For children and adults alike, the Cartoon Network holds a special place. It’s a vast enclave of children’s favorite cartoons with a diverse set of shows, from action to comedy.
Evolving streaming technology now give you the ability to watch the Cartoon Network without a cable or satellite subscription. In fact, the best way to watch the Cartoon Network without cable is to use either Sling Blue, Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV or DirectTV Stream Entertainment.
Read on to see which streaming service fits your viewing needs, as each one offers different features.
Cartoon Network is on Sling Blue
Sling TV has two plans available to its subscribers, Sling Orange and Sling Blue.
Sling Orange has just over 30 channels mostly targeted towards families who want news and sports.
The Sling Blue is the package with the Cartoon Network. It has around 45 channels, which is slightly more than Sling Orange. Some of the channels included with Sling Blue are TNT, NFL Network, HGTV, CNN and Fox News.
A Sling Blue subscription costs $35 a month.
This subscription allows you to have 3 devices streaming simultaneously in your household. 50 hours of cloud DVR storage comes with the plan buy you can get an additional 200 hours of storage for $5 more per month.
Currently, the Sling streaming service offers a 3 day free trial. If you prepay for 2 months of Sling TV, they will include an AirTV mini Streaming Device for free.
One of the advantages with Sling is you can build additional features on top of your base package. If Cartoon Network is not enough for the kids, you can add the Kids Extra package for an additional $6 a month .The Kids Extra package adds 5 kid friendly channels. They are:
- BabyTV
- Boomerang
- Ducktv
- NickToons
- Teennick
If you’re more into live sports coverage, for an additional $11 a month, Sports Extra adds 10 channels which feature the MLB network, the Tennis Channel and NBA TV. For Premium add-ons, you will be spending between $3 and $10 a month.
You can take advantage of Sling TV special offers here.
Cartoon Network is on Hulu Live TV
Another way to catch your favorite show on Cartoon Network is with Hulu + Live TV. The base subscription price of Hulu + Live TV is $69.99. The subscription comes with access to 84 channels. This also allows you to save and watch your favorite show with a maximum of 50 cloud DVR hours. For an extra $9.99 per month you can upgrade to 200 hours with an ad-free DVR experience.
With your basic subscription, you can also enjoy add-on packages. An additional $7.99 will give you access to different entertainment channels such as American Heroes Channel, BET Her, CNBC World and many more.
For those who enjoy Spanish programming, for an extra $4.99, you can enjoy Español Add-ons like CNÑ, Discovery en Español, Fox Deportes and others.
If you want more sports, an additional $9.99 gives you MAVTV, NFL Redzone, Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, TVG and TVG2.
You’ll also have access to Disney+ and ESPN+. Premium channels and services include paying additional $15 for each HBO Max, Cinemax Showtime and STARZ subscription.
Watching on 2 screens at a time is allowed with your basic subscription, but you have the option to upgrade to unlimited screens for an additional $9.99 per month.
If you want to save money, Sling Blue makes financial sense, since it only costs $35 a month with 3 screens vs Hulu + Live TV’s $69.99 monthly subscription and 2 screens. If you want a package similar to traditional cable, get Hulu + Live TV. They both offer 50 hours of DVR storage.
Hulu + Live TV offers a 7 day free trial, which you can sign up for here.
Cartoon Network is on YouTube TV
Cartoon Network is available on YouTube TV which might be the most extensive streaming platform in the market right now. Besides Cartoon Network, this streaming service gives you access to many live TV channels including ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox.
When you subscribe to YouTube TV, you will also gain access to a variety of region-specific channels and programming including professional sports. YouTube TV also recently announced it would start airing Discovery channels including Animal Planet, HGTV, Food Network, and more.
YouTube TV has a single plan, which is $64.99 per month. The plan includes 85 broadcast and cable networks, including ESPN, HGTV and TNT. You can record for ever because only YouTube TV offers unlimited Cloud DVR storage.
With your single subscription plus an extra fee, you can also gain access to a variety of premium channel add-ons such as Sports Plus premium add-on for $11 a month.
There is an Entertainment Plus bundle including HBO Max, Showtime, and STARZ for $30 per month. Moreover, you can choose to add stand-alone premium channels like EPIX for $6/month, AMC+ for $7/month, and HBO Max for $15/month.
YouTube TV allows its subscribers to simultaneously stream on up to three screens.
If you want to give this streaming service a try, YouTube TV usually offers a 7-day free trial. On some occasions, 14-day and 30-day free trials are available for new users. At the time of writing, Verizon Mobile or Verizon Fios home internet plans are offering YouTube TV for 30 days free.
Sling Blue may still be the cheapest option among the streaming services mentioned, but YouTube TV is a practical choice among the three. It has the largest variety of channels to choose from when compared to Hulu + Live TV.
YouTube TV has the least expensive add-on options, unlimited Cloud DVR storage, and on some occasions, longer free trials.
Sign up for YouTube TV here.
Cartoon Network is on DirecTV Stream Entertainment
A streaming service offered by AT&T, DirecTV Stream is another platform to watch Cartoon Network. There are four tiers of subscription with DirecTV Stream.
- Entertainment Package: $69.99/month
- Choice Package: $89.99/month.
- Ultimate Package: $104.99/month
- Premier Package: $149.99/month.
Prices of the packages vary depending on the channels included.
Unlike other competitors, DirecTV Stream does not offer add-on channel packages.
Premium channel subscriptions such as HBO Max, Cinemax, Showtime, and STARZ are already included in the most expensive subscription tier which is the Premier package.
Similarly with YouTube TV, it has unlimited Cloud DVR hours.
What also sets this streaming service apart from others is the number of allowable screens. No matter which package you choose, it will allow you to have a very generous 20 simultaneous streams on your home network.
DirecTV Stream when compared to the other streaming platforms mentioned, is the most expensive live streaming package on the market. However, to justify the price, DirecTV Stream offers some of the best regional sports networks and has local channels included.
You can sign up for DirecTV Stream, here.
Do you have to pay for the cartoon network app?
You don’t have to pay for the Cartoon Network app and you can stream content without a satellite or cable subscription.
Is The Cartoon Network on Firestick?
Cartoon Network is available on Firestick/Fire TV. The app is free to download and use. If you have a TV provider subscription such as AT&T, Charter Spectrum, or Xfinity, you will get more access to episodes of your favorite Cartoon Network shows.
How Can I Watch the Cartoon Network for Free?
You do need to have a provider subscription to watch full episodes on the Cartoon Network. If you take advantage of the free trials, you can watch the Cartoon Network for free. However, when the free trial ends, you will be charged the corresponding subscription fee.
Does Apple TV Have the Cartoon Network?
Cartoon Network now works with Apple TV. Through the Apple TV app you will see shows from the Cartoon Network in the “Up Next” and “Recommended” sections of the app. Versions 3.5.5 and above are required to access Cartoon Network on your Apple TV and iOS devices.
Conclusion
As you read, the Cartoon Network can easily be streamed via the various streaming services available without a cable or satellite subscription. Some of the advantages with the new streaming services include lower subscription prices, no contracts and a virtual DVR.
If you have never tried a streaming service, we encourage you to take advantage of their free trials to see if the viewing experience works for your household. Whether you choose Sling Blue, Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV or DirecTV Stream, we are confident once you try, you will never go back to cable or satellite again.
How do you watch Cartoon Network? Do you Stream or use traditional cable? Are you happy with your provider? Let us know in the comments below.
Additional Resources
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