TBS is an iconic all-around TV channel. With a diverse range of programming from comedy shows to live sporting events, TBS is a channel that appeals to everyone. Even more appealing?
You don’t need an expensive long-term contract with a cable or satellite provider to enjoy TBS. You have lots of other options!
In a hurry? There are lots of things to consider when choosing a streaming service. But these three are our favorites. They give you TBS and lots more:
- 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
TBS earned its popularity through a combination of movies and syndicated network shows, and also with some notable live sports like the NCAA basketball tournament, March Madness.
Today, it remains a place where you can reliably catch reruns of popular series from the eighties and nineties such as Seinfeld, Friends, Family Guy, and The Big Bang Theory, in addition to movies, sports, and original comedy series.
So if you want to cut the cord, but don’t think your Wednesdays would be the same without Samantha Bee at the end of the day, you can still enjoy all her sarcastic charm without cable on TBS. Read on to learn how!
How to Watch TBS Live Without Cable
TBS began as an independent Atlanta broadcast station before becoming the nation’s first “superstation” via satellite distribution, pioneering the use of satellite to transmit cable channels.
Through the magic of corporate mergers and acquisitions, Turner Broadcasting (TBS, TNT, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, CNN/HLN, Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, and Boomerang) is now a division of WarnerMedia (HBO, Cinemax, and The CW). Warner recently merged with Discovery to form Warner Bros.-Discovery.
TBS, TNT, and truTV are still marketed together, with TBS branded as the home of comedy, TNT specializing in drama, and truTV featuring reality and lifestyle shows with a comedic bent.
TBS may have started out as a broadcast station, but it was officially converted into a conventional basic cable network back in 2007, so even if you do happen to live in the Atlanta area, you still couldn’t pick it up on an antenna. You would need a paid subscription service, which used to come in the form of cable or a home satellite dish.
But now there are several services that stream the same channels live over the internet at a fraction of the price. These over-the-top services are cheaper, more flexible alternatives to traditional cable, with no contracts, commitments, or extra mystery fees.
Below you’ll find more detail on each of these services that carry TBS.
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.
Streaming Services with TBS
Channels tend to be licensed in bundles, so if one is missing, chances are you aren’t going to find its sister channels, either. For example, FuboTV and Vidgo don’t carry any of the Turner-WarnerMedia channels like TBS. The same goes for bargain provider Philo.
Don’t worry though. You still have lots of options for TBS, TNT, truTV, and all their other sister channels.
Sling TV
| Relevant Channels | Cartoon Network, CNN, TBS, TCM*, TNT, truTV |
| Total Channels | 40+ |
| Cloud DVR | 50 hours |
| Simultaneous Screens | 3 |
| Free Trial | ❌ |
| Sling TV Price** | $40.00/mo |
Sling TV is the oldest OTT service and remains one of the best values. The Sling Blue plan has got a little bit of everything, from shows to movies to sports to family, plus NBC and Fox (depending on your market). All for $40.00/mo.
The plan includes CNN, TBS, TNT, truTV, and Cartoon Network/Adult Swim. If you want Turner Classic Movies (TCM), you will need to get the Hollywood Extra add-on for $6/mo. The CW is not available from Sling TV.
Sling Blue comes with a total of over 40 channels, 50 hours of cloud DVR storage, and 3 simultaneous streams.
Find out more about Sling TV here:
You can also check out our guide to March Madness coverage and schedule, or how to watch AEW every week.
DIRECTV STREAM
| Relevant Channels | Cartoon Network, CNN, TBS, TCM, TNT, truTV |
| Total Channels | 75+ |
| Cloud DVR | Unlimited* |
| Simultaneous Screens | unlimited |
| Free Trial* | 5 days |
| DIRECTV STREAM Price | $79.99/mo |
DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) has all the Turner/WarnerMedia channels in its 75+ channel Entertainment package. It also includes The CW and other local channels. HBO and Cinemax come optionally as premium channels for extra.
The base package is $79.99/mo with a 5-day free trial.
If you subscribe to the Choice ($108.99/mo) or higher package, regional sports channels based on your area are included, and you get 3 months of HBO Max for free.
See our DIRECTV STREAM review for all the details.
Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days
Hulu + Live TV
| Relevant Channels | Cartoon Network, CNN, TBS, TCM, TNT, truTV |
| Total Channels | 85+ |
| Cloud DVR | Unlimited* |
| Simultaneous Screens | 2 |
| Free Trial | ❌ |
| Hulu Price | $76.99/mo |
Hulu is known for its hyper-current library of on-demand TV series (typically offering episodes the day after they air, rather than having to wait a year for the most recent season to get to Netflix).
This library includes a few TBS original programs, plus a lot of the shows TBS syndicates. But the important part is that TBS is included in Hulu’s Live TV service.
For $76.99/mo, you get 85+ channels to stream on up to two devices at a time and unlimited cloud DVR (9 month storage). All the Turner and WarnerMedia channels are present and accounted for, except for HBO and Cinemax, which are available as premium channels for an additional fee.
Local stations, including The CW, are available based on location. Learn more:
Other Ways to Stream TBS
Those aren’t the only ways to watch Miracle Workers and other TBS shows. Check out these other ways to stream TBS:
- TBS, TNT, and truTV are all included on YouTube TV, which is currently $72.99/mo.
- Much of TBS’s original programming is available on various services, such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, iTunes, and Vudu. These vary; you can watch by either buying the show by episode or season, and/or subscribing to the service.
- The TBS live stream is available on most devices with the TBS app. You still need a subscription via a cable, satellite, or streaming service.
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. |
Watch TBS on Your TVs and Streaming Devices
All the streaming services we’ve discussed support the major devices in use today:
- Samsung Smart TVs: select models from 2017 through 2020
- TV Devices: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku
- Android: smartphones and tablets
- iOS: iPhones, iPads, iPod Touch units
- Chromecast: units and built-in systems
- Web browsers: Chrome, Edge, Safari.
Sling TV and Hulu support TVs with the Android TV operating system. They also support LG smart TVs, Amazon Fire tablets, and gaming consoles like Xbox.
Sling TV supports the Oculus VR device. And Hulu supports the PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.
Today’s TBS Schedule
Here is today’s schedule in Eastern Time:
| All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite With a diverse mix of wrestlers, Elite Wrestling delivers a new and exciting energy to the world of mainstream wrestling. | |
| All Elite Wrestling: Rampage Action continues with scheduled appearances from the AEW International Champion Roderick Strong and TBS Champion Willow Nightingale. | |
| Modern Family – The Last Christmas Mitchell suspects Cameron has an ulterior motive for keeping everyone happy for Christmas dinner; Claire tries to dodge Jay's job offer to work at his dog bed company; Luke has to deal with the consequences of kissing Manny's ex-girlfriend Sherri. | |
| Modern Family – Commencement Cam finally gets a chance to shine when he is asked to preside over the high school graduation ceremony at the last minute; Jay gives the commencement address; Claire runs into her former high school rival who brings out the worst in her. | |
| Modern Family – A Year of Birthdays The birth of Haley and Dylan's twins approaches; a look back at how the family members celebrated their birthdays over the past year. | |
| Modern Family – New Kids on the Block Haley is determined to follow the advice in her parenting books, but Phil and Claire think their old methods are better; Manny is set to direct Jay's dog bed commercial in hopes of winning his ex-girlfriend back. | |
| Modern Family – Snapped Claire needs to get everyone out of the house before they make her look bad in front of a reporter from an important women's business magazine; Jay invites Manny to a wine tasting in an attempt to spend some quality time together. | |
| Modern Family – Perfect Pairs Phil, Claire, Alex and Luke realize the babies might help them with a few things on their to-do lists, so they offer to give Haley the day off. | |
| Modern Family – Pool Party Mitch and Cam help Lily overcome her insecurities about wearing a bathing suit to a pool party; with Gloria's new internship taking up so much of her time, Jay starts feeling particularly neglected. | |
| Modern Family – The Last Halloween Phil is determined to scare Claire on Halloween; Gloria feels self-conscious about her age when someone correctly assumes she is Jay's wife; Mitch and Cam go to the WeHo Halloween Carnival after Lily decides to go to her first Halloween party alone. | |
| Modern Family – A Game of Chicken Gloria uses her alone time with the twins as an opportunity to secretly baptize them before Haley and Dylan get home; Claire deals with the fallout from the smart closet fiasco; Cam feuds with his school's mascot. | |
| Modern Family – The Prescott Alex's company puts her up at a new luxury apartment building with a number of high-profile residents that the family is eager to take advantage of; Phil is on a mission to review the restaurant's famous sliders for his food blog. | |
| Family Matters – Hell Toupee Steve (Jaleel White) finds himself the object of romantic attention; Carl (Reginald VelJohnson) considers wearing a toupee. | |
| Family Matters – It Didn't Happen One Night Steve (Jaleel White) offers to drive Laura (Kellie Shanygne Williams) to a cheerleading competition in Cincinnati. | |
| Family Matters – Saved by the Urkel The Winslows find themselves indebted to Steve (Jaleel White). | |
| Family Matters – A Matter of Principle Obsessive Myra (Michelle Thomas) invades Steve's (Jaleel White) school; Harriette (JoMarie Payton-Noble) faces a possible layoff. | |
| Family Matters – Money Out the Window Eddie's (Darius McCrary) gambling debts earn him a visit from a tough guy (guest star Bubba Smith). | |
| Family Matters – Best Friends Eddie (Darius McCrary) hires Waldo (Shawn Harrison), who is down on himself, to work at the Mighty Weenie. | |
| Young Sheldon – A Philosophy Class and Worms That Can Chase You Sheldon's first day of college is derailed by his new philosophy teacher, professor Ericson; Mary and Brenda live vicariously through Missy's first day of middle school. | |
| Young Sheldon – An Existential Crisis and a Bear That Makes Bubbles Meemaw takes matters into her own hands when Sheldon's philosophy teacher sends him into a tailspin; George Sr. learns Georgie has been cutting class. | |
| Young Sheldon – Crappy Frozen Ice Cream and an Organ Grinder's Monkey Sheldon and George Sr. dine with President Hagemeyer and a university benefactor; Georgie gives Missy some brotherly advice when Mary won't let her go to the school dance; Dale and June convince Meemaw to attend their son's wedding. | |
| Young Sheldon – Cowboy Aerobics and 473 Grease-Free Bolts Sheldon campaigns to become Dr. Linkletter's lab assistant; Georgie enlists the help of Mr. Lundy, the drama teacher, for a surprising business venture. | |
| Young Sheldon – A Pager, a Club and a Cranky Bag of Wrinkles Dr. Linkletter pushes Sheldon to make friends with his fellow students at college; Georgie gets a pager. | |
| Young Sheldon – A Box of Treasure and the Meemaw of Science Sheldon, Dr. Linkletter and Meemaw team up on a science experiment; Mary is jealous that Pastor Jeff and Brenda are spending time together; Georgie has a new side hustle. | |
| Friends – The One Where Rachel Goes Back to Work Rachel crosses swords with her temporary replacement (Dermot Mulroney) at the shop; Phoebe wreaks havoc on the set of Joey's soap opera. | |
| Friends – The One With Phoebe's Rats Monica invites Rachel's workplace rival (Dermot Mulroney) to her birthday party; Joey flirts with Emma's new nanny (Melissa George); Phoebe and Mike (Paul Rudd) take care of a litter of rats. | |
| Friends – The One Where Monica Sings Monica exults in the applause she receives on karaoke night, unaware that the cheering audience can see through her blouse. | |
| Friends – The One With the Blind Dates Joey and Phoebe conspire to send Rachel and Ross on disastrous blind dates. | |
| Friends – The One With the Mugging Joey stumbles upon a way to impress a famous actor (Jeff Goldblum) during an audition; Ross learns the identity of a long-ago mugger; Chandler accepts an internship at a shoe company. | |
| Friends – The One With the Boob Job Both Monica and Chandler secretly approach Joey for a loan; Phoebe invites Mike (Paul Rudd) to move in with her; Rachel baby-proofs the apartment. | |
| Friends – The One With the Memorial Service Ross and Chandler trade barbed insults on their alma mater's Web site; Phoebe's resolve not to call ex-boyfriend Mike (Paul Rudd) weakens. | |
| Friends – The One With the Lottery The gang buys scads of lottery tickets for the multimillion-dollar jackpot; Rachel suspects baby Emma is on the verge of saying her first word. | |
| Friends – The One With Rachel's Dream Rachel's visit to a soap opera set inspires her to dream about Joey; Chandler takes Ross on a weekend getaway after Monica cannot take time off from work. | |
| Friends – The One With the Soap Opera Party Ross invites an attractive paleontologist (Aisha Tyler) to a rooftop "Days of Our Lives" party being thrown by Joey. | |
| Friends – The One With the Fertility Test Monica and Chandler run into an old acquaintance when they secretly go to a fertility clinic; Ross helps Joey woo the same professor (Aisha Tyler) he wants to date. | |
| Friends – The One With the Donor Monica and Chandler interview unsuspecting candidates, hoping to find the right man to father their baby. | |
| The Big Bang Theory – The Bon Voyage Reaction When Leonard receives an exciting opportunity to work overseas, Penny and Sheldon are thrown for a loop. | |
| The Big Bang Theory – The Hofstadter Insufficiency Sheldon and Penny share secrets while Leonard is away; Wolowitz helps Raj get over his ex. | |
| The Big Bang Theory – The Deception Verification Leonard and Sheldon's friendship is tested; Wolowitz's relationship with his mom causes a threat to his masculinity. | |
| The Big Bang Theory – The Scavenger Vortex Raj designs a scavenger hunt that brings out the best -- and the worst -- in the whole gang. | |
| The Big Bang Theory – The Raiders Minimization Sheldon wants revenge after Amy ruins one of his favorite films; Leonard finds a way to get Penny to do anything; Stuart and Raj make online dating profiles. | |
| The Big Bang Theory – The Workplace Proximity Sheldon and Amy's relationship is tested when she takes a job at his university; a fight with Bernadette leaves Howard sleeping on Raj's couch. | |
| NHL Pregame On TBS Hockey experts analyze the pregame. | |
| NHL Pregame On TBS Hockey experts analyze the pregame. | |
| NHL Hockey – First Round: Teams TBA The latest hockey action from across the NHL. | |
| NHL Hockey – Boston Bruins at Toronto Maple Leafs Boston can bounce Toronto in Game 6 of their first-round set. In Game 5, the Maple Leafs overcame the absence of leading scorer Auston Matthews and stayed alive with a 2-1 overtime win. Matthew Knies scored the winner just over two minutes into OT. |
Wrapping Up
So if you love tuning in equally to a random 90s sitcom like Seinfeld and an offbeat game show like The Misery Index, don’t give up on TBS just because you’re ready to throw in the towel with your cable company.
Sign up for one of the streaming services listed here, and never miss new episodes of American Dad! again!
FAQ
What is the cheapest way to get TBS?
Sling TV is your cheapest option to get TBS for $40.00/mo. You can also get extras like Kids, News, Lifestyle, and Comedy add-ons, all for just an extra $13/mo. If you absolutely cannot live without TCM, you can add the Hollywood Extra for $6/mo. That’s still only $54/mo for 90+ channels!
The drawback with Sling is its lack of local channels like The CW. However, Hulu + Live TV helps for $76.99/mo, offering The CW in most areas.
Can I get TBS by itself?
You cannot get TBS by itself. If you are an existing customer with a service that supports TV Everywhere, you can sign into TBS’s website or app to watch live or on-demand content. But there’s no service that offers TBS alone, or even just a package of the three Turner-branded channels TBS, TNT, and truTV. At least not yet!
Is TBS on any streaming service?
Yes! It’s actually on several. Your cheapest option is Sling TV at $40.00/mo. You’re most cable-like option is DIRECTV STREAM starting at $79.99/mo. Be careful, though, since several streaming services do not carry any of the Turner channels (such as fuboTV). You can check out our section “Streaming Services with TBS” for more information.
How can I stream TBS for free?
You can’t, not really. DIRECTV STREAM offers a 5-day free trial to new subscribers, which you could take advantage of, and YouTube TV gives you a free week. Some content (very little) is available on the TBS website or app for free (most of it requires a TV provider login).
Sling TV is the cheapest streaming option at $40.00/mo.
Note that TBS may have originated as a over-the-air (OTA) channel in Atlanta, but its current form is a regular cable channel, no longer connected at all with the original Atlanta-based station.
How much does TBS streaming cost?
Since you can’t get TBS just by itself (see above), it costs as much as the service that carries it. The cheapest service that carries TBS is Sling TV, which starts at $40.00/mo. The other services that carry it are all in the $64.99-$69.99 range.
Is TBS free on Roku?
TBS costs the same on Roku as it does on any other device. YouTube TV and DIRECTV STREAM have free trials for their streaming services (seven and five days, respectively), but there is no truly free option for TBS. The cheapest streaming platform that carries TBS is Sling TV, which starts at $40.00/mo
Is TBS on Amazon Prime?
No, but it’s easy to get confused. The TBS app is available in the Amazon App Store (similar to the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store), and this is basically the same app you’d get for Android or iOS, but for Amazon Fire tablets (or phones). It requires a TV provider login.
If TBS were available to watch through Amazon Prime Video, it would be on Amazon Prime Video Channels, which it is not.
To sum up: you cannot get the live TBS channel through Amazon Prime Video.
What are the TBS streaming options?
Streaming services that carry TBS: Sling TV, DIRECTV STREAM, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV. Sling TV is best for people who want to be able to fine-tune a small number of channels. DIRECTV STREAM has a cable-esque large package of channels, and has the biggest selection of regional sports networks.
Hulu + Live TV comes with Hulu (on-demand), Disney+, and ESPN+ included. And YouTube TV is similar to Hulu Live, but with slightly more channels and no Disney+/ESPN+ love.
What are the best TV shows on TBS?
TBS has a wide variety of TV shows, though it specializes in comedy. It has some popular original comedies (Chad) and a satisfying selection of oddball unscripted programs, like AEW Dynamite and Celebrity Show-Off, but some of its most popular shows are its syndicated favorites, like The Big Bang Theory. Here’s a rundown of some of their biggest draws:
- Chad
- Miracle Workers
- The Big Bang Theory
- Celebrity Show-Off
- AEW Dynamite
- American Dad!
- 2 Broke Girls
- Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses
- Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
- The Cube
- Friday Night Vibes
- Conan
What sports are on TBS?
TBS, through its history as a Turner network, has the rights to several important sporting events. As mentioned, it airs a lot of March Madness games. It’s also joint-home to the Stanley Cup playoffs and Final and the NBA playoffs and Finals. Check out our Stanley Cup Playoff Schedule guide for more info on NHL championship channels.
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That’s it — you’ll save money, take back control, and enjoy TV more!
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