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:
| 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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| 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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| Shark CarpetXpertTM with StainStrikerTM 2-in-1 deep carpet cleaner with built-in spot & stain remove Shark CarpetXpert with StainStriker, 2-in-1 deep carpet and upholstery cleaner with a handheld spot & stain eliminator, combines Shark's powerful suction & deep-cleaning innovation to deliver unbeatable deep carpet cleaning & tough stain elimination. |
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| Shark Matrix™ Plus 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum & Mop Experience hands-free cleaning with Shark Matrix™ Plus 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum & Mop! Matrix Clean precision grid cleaning leaves no spots and the Sonic Mopping™ feature scrubs 100x times per minute removing stuck on stains. |
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| One Day, One Bathroom: Quality Remodeling With FREE Installation! Trusted brand Jacuzzi and renowned interior designer, Christina Hall, share their secrets on how you can easily and affordably transform your bathroom into a gorgeous custom, safe and stylish space in 1 day! Call now for a FREE quote & installation! |
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| House Stealing - The Latest Cyberthreat and How To Protect Your Home Home Title Lock - Title Theft is Real and Your Equity is at Risk. Protect the Title to Your Home Today with America's Leader in Home Title Monitoring, Change Alerts and Title Restoration. |
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| Cindy Crawford and Ellen Pompeo share secrets Join Cindy Crawford and Ellen Pompeo as they discuss their busy lives and the breakthrough skin care discovery that keeps them looking their best. Take a trip to the stunning French countryside to see a rare French melon that defies aging. |
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| Every Day Baking Become a baking hero this fall and holiday season! Featuring acclaimed Irish Chef and author Gemma Stafford, this must-watch special teaches you how to craft delectable baked goods that will satisfy any craving and impress at every celebration. |
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| The Cosby Show – No Way, Baby Cliff tries to coax the grandfather (Sammy Davis Jr.) of an unwed mother-to-be into providing moral support for the girl. |
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| The Cosby Show – Can I Say Something, Please? Cliff and Clair let Rudy stay up as late as she wants when she complains about all the house rules. |
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| The Cosby Show – The Dead End Kids Meet Dr. Lotus Theo's troubles with Justine (Michelle Thomas) inspire him to visit a voodoo doctor (Moses Gunn). |
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| The Cosby Show – The Boys of Winter Former NBA stars (Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, Walt Hazzard, Wali Jones), portray doctors who play a basketball game against younger women (Nancy Lieberman-Cline, Teresa Edwards). |
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| The Cosby Show – It Comes and It Goes Sondra and Elvin get child-rearing advice from their families. |
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| The Cosby Show – Theo's Women Theo's girlfriend (Michelle Thomas) catches him kissing another woman. |
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| The Cosby Show – Birthday Blues Clair's 46th-birthday apprehension is alleviated when Cliff's doctor friend (Placido Domingo) serenades her. |
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| The Cosby Show – A Room With No View Cliff and Clair come up with a plan to end Vanessa and Rudy's endless bickering. |
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| The Cosby Show – What He Did for Love Theo's friend (Troy Winbush) unwittingly gives an expensive watch to his girlfriend (Vanessa Williams). |
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| The Cosby Show – Day of the Locusts Elvin's mother and Clair use Sondra's strep throat as an excuse to take the babies. |
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| The Cosby Show – 57 Varieties Cliff and Clair are reluctant to let Theo go with his class on an Egyptian archaeological dig. |
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| The Cosby Show – Denise: The Saga Continues Denise returns from Africa with a husband (Joseph C. Phillips) and a stepdaughter (Raven-Symone). |
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| Living Single – A Kiss Before Lying Maxine (Erika Alexander) persuades Kyle (T.C. Carson) to act as her boyfriend when an old flame arrives for dinner. |
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| Living Single – In the Black Is Beautiful Khadijah discovers that borrowing money from Max to keep Flavor in business might ruin their friendship. |
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| Living Single – Great Expectations The housemates (Erika Alexander, Kim Fields, Kim Coles, Queen Latifah) visit a local nightclub in search of their dream men but find only nightmares. |
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| Living Single – Full Court Press A minor traffic accident leaves Khadijah, Regine and Synclaire (Queen Latifah, Kim Fields, Kim Coles) in need of a good lawyer. |
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| Living Single – Living Single ... With Children Regine (Kim Fields) agrees to baby-sit her new boyfriend's (Dominic Hoffman) child and gets a quick lesson in motherhood. |
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| Living Single – Just Friends? Khadijah fears a night of passion may damage a childhood friendship. |
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| Living Single – Quittin' Time Khadijah (Queen Latifah) tries to break in a new secretary after Synclaire (Kim Coles) decides to quit. |
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| Living Single – The Naked Truth Overton (John Henton) moves in with the girls after a fight with Kyle (T.C. Carson), but begins to drive them crazy. With Queen Latifah. |
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| Living Single – Crappy Birthday While celebrating Khadijah's (Queen Latifah) birthday, Synclaire (Kim Coles) hits the jackpot in Atlantic City. Guest stars: Ed McMahon, Flip Wilson. |
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| Living Single – Love Takes a Holiday Kyle (T.C. Carson) falls in love with Khadijah and Synclaire's (Queen Latifah, Kim Coles) new friend, but she isn't willing to commit. |
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| Living Single – Burglar in the House Overton (John Henton) installs a high-tech burglar alarm in the girls' apartment after Regine (Kim Fields) is mugged. |
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| Living Single – Fatal Distraction Khadijah (Queen Latifah) hires a handsome writer (Richard Whiten) without first checking his references. With Kim Coles. |
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| Uncensored – Jasmine Guy Jasmine Guy is loved for her portrayal of Whitley Gilbert on the beloved sitcom, A Different World, but she is uncensored as she explains her 30 year journey as a performer is much bigger than one role. |
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| Uncensored – Tamela Mann Gospel singer and actress Tamela Mann is known for her soul-stirring performances and uplifting spirit; she's uncensored as she shares her journey from humble beginnings to Grammy-winning success, with stories of faith, family, and resilience. |
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| Uncensored – Vivica A. Fox Vivica A. Fox sits down with LisaRaye McCoy to talk about her journey in Hollywood. From soap operas to blockbusters, Vivica is uncensored as explains how she became a powerhouse actress, director, and producer. |
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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