How to watch US TV from abroad

Hulu occupies a specific niche in the United States: day-after access to current-season network TV, a deep library of FX and 20th Century Studios content and a separate Live TV tier that functions as a full cable replacement. Originals like The Handmaid’s Tale, Only Murders in the Building and Reservation Dogs anchor the prestige side. Outside the US much of the content now reaches audiences through the Star hub on Disney+.

Peacock is NBCUniversal’s home-team streaming service, built around a massive library of classic sitcoms, current Bravo reality, Universal films and original productions like Poker Face. The real differentiator, though, is live programming: WWE, Premier League matches, Sunday Night Football and big event programming give Peacock a sports and news DNA that most rivals don’t even attempt.

A&E is the US cable channel that has built its name on true crime, reality and documentary television since 1984, run as a Disney and Hearst joint venture. Its lineup runs from the investigative The First 48 and 60 Days In to auction hit Storage Wars, Hoarders and WWE programming. You stream through the aetv.com site and the Watch A&E app inside the US only. Some episodes play free right away, while the full library unlocks once you sign in with a US TV provider. The back catalogue also streams free with ads on Tubi. There is no standalone A&E subscription.

Tubi is the US free ad-supported streaming service that has been running since 2014 and has belonged to Fox Corporation since 2020. The library now sits at over 250,000 films and TV episodes and leans noticeably on classic cinema, genre B-movies, independent film and, more recently, a growing slate of homegrown Tubi Originals. Official availability covers more than ten markets, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia; access from elsewhere requires a local address.

Fox Sports is the sports brand of America’s Fox Corporation, bringing together FOX broadcast sports, the FS1 and FS2 cable channels, Big Ten Network and the Spanish-language Fox Deportes. It is not a standalone paid subscription. You reach it two ways: through an authenticated app on phones and the web, where you sign in with a pay-TV or live-streaming provider, and on televisions via FOX One, Fox’s own streaming app, since the separate Fox Sports TV app was retired in May 2026. The cheapest path to the content on its own is FOX One. Its 2026 slate is loaded: exclusive English-language FIFA World Cup coverage with marquee matches in 4K, NASCAR and the MLB postseason. It runs in the United States only and is blocked abroad.

AfroLandTV is a free, ad-supported streaming service for the global Black and African diaspora. Founded in Dallas by Michael Maponga and launched in 2020, it offers pan-African, African-American, Caribbean and Afro-Latino films, series and documentaries, plus Nollywood and its own originals. An optional Premium tier removes ads for {price:popular:bare} a month.

FXNow is the TV Everywhere web service from FX Networks, part of The Walt Disney Company, covering the FX, FXX, and FXM channels. It brings together FX’s prestige dramas, The Bear, Shogun, American Horror Story, Alien: Earth, the FXX comedy lineup led by It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, What We Do in the Shadows, and The Simpsons, plus FXM movies. The standalone app retired in September 2024; the working route now is the web at fxnow.fxnetworks.com in a desktop browser. It is geo-locked to the United States and its territories, unlocked by signing in with a US pay-TV provider.

AMC+ is the streaming service of AMC Networks, bundling the programming of AMC, BBC America, IFC and Sundance TV with the standalone libraries of Shudder and IFC Films Unlimited. For viewers invested in The Walking Dead Universe, Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire or the slate of British imports that AMC curates, the app is the most direct route to new episodes. Availability is currently limited to a handful of English-speaking markets.

BBC America is a US cable channel now fully owned by AMC Networks, which bought out BBC Studios in November 2024. It airs British leaning drama, comedy and natural history programming: the Planet Earth franchise, Killing Eve, Top Gear, The Graham Norton Show and Luther. The modern Doctor Who revival (2005–2022) moved to AMC+ in June 2026. There is no standalone subscription. You watch it live by signing in with a US cable or vMVPD account, with Philo the cheapest route. It is US only and blocks VPNs, so a VPN alone will not unlock it without a paid US TV login.

BET+ was the US streaming home of Black culture and Tyler Perry hits like Sistas, Zatima, All the Queen’s Men and The Ms. Pat Show, plus library classics such as Martin and The Wayans Bros. Note: BET+ is winding down in 2026. After Paramount Skydance bought out Tyler Perry’s stake, the service is folding into a BET Hub inside Paramount+, new sign-ups have ended, and the catalog is migrating there through mid-August. Paramount+ is now the place to keep watching.

Discovery+ is the streaming arm of Warner Bros. Discovery’s factual and lifestyle TV empire, pulling together Discovery, TLC, ID, HGTV and Food Network under a single subscription. Reality formats, true crime, home renovation and cooking shows dominate the grid. In several European markets the service is also bundled with Eurosport live streams, turning it into a part-time sports destination.

Cartoon Network is Warner Bros. Discovery’s kids and family animation brand, carried as localized feeds across Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. It mixes current hits like Teen Titans Go!, We Baby Bears and Batwheels with library classics such as Adventure Time, The Amazing World of Gumball, Steven Universe and Ben 10. After a 2025 downsizing in the US, much of the American catalogue shifted to Max and free services like Tubi and MeTV Toons, where the US live channel rides on carriers such as Sling Blue. There is no standalone subscription: you watch it through whichever pay-TV or cable package carries the channel in your country.

Cinemax is a US premium movie add-on from Warner Bros. Discovery, the longtime sister channel to HBO. It is not a standalone service: you stream it through the Cinemax Amazon Channel (about $9.99 a month with a 7-day trial) or as a cable add-on. Expect a rotating library of Hollywood theatrical films plus action and thriller titles and a 24/7 linear feed. There are no current original series, and streaming runs in 1080p HD only, available solely in the United States.

Comedy Central is the US home of South Park, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Mondays, the legendary Roasts and a deep bench of stand-up. There is no single Comedy Central subscription, and the dedicated app shut down in 2024. Free short clips now live on the official Comedy Central YouTube channels; Paramount+ is the streaming home of South Park and originals (Essential with ads $8.99 or Premium $13.99) and Pluto TV runs free 24/7 channels. South Park went Paramount+ exclusive in 2025, and full episodes and live still need a US pay-TV login or Paramount+.

The Criterion Channel is a standalone subscription service devoted to art-house, classic and international cinema drawn from the celebrated Criterion Collection and Janus Films libraries. It offers more than 1,500 carefully curated films alongside supplements, commentaries and original programming, with fresh themed collections added every month. It costs $10.99 a month or $99.99 a year and is available in the United States and Canada only.

Demand Africa is a US subscription streaming service from The Africa Channel, based in Los Angeles and built for the African and Caribbean diaspora. You get a deep library of African and Caribbean movies, Nollywood favourites, scripted series such as House of Zwide, Tinsel, African Royale and My Africa, plus documentaries, music and lifestyle. Watch on the web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV and Chromecast, or as an Amazon Prime Video Channel. Everything streams in English.

Fanatiz is a subscription sports streaming service run out of Miami by an independent startup founded by Matías Rivera. It was built first and foremost for South American football fans living abroad, which is why the lineup leans on competitions like Argentina’s Liga Profesional, Brazil’s Brasileirão with Spanish commentary, and the Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana. Alongside those sit a handful of European leagues, among them LaLiga, Ligue 1 and Turkey’s Süper Lig, plus a bundle of live channels from the beIN Sports family, GolTV and TyC Sports. There is also a free tier, though it serves up only highlights and documentaries rather than live matches. What you actually get depends heavily on your country, and Fanatiz is not officially available in the Czech Republic or Slovakia.

Fandor is a streaming home built for people who love film as more than background noise. It leans into arthouse, independent, foreign and classic cinema, with titles chosen by hand rather than served up by an algorithm. Expect festival picks and themed collections put together by people who actually know the work. Fandor launched back in 2011 and is owned today by Cineverse, the company formerly called Cinedigm that simply renamed itself in 2023. It is a quiet, boutique service rather than a firehose of weekly releases, but it is very much alive. Despite the rumor, it has no tie to the Criterion Channel. It is available in the United States only, geo-locked elsewhere, with patchy VPN access, and you can also add it through Amazon Prime Video, Roku or Philo.

Bravo TV is NBCUniversal’s US lifestyle and reality channel, behind hits like The Real Housewives, Below Deck, Top Chef and Vanderpump Rules since 1980. There is no standalone subscription. The cheapest legitimate route is Peacock Premium ($10.99 a month, episodes next day on demand), while live linear comes through bundles such as Sling Blue, YouTube TV or fubo. It is US only and geo blocked, so you need a genuine US Peacock or pay TV login. A VPN alone will not unlock it.

FYI is a US lifestyle cable channel from A+E Global Media, the Disney and Hearst joint venture, built around home, renovation and food reality led by the hit Tiny House Nation. There is no standalone subscription. The cheapest live route is Philo Essential at $25 a month, which carries both A&E and FYI, with Sling and Hulu + Live TV as alternatives. It is US only, blocks VPN and needs a US pay-TV login.

AMC is the flagship US prestige-drama cable channel, on the air since 1984. It is the home of the Walking Dead universe (Daryl Dixon, Dead City, The Ones Who Live), Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Better Call Saul, and Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe, where Interview with the Vampire now carries on as The Vampire Lestat, alongside Mayfair Witches. Don’t confuse it with AMC+, the separate streaming bundle, or with the unrelated AMC Theatres cinema chain. There is no standalone AMC subscription. You reach the live channel through the AMC+ app, which carries the AMC livestream, or by adding the cable feed to a vMVPD package such as Philo or Sling Blue. The amc.com site asks for a pay-TV login. AMC is US-only and geo-locked outside the country, so VPN access is hit or miss.

Hallmark+ is the US-only streaming home for Hallmark romance, holiday classics and family movies, plus exclusive originals like When Calls the Heart, The Way Home and a feel-good Reality TV with Heart slate. For $7.99 a month or $79.99 a year (ad-free, 7-day trial) you also get a rewards membership: a monthly $5 Gold Crown Store coupon, a free greeting card, unlimited eCards and bonus Crown Rewards points. The catch: HD only, no 4K, no downloads, no live TV, and it is geoblocked outside the United States.

History, once known as The History Channel, is the US cable network where the past plays out with the pace of reality TV. Pawn Stars, Ancient Aliens, The Curse of Oak Island, Alone, American Pickers and Forged in Fire sit alongside its war and engineering documentaries. The history.com site and HISTORY app are US only: a selection of clips and episodes streams free without signing in, while the full library unlocks once you log in with a US pay TV provider. There is no standalone subscription, and A+E also runs free FAST channels like Pluto TV History.

IFC is the US cable channel built on independent film since 1994, carrying that name since 2014. Now part of AMC Global Media, it leans into comedy and cult horror, with shows like Documentary Now!, Sherman’s Showcase, Brockmire and Comedy Bang! Bang! tracing how far it has moved from its commercial-free indie roots. There is no standalone IFC subscription to sign up for. You reach the channel through AMC+, which carries the IFC livestream, its on-demand catalog and the former IFC Films Unlimited library, or watch it live inside a Philo or Sling Orange package. There is no dedicated IFC app. Viewing is US-only and geo-locked elsewhere, and VPN access tends to be partial and unreliable. Note that it is not IFC Films, the separate theatrical distributor.