abc.com
With the rise of streaming services, you can easily watch live TV without any cable contract. With an active internet connection, you can stream almost any live channel by subscribing to a particular service. Gone are the days of bulky equipment and wiring. Today, many live TV networks allow you to watch content by signing up on their website. You can stream these networks not just from your desktop, television, and mobile phones but also with the help of devices such as your gaming consoles and Roku Players.
Before you cut the cord, it's important to understand that a single streaming service cannot provide an alternative to cable cutting. Simply put, a single streaming service only provides a certain number of channels, so unless you want to pay for more than that, cord-cutting isn't an option.
Many of these services are suitable for a general audience who want to watch a particular type of content. For example, if you're interested in sports, you can opt for fuboTV, but if you want originals, then I would advise you to subscribe to Netflix or CBS All Access. Are you getting my point? You need to subscribe to each service individually.
What is amazing is that you can subscribe to a host of services and still pay less than what you are paying for your Cable or Satellite TV connection.
ABC, as a streaming channel, is available on various platforms. Its content is available on any network where Disney is involved. ABC is owned by Disney since 1996, so most of the ventures that involve The Walt Disney Company use ABC as a standard channel. Thus, you can find ABC on Hulu, YouTube TV, and PlayStation Hue.
History
ABC is an over-the-air network that caters to a local and national audience. It follows the prime-time content format which ensures that content such as news is specifically related to the areas. The day time content varies from location to location, but they all follow the same prime time schedule. Shows like American Housewife, The Conners, and Fresh off the Boat are popular across the country.
Design
ABC has a simple homepage that is not appealing. It is even worse than AT&T TV Now, which has a corporate feel. But ABC's homepage has options before the main content on the page. Let's check out these options first.
You can find five options on the top left: Browse, Live, Schedule, Account, and More. If you click on Browse, you'll be taken to the library section. If you click on Live, it will start live streaming. Similarly, if you click on Schedule, you can view the guide and manage your account via the account menu.
I'd like to discuss the most recent part of the website - the Content Library. When you click on Browse, it opens up a new page, where you can see a sub-header with genres followed by the titles. I like how the content has been arranged with headings - Popular, A-Z sort, Current, Drama, Comedy, Reality, News, Throwback, and Documentaries. This makes sorting the content really easy. If you don't find what you're looking for here, you can use the search bar and access the content you want directly by typing the title.
Content
There's no shortage of content on ABC, with sports like the NBA, dramas, comedies, and kid shows all represented. Regardless of what you want to watch, there are many ways in which you can do so. ABC is a free over-the-air network, so you can watch it digitally. It doesn't just restricted to cable, which means that you can enjoy shows like Grey's Anatomy, A Million Little Things, Black-ish, General Hospital, and How To Get Away with Murder from anywhere you want.
Some of the ABC titles that I like a lot include Army Wives, Ugly Betty, Body of Proof, and Felicity. ABC is also home to one of the most prestigious award ceremonies - The Academy awards - Oscars.
There is a great deal of content on this network. You can choose what content to view by simply clicking on the browse button on the homepage. You can choose from Current, Drama, Comedy, Reality, News, and Documentaries - which are just a few of the categories to help you find the content you are looking for.
Desktop/Mobile experience
Many people are on the fence about switching to a digital platform from a cable network. Everybody has a slight hesitation, which is justified. And that's why we're here - to help you distinguish the good from the bad. Though I'm an advocate for streaming services, I would urge you to make the final decision based on your trial experience on the website - provided by almost all streaming sites.
Personally, I didn't find streaming ABC on my desktop enjoyable. Though I didn't experience any discrepancies in playback. The overall process of locating your region and then adding the details before being able to stream is too much in this day and age.
Emulating streaming giants is not a cakewalk
If you're looking for a high-quality stream of your favorite ABC shows, then streaming services such as Hulu, Netflix, and Prime Video are definitely worth checking out. These services have raised the streaming bar to a whole new level, and traditional TV channels are finding it hard to emulate. However, if that's the case with you, don't worryâthere are other ways to watch ABC without cable. For example, you can watch ABC on Hulu + Live TV.
Compatibility is its strength
If you're watching ABC on Hulu with Live TV, you can usually get help using the same devices. You can stream ABC network on different devices like Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, and even your mobile phones. If you're not watching ABC on Hulu, there are other options like AT&T Now, PlayStation Vue, and YouTube TV.
Plans & Pricing
Several ways can be used to watch ABC without spending a lot of money. These include: viewing ABC via Pay TV, satellite, or streaming networks.
- supports PS4 and PS3.
Hulu with Live TV is a $40 per month service that works with many devices and gaming consoles. It supports Roku, Google Chromecast, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick, and Fire TV, as well as Xbox One and Xbox 360.
Many people are looking for cord-cutting alternatives, and Hulu with Live TV is a credible option. Not just ABC, but you can access Hulu's vast content library with a better interface and at an affordable price.
- Playstation 4 and Xbox One S, Apple Macs and PCs
PlayStation Vue is a streaming service that costs $25-$40 per month and supports on Oculus Go, Roku, Google Chromecast, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick, and Fire TV Gaming Consoles - Xbox One and Xbox 360, iOS and Android Devices - Playstation 4 and Xbox One S, Apple Macs and PCs.
PlayStation Vue is an excellent way to watch ABC Network. You can share an account with your family and keep separate profiles. You can stream up to five devices at once and can choose which profile can use the DVR capabilities.
YouTube TV is a streaming service that costs $49.99 per month, supports Google Chromecast, Roku, Android TV, Apple TV, Xbox One, iOS, and Android devices.
YouTube TV is a great way to watch ABC Network. You can watch 50+ channels and make use of an unlimited amount of space.
AT&T now offers a range of plans that include support for Roku, Google Chromecast, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick, and Fire TV. These plans are available at a variety of prices, starting at $50 per month.
If you're not into cable or satellite, AT&T Now is a great streaming service that doesn't require any contract commitments.
Suggestions I have for ABC
I turn on ABC to watch about four or five shows. I'm not a big fan of these large networks, like ABC, Fox, and CBS, trying to change themselves into a streaming platform because they don't do a great job. Personally, I'd rather they create more compelling original content and focus on content - an area in which they are lagging behind.
Conclusion
If you don't have cable, I'd suggest you watch ABC with Hulu + Live TV. That's if you don't have cable, obviously. If you're looking for the best cable alternatives, then a combination of Hulu, Prime Video, Netflix, and fuboTV would make the most sense.