-American series (In Living Color, Empire, What’s Happening!!, Family Matters).
It also airs the annual Urban One Honors, which celebrates entertainers, artists, educators, and community leaders of color.
Featured original series include:
- Fatal Attraction: True crime series that centers around a different romance-turned-homicidal each week.
- Life Therapy: Actress-turned-life-coach AJ Johnson gives clients a dose of straight talk to help them improve their lives.
- Rickey Smiley for Real: Reality show that follows the professional and personal life of the comedian.
- Sins of the City: Limited anthology true-crime docuseries that examines the dark side of a different city each week via an in-depth review of a crime that had a major impact on that city, from initial discovery to the trial aftermath.
- Unsung: TV One’s award-winning breakout biography series spotlights overlooked and under-credited R&B, hip-hop, soul, and gospel musicians from the 1960s on. It has spawned spin-off series Unsung Hollywood (focusing on actors and shows), Unsung Presents: The Decades, and at least two Unsung Films made-for-TV biopics.
Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days
Unblock Your Favorite Movies and Shows With a VPN
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.
Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.
Stream TV One
Many cable TV companies carry TV One, but you can watch it cheaper and with no long-term contracts and commitments with a live TV streaming service. The biggest services (Hulu + Live TV, FuboTV, Sling TV, YouTube TV) do not offer it. But a few others do.
Philo
Philo is a great choice for those looking to save a little (actually a lot) on their TV provider. You get over 60 channels for $25/mo, including TV One, Cleo TV, aspireTV, BET, BET Her, OWN, and Revolt. But it is missing all local channels. Try Philo free for 7 days.
No messing around with tiers or packages; they have one plan, three add-ons for movies, unlimited DVR, and simultaneous streaming on up to 3 devices for all accounts. Just note that this service has no sports channels or local stations. (Philo review)
DIRECTV STREAM
If the saying is, “Go big or go home,” DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) is not going home. Urban One fans can get both TV One and Cleo TV in the Choice Package for $108.99/mo, as well as the Oprah Winfrey Network, BET, and Black News Channel (the only streaming service that carries BNC). New customers get a 5-day free trial with DIRECTV STREAM.
You also get all your local regional sports networks so you can follow your home team on the court, diamond, rink, or field. If you sign-up online, all plans come with unlimited cloud DVR and streaming on unlimited devices at once. (DIRECTV STREAM review)
Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days
Streaming Devices for TV Now
You can watch TV Now on most streaming devices regardless of the service you select:
- Amazon Fire TV
- Android phones and tablets
- Apple TV
- Chromecast
- iOS (iPhone, iPad)
- Roku
- Web browser.
DIRECTV STREAM makes things very easy by providing the option of using its own device (it costs $120 or $5/mo for 24 months). You can also use Samsung smart TVs with it.
Philo support devices built on Android TV. And Philo allows you to use the Amazon Fire tablet.
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. |
Today’s TV One Schedule
Here is today’s schedule in Eastern Time:
| The Cosby Show – Theo and the Kids When Theo counsels at a community center, he gets an unexpected reaction from the kids. |
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| The Cosby Show – Theo and the Kids In his new job at the counseling center, Theo befriends a boy (Merlin Santana) with a reading problem. |
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| The Cosby Show – With This Ring? Vanessa's announcement of her engagement comes as a shock to the family -- but more startling news follows. |
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| The Cosby Show – There's No Place Like Home Just as Clair is about to get a room of her own, Elvin (Geoffrey Owens) and Sondra's house plans go awry. |
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| The Cosby Show – Particles in Motion The air contains hints of romance for Theo; an out-and-out crush for Rudy dashes Kenny's (Deon Richmond) hopes. |
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| The Cosby Show – Pam Applies to College Pam's hopes to attend the same college as Charmaine are dashed; Olivia prepares for "show and tell.". |
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| The Cosby Show – Warning: A Double-Lit Candle Can Cause a Meltdown Rudy, rebelling against being treated as a child, sneaks out to an over-16 dance club. |
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| The Cosby Show – It's Apparent to Everyone Two households under one roof are more than the Huxtables and Sondra and Elvin (Geoffrey Owens) can bear. |
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| Car Accident? Free Legal Consultation. Legal professionals standing by to answer your questions. |
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| Powerful Cleaning with Shark Stratos Meet the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum with features like the DuoClean PowerFins HairPro, Extended Reach and detachable pod for hard to reach areas, and odor neutralizing technology, you'll be cleaning like a pro in no time! |
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| Oxypure Zero, Air Purifier With Zero Replacement Filters JD Scott shares the Oxypure Zero, a wifi-enabled air purifier with zero replacement filters. |
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| Powerful Cleaning with Shark Stratos Meet the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum with features like the DuoClean PowerFins HairPro, Extended Reach and detachable pod for hard to reach areas, and odor neutralizing technology, you'll be cleaning like a pro in no time! |
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| Love That Girl – Get the Hell Out Before I Delout Delroy's wildly-successful former-protégé buys out Del Jones Realty; a game night with the gang at the condo goes terribly wrong and turns everyone against each other. |
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| Love That Girl – Let's Make a Deal Jasmine gets serious with Terrence but discovers that he's a wanted drug dealer. |
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| Love That Girl – You Don't Have to Go Home, But... Latrell returns a favor to Armando; Bridget finds a ring in Delroy's office and assumes he's planning on proposing. |
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| Sanford & Son – Bank on This Fred is inside the bank when it gets robbed, and becomes a hostage. |
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| Sanford & Son – The TV Addict Fred is put under hypnosis to cure his addiction to television. |
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| Sanford & Son – The Sanford Arms Fred and Lamont take in boarders to pay the mortgage, but the prospects don't look good. |
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| Sanford & Son – Earthquake II Fred puts his home and business up for sale when he hears that an earthquake will hit. |
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| Sanford & Son – Brother, Can You Spare an Act Fred goes into show business in order to get his brother-in-law out of the house. |
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| Sanford & Son – Steinberg and Son The Sanfords sue a television network for doing a series about them. |
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| Sanford & Son – My Fair Esther Fred tries to transform Esther into a lady for a beauty contest. |
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| Sanford & Son – Greatest Show in Watts Fred stages a circus in the junkyard after he inherits an elephant. |
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| Sanford & Son – Della, Della, Della Della Reese guest stars as a campaign worker for a political candidate. |
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| Sanford & Son – Can You Chop This Fred interrupts a TV cooking show to advertise a device he is selling. |
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| Sanford & Son – Sanford and Rising Son Despite Lamont's objections, Fred opens a Japanese restaurant in his living room. |
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| Sanford & Son – Fred Sanford Has a Baby Fred rents Lamont's room to a pregnant woman while Lamont is on a fishing trip. |
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| Good Times – The Evans Get Involved: Meet Penny, Part 1 Willona and the Evans family try to help a mysterious little girl. |
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| Good Times – The Evans Get Involved: Meet Penny, Part 2 Willona and the Evans family try to help a mysterious little girl. |
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| Good Times – The Evans Get Involved: The Solution Willona must make an agonizing decision that could change the rest of her life. |
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| Good Times – The Evans Get Involved: The Final Final Willona anxiously awaits the adoption board's decision about her impending motherhood. |
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| Good Times – Willona, the Fuzz Willona turns to spying to raise money for ice-skating lessons for Penny. |
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| Good Times – Willona's Mr. Right Willona must choose between the chance of a lifetime with the man of her dreams or something far more important. |
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| Good Times – Penny's Christmas Willona's Christmas joy is threatened when she learns that her most precious gift may be taken from her. |
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| Good Times – Where There's Smoke Penny painfully discovers that smoking is dangerous to more than one's health. |
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| Good Times – Write On, Thelma Thelma is ecstatic when her first play is chosen for production until she discovers the "catch.". |
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| Good Times – Entertainment, Evans Style Willona, the Evans family and friends put on a show to raise money for a day-care center. |
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| Good Times – Stomach Mumps Willona makes an effort to protect Penny from learning the facts of life. |
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| Good Times – The Snow Storm Florida takes charge of a group of children trapped in a deserted building during a snowstorm. |
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| Good Times – The Physical Florida's efforts to pass an important medical exam at work may be thwarted by a well-meaning gift from the children she cares most about. |
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| Good Times – A Matter of Mothers Willona is forced into the stand of a lifetime when Penny's natural mother arrives. |
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| Good Times – Where Have All the Doctors Gone? Florida's anxious search for a doctor turns to anger when the only one she finds is too busy to be interested in her problem. |
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| Good Times – The End of the Rainbow Good fortune shines on the Evans family and creates the happiest day of Florida's life. |
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| Good Times – The Evans Get Involved: Meet Penny, Part 1 Willona and the Evans family try to help a mysterious little girl. |
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| Good Times – The Evans Get Involved: Meet Penny, Part 2 Willona and the Evans family try to help a mysterious little girl. |
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| Good Times – The Evans Get Involved: The Solution Willona must make an agonizing decision that could change the rest of her life. |
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| Good Times – The Evans Get Involved: The Final Final Willona anxiously awaits the adoption board's decision about her impending motherhood. |
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| Good Times – Willona, the Fuzz Willona turns to spying to raise money for ice-skating lessons for Penny. |
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| Good Times – Willona's Mr. Right Willona must choose between the chance of a lifetime with the man of her dreams or something far more important. |
Wrapping Up
So you don’t have to rely on cable to get your True Crime Mondays on, or catch all the inspiring stories over Women’s History Month. Just subscribe to one of the services listed above, and you can cut the cord without cutting off Fatal Attraction.
Our top choice to stream TV One is Philo since it offers a full lineup of channels and great extras. Try Philo free for 7 days.
FAQs
What awards shows does TV One broadcast?
Currently, TV One airs the Urban One Honors, run by its parent company for various artistic and community contributions. In the past, it has carried the Stellar Gospel Music Awards and the NAACP Image Awards (both have since moved to BET). It has also previously broadcast the Triumph Awards, presented by Al Sharpton’s National Action Network.
Can I watch TV One through its app or website?
There are some full episodes available on the website (particularly in the Rewind section), and you can watch Rewind episodes (prior seasons) on the iOS app, but newer episodes require a TV provider login. The Roku and Android apps require a TV provider login to watch anything. None of the streaming services seem to provide TV Everywhere access to TV One, however.
Can I watch TV One with an antenna?
No. Over-the-air (OTA) networks, like your local ABC, NBC, Fox, or CBS broadcast stations, are free for anyone to pick up with an antenna, but are also included in many pay TV subscriptions as well. TV One is not OTA; it’s a pay channel, like Discovery, BET, or TBS. That means you need to subscribe to a pay TV provider to get it: cable, satellite, or internet streaming (like the services above).
Who owns TV One?
TV One is wholly owned by Urban One, originally founded as Radio One by Cathy Hughes. It was built starting from a single radio station in Washington, DC in 1980, by Hughes and her son Alfred Liggins. When Radio One went public in 1999, Hughes became the first woman of color to lead a publicly-traded company.
Urban One has since acquired Reach Media, HelloBeautiful.com, and Elev8.com. Hughes and Liggins have both been inducted into the Broadcast & Cable Hall of Fame.
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