ABC is a free broadcast network, so your local ABC station is on the air at no cost in most of the US. This guide covers the ways to watch it live without cable, how to catch ABC shows after they air, and what to do when ABC is the one channel that won't come in.
Last checked: November 2, 2026. Prices are regular monthly prices, rounded, before taxes and fees. Each service links to its own page, and local ABC availability depends on your ZIP code.
The short answer
Free: an antenna picks up your local ABC station live, including news, prime time and sports. Our local channels guide covers antenna setup.
Streaming live ABC: you need a live TV service, because ABC has no standalone streaming app for its live network. Among the plans we checked, the cheapest regular prices with ABC are Sling Select with local channels (about $25 to $30, only in select markets), DIRECTV MyNews (about $45 a month) and YouTube TV's Entertainment plan (about $55), where your local station is carried.
Shows the next day: most ABC shows stream on Hulu the day after they air. ABC's own app shut down in September 2024.
Which option fits you
| What you want | Best move |
|---|---|
| Live ABC for free, and a station is in range | An antenna (one-time cost) |
| ABC shows, but not live | Hulu, the next day |
| Live ABC with no antenna, as cheaply as possible | Sling Select with locals where offered, otherwise DIRECTV MyNews or YouTube TV Entertainment, after checking your ZIP code |
| ABC plus ESPN and other cable channels | YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo or DIRECTV |
| Just national news | ABC News Live, free (it isn't your local station) |
Watch ABC free with an antenna
Your local ABC station broadcasts free over the air. With an antenna and a channel scan, you get everything it airs live: local news, Good Morning America, prime-time shows, Monday Night Football simulcasts and other sports on ABC.
For choosing and placing an antenna, see our local channels guide. Two ABC-specific points:
- Check your ABC station's band. Some big-city ABC stations broadcast on VHF, which flat indoor antennas pick up poorly. New York's WABC, for example, transmits on VHF channel 7, while that city's CBS, NBC and FOX stations are on UHF. Look up your ABC station on the FCC's DTV Reception Maps: an RF channel of 13 or lower means VHF.
- Disney owns eight ABC stations; the rest are affiliates owned by other companies. The eight are WABC New York, KABC Los Angeles, WLS Chicago, WPVI Philadelphia, KTRK Houston, KGO San Francisco, WTVD Raleigh-Durham and KFSN Fresno. This matters for some streaming deals (see Sling below).
When ABC is the one channel missing
Work through these in order:
- Aim toward ABC's tower. On the FCC map, click your ABC station's call sign to see its direction and distance. It may sit apart from the other stations' towers.
- Move the antenna higher, or to a window facing that direction.
- If ABC is on VHF, try extended rabbit ears, or an antenna that lists VHF on the box. In fringe areas, an attic or outdoor antenna.
- Remove any amplifier if you live close to the towers; it can overload the tuner.
- Run a full rescan, not "add channels."
If your ABC station has moved its own transmitter to ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV), the standard ABC channel may come from another station's transmitter. The station's website usually explains this on a "rescan" page.
Stream ABC live
There's no ABC subscription app for the live network. Its old app shut down on September 23, 2024. ABC.com streams ABC live only if you sign in with a participating TV provider and live in a supported market; its live page lists the eight Disney-owned stations' areas. ESPN's Unlimited plan carries ABC sports simulcasts (shown as "ESPN on ABC"), not your local ABC station.
So for live ABC without an antenna, you need a live TV service that carries your local ABC station.
Plans that include ABC
| Service | Plan with ABC | Regular price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIRECTV | MyNews genre pack | About $45 a month | Includes ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC where available. Locals vary by market |
| YouTube TV | Entertainment plan | About $55 a month | A smaller plan that includes the major broadcast networks, per YouTube TV's launch details |
| YouTube TV | Main plan | About $83 a month | Locals in most of the US; unlimited DVR |
| DIRECTV | Entertainment package | About $90 a month | Locals vary by market |
| Fubo | Pro, Elite, Sports + News | About $89, $99 and $65 a month, plus a regional sports fee in many areas | Local channels in most major markets; check Fubo's local channel lookup. Sports + News is in select markets |
| Hulu + Live TV | Hulu + Live TV | About $100 a month | Includes Disney+, ESPN and Hulu's on-demand library |
| Sling | Select with local channels | About $25 to $30 a month (about $20 base plus a local-channel charge) | ABC only in select markets, mainly where Disney owns the station (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham, Fresno); Sling Blue also carries ABC there. Check your ZIP |
Before you subscribe, enter your ZIP code on the service's channel page. A plan can include "ABC" nationally and still not carry the ABC station in your area.
What a year of ABC costs
An example for one household that wants live local ABC, at regular prices (no introductory deals), before taxes:
| Route | First year | After that, per year |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor antenna (about $30 to $50, once) | About $30 to $50 | No monthly fee |
| Antenna plus an over-the-air DVR (about $100 to $200, once) | About $130 to $250 | Some DVRs charge a guide or service fee |
| Sling Select with locals (select markets) | About $300 to $360 | About $300 to $360 |
| DIRECTV MyNews | About $540 | About $540 |
| YouTube TV Entertainment | About $660 | About $660 |
| YouTube TV main plan | About $1,000 | About $1,000 |
| Hulu + Live TV | About $1,200 | About $1,200 |
Streaming totals are subscription prices only. They leave out home internet, any streaming device, and regional sports fees such as Fubo's. The antenna route only works where your ABC station's signal reaches you. The paid plans include more than ABC, so this compares the cost of getting live ABC, not equal channel lineups.
Watch ABC shows after they air
| Where | What you get | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Hulu | Most ABC shows the next day, and full seasons of many | Hulu subscription |
| ABC.com | Some current episodes free; signing in with a participating TV provider unlocks more episodes and, in eligible markets, the live local station | Free, or with a provider |
| Disney+ | Some ABC series | Disney+ subscription |
Free ABC News (not your local station)
ABC News Live is a free 24/7 national news channel. It streams on YouTube, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Tubi, Samsung TV Plus and other services.
It isn't your local ABC station: it doesn't carry local news, prime-time shows or sports. For local news, many ABC stations stream their newscasts free on their own websites or apps, and free apps such as NewsON carry newscasts from many stations.
When ABC disappears from a streaming service
ABC can drop off a live TV service when the service and Disney, or the company that owns your local station, fail to renew their carriage agreement.
Recent examples:
- YouTube TV, October to November 2025. ABC, ESPN and other Disney channels went dark late on October 30, 2025, and returned on November 14, 2025. During the blackout, recordings of those channels, including earlier ones, were unavailable in YouTube TV libraries; YouTube said they would return with the channels. YouTube TV offered a one-time $20 credit for that blackout: subscribers billed directly by YouTube claimed it by December 9, 2025, and those billed through Google Play or a partner received it automatically.
- Hulu + Live TV, March to April 2023. About 34 Sinclair-owned ABC stations, in roughly 28 markets, went off Hulu + Live TV in a dispute between Sinclair and Disney, and returned in April 2023.
An antenna keeps working through disputes like these, which is why many cord cutters keep one as a backup.
Common questions
Is ABC free?
Yes, over the air. Your local ABC station broadcasts free, so an antenna gets it at no monthly cost. Streaming it live costs money through a live TV service.
Is there an ABC app?
Not anymore. ABC discontinued its app on mobile devices and connected TVs on September 23, 2024. ABC shows now stream on ABC.com, Hulu (most shows the next day) and Disney+.
Can I watch ABC live on Hulu?
Only with Hulu + Live TV. The regular Hulu plan has most ABC shows the day after they air, not the live channel.
Does ESPN's streaming service include ABC?
Not your local ABC station. ESPN's Unlimited plan carries sports that air on ABC ("ESPN on ABC"), but not ABC's news, entertainment shows or local programming.
Does Sling have ABC?
Only in select markets, mainly the eight with Disney-owned ABC stations (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno). Sling Blue carries it there, and Sling Select can add local channels for a monthly charge. Check your ZIP code on Sling's site.
Why does my antenna get every channel except ABC?
Common causes are aim, distance, something in the way, or the band your ABC station uses. If it broadcasts on VHF, flat indoor antennas often miss it. Work through the steps in "When ABC is the one channel missing" above.
Can I watch ABC on Roku, Fire TV or a smart TV?
Yes. Use a live TV service's app for live ABC, or the Hulu app for next-day episodes. On a TV with a built-in tuner, plug the antenna into the coaxial input (often labelled ANT or Antenna/Cable In), not an HDMI port, choose the antenna or TV input, and run a channel scan. A TV without a tuner needs a converter box.