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Dramas showcasing common and frequent female struggles on traditional cable TV are few and far between. Lifetime presents these stories in an entertaining yet appropriately realistic manner, which is why it is one of the frequently sought-after TV networks in the market.
However, what if you do not have cable? Traditional cable is getting pricier and pricier, and the ongoing pandemic is not helping the situation. But fear not; you can watch Lifetime without cable through Philo, Sling TV and Vidgo.
Even with that said, the question left unanswered is this: Which streaming service complements your household best? Keep on reading to find out.
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A Few Popular Streaming Services & Networks
Lifetime on Philo
- $25 per month
- 60+ Channels
- 7-Days Free Trial
Philo is probably your best choice if you want to watch Lifetime while on a budget. The most appealing feature of the service is its low price—even with its recent price hike. At $25 a month, you will get more than 60 channels, unlimited DVR storage and three simultaneous streams.
You are treated to some of the best entertainment and lifestyle networks available on Philo. With channels like A&E, AMC, MTV, TLC, HGTV Lifetime and much more, you can rest assured you have hours and hours of content to watch.
Unfortunately, sports enthusiasts will not find much in Philo. All it has is MotorTrend and not much else. Additionally, local networks are unavailable, which means no local news nor sports broadcasts. You cannot even purchase add-on networks aside from EPIX and STARZ.
Philo’s exclusion of these networks will put off plenty of would-be subscribers, but this is probably why the service remains affordable to many.
Thankfully, there is a workaround to this issue. Since Philo is relatively inexpensive for most cord-cutters, it can be paired with a decent antenna or another subscription. Learn more about local networks and TV antennas by reading our other articles on the subject here.
When it comes to DVR, the service has one of the best in the market. Philo boasts unlimited storage, and you can save your recorded shows and movies for a year before they are automatically deleted.
Take note: Due to streaming rights, the DVR will not work on certain shows and channels. Fortunately, there is a 72-hour playback feature you can utilize just in case you miss anything important.
If Philo’s basic channel lineup is not enough for you, you can enjoy Philo’s on-demand library instead. It contains several episodes from the channels in the service’s lineup.
You can experience Philo in these streaming services: Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV and more.
Philo offers a 7-day free trial. If any of the features mentioned above appeal to you, you can click here to sign up for a subscription to Philo.
Lifetime on Sling TV
- $35 per month ($10 for your first month)
- 40+ Channels (Sling Blue); 30+ Channels (Sling Orange)
- 3-Day Free Trial
- 3-Day Free Trial
There is more than one way to experience Lifetime on Sling TV. You can either opt for Sling Blue or Sling Orange. Both plans offer different content, and choosing one over the other depends entirely on your preferences.
If you want to partner Lifetime with sports networks, Sling Orange is for you. This plan contains top-tier networks like Disney and ESPN. Sadly, like Philo, you will not get any local broadcasts with Sling Orange. You will either have to pair it with another subscription or purchase one of the plan’s numerous add-ons for more content.
If you want access to news and entertainment networks like TNT, CNN, Bravo, A&E and more, you can subscribe to Sling Blue instead. Unlike Sling Orange, Sling Blue offers NBC and Fox local broadcasts. The plan notably lacks strong sports networks like ESPN, but it still has NFL Network, NBC Sports Network and Fox Sports.
However, these plans’ channel offerings do not have to stop there. Both of these have multiple add-on packages you can readily purchase.
See the tables below to learn what each package offers:
| SLING ORANGE EXTRAS | PRICE | CHANNELS OFFERED |
| Sports Extra | $11/mo | SEC Network, ACC Network, Pac-12, The Longhorn Network, etc. |
| Comedy Extra | $6/mo | MTV, truTV, FETV, MTV 2, etc. |
| News Extra | $6/mo | BBC World News, WGN America, Newsmax TV, HLN, etc. |
| Lifestyle Extra | $6/mo | VH1, Cooking Channel, DIY Network, FYI, etc. |
| Hollywood Extra | $6/mo | REELZ, Heroes & Icons, Start TV, SundanceTV, etc. |
| Heartland Extra | $6/mo | World Fishing Network, Pursuit, Sportsman Channel, RIDE TV, etc. |
| Kids Extra | $6/mo | TeenNick, Disney XD, Disney Jr., etc. |
| AMC+ | $7/mo | AMC+, Shudder, Sundance Now, IFC Films Unlimited |
Sling Orange Extras
| SLING BLUE EXTRAS | PRICE | CHANNELS OFFERED |
| Sports Extra | $11/mo | NFL RedZone, Big Ten Network, NBA TV, MLB Network, etc. |
| Comedy Extra | $6/mo | MTV, Paramount Network, FETV, MTV 2, etc. |
| Kids Extra | $6/mo | NickToons, TeenNick, Boomerang, BabyTV, etc. |
| News Extra | $6/mo | Fox Business Network, CNBC, BBC World News, Law & Crime, etc. |
| Lifestyle Extra | $6/mo | VH1, Oxygen, Cooking Channel, DIY Network, etc. |
| Hollywood Extra | $6/mo | FXX, FX Movies, REELZ, Heroes & Icon, etc. |
| Heartland Extra | $6/mo | Nat Geo Wild, World Fishing Network, Pursuit Sportsman Channel, etc. |
Sling Blue Extras
Each plan offers a 4 Extras Deal, which bundles their respective Kids Extra, News Extra, Lifestyle Extra and Comedy Extra add-ons for an additional $13 a month.
However, you can purchase each plan’s respective add-ons with the Total TV Deal. The deal costs an extra $21 a month and comes with the Cloud DVR Plus.
Regarding DVR, both plans give you access to 50 hours of storage. But with the Cloud DVR Plus add-on, you can record 200 hours of content instead. While this may be included in the Total TV Deal, you can purchase it separately for $5 a month.
With the Cloud DVR Plus, you can protect your recordings from automatic deletion once you reach the storage limit.
Sling TV is supported by plenty of streaming devices like Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, mobile devices, desktop browsers and more. You can simultaneously stream on up to three devices.
With the pandemic still on the rise, it is a good thing that Sling offers one of the best ways to relax and enjoy your favorite shows with loved ones.
Sling TV’s Watch Party feature allows three to four participants to video chat while watching shows and movies. The best part is that they do not even have to be Sling customers to watch with you. Non-Sling customers can join three Watch Parties for free.
But not all good things are without their flaws.
First, you can only utilize this feature using a Chrome or Safari browser. Second, Watch Parties are currently only available for most live, on-demand and lookback content.
Despite these issues, it is still an accessible and welcome feature.
Sign up for Sling TV here.
Lifetime on Vidgo
- $55 per month ($10 for your first month)
- 95+ Channels
- No Free Trials
Compared to Philo and Sling TV, Vidgo’s price can be steep for many. At $55 a month, it is definitely not welcoming to cord-cutters on a very tight budget. Thankfully, for your first month, you can get Vidgo for only $10.
However, this significant price drop comes at the cost of not having a free trial.
With Vidgo, you will gain access to a whopping 95+ channels, including but not limited to Disney Channel, Discovery, A&E, TLC, TV Land, Lifetime and even Lifetime Movies. You will also get local broadcasts from ABC and Fox. However, to get the wide selection of regional channels in your area, we recommend partnering the service with a high-quality antenna.
Vidgo has plenty of content to offer its customers, but it also lacks some key features.
One of its caveats is its lack of DVR storage or offline-viewing option for mobile users. With 95+ channels under its belt, it is a shame that it only has a 24-hour playback feature for viewers to catch up on missed content. Some will see this as a huge drawback, but Vidgo promises to fix this issue.
Vidgo’s Social TV makes the streaming service stand out from the rest. With it, you can upload live reactions, post GIFs, share insights and chat with loved ones and like-minded fans.
Like Sling TV’s Watch Party, there are caveats.
First, this feature is only available on mobile devices. Second, unlike Sling TV, participants need to be Vidgo subscribers for them to join your watch parties.
Nevertheless, Social TV still bridges the gaps created by the COVID pandemic, especially since there are only a handful of streaming services with a watch-party feature.
You can simultaneously stream Vidgo on up to three screens. Supported devices include Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast, web browsers, mobile devices and more.
Watch Lifetime on Vidgo by clicking here.
Is Lifetime on Amazon Prime?
Lifetime shows like Dance Moms and Drop Dead Diva are readily available on Amazon Prime Video. However, not all shows come free with Amazon Prime’s base plan. Some shows like Cellmate Secrets requires a $1.99 ($2.99 for high-definition viewing) per episode or $14.99 per season purchase.
Amazon Prime Video boasts an extensive on-demand library, but this does not mean it does not have live channels. It even has Lifetime Movie Club. With Lifetime Movie Club, you can access Lifetime Movies on-demand for $3.99 a month.
Other purchasable networks include:
| AMAZON PRIME PREMIUM CHANNELS | COST |
|---|---|
| CuriosityStream | $2.99/mo |
| Up Faith & Family | $4.99/mo |
| PBS Kids | $4.99/mo |
| Boomerang | $4.99/mo |
| Acorn TV | $4.99/mo |
| Shudder | $5.99/mo |
| PBS Masterpiece | $5.99/mo |
| Paramount Plus | $5.99/mo |
| Hallmark Movies Now | $5.99/mo |
| Sundance Now | $6.99/mo |
| BritBox | $6.99/mo |
| Discovery Plus | $6.99/mo |
| Noggin | $7.99/mo |
| STARZ | $8.99/mo |
| PGA Tour Live | $9.99/mo |
| Cinemax | $9.99/mo |
| BET Plus | $9.99/mo |
| SHOWTIME | $10.99/mo |
| HBO | $14.99/mo |
| MLB TV | $24.99/mo |
| NBA League Pass | $28.99/mo |
Amazon Prime Channels
While the service may not have a DVR, it still has an offline-viewing feature for mobile users.
Amazon Prime costs $12.99 a month or $119 a year, and it comes with Prime benefits. But if you want to forego these benefits, you can subscribe to Amazon Video instead, which is only $8.99 a month.
The service comes with no contracts, three simultaneous streams and a generous 30-day free trial.
Check out Amazon Prime here.
How much is the Lifetime app?
Good news: The Lifetime app is free and is readily available for all to download and use. However, if you do not enter your TV provider credentials, most features and content on the app will be locked.
While you could still watch previews and some episodes for free, you would also have to endure frequent commercials disrupting your viewing experience.
Can you watch Lifetime on Netflix?
There are some Lifetime shows you can stream on Netflix like the hit psychological thriller You.
While similar to Amazon Prime, Netflix is purely an on-demand streaming service. It does not have premium channels nor local programming. What it has is an on-demand library with hours and hours of content to devour.
Netflix offers three plans: basic ($8.99/mo), standard ($13.99) and premium ($17.99). Sadly, the service does not have a free trial.
Click here to subscribe to Netflix and see it for yourself.
Is Lifetime free on Roku?
You can download Lifetime on Roku for free. Just type in “Lifetime” on Roku’s channel store and select the Lifetime channel app from the suggestion list.
With the Lifetime channel app, you can access full episodes and clips of Lifetime shows and movies. All you have to do is authenticate it to unlock everything it offers by selecting the “Sign In With Your TV Provider” option.
To authenticate the channel app, go to the authorization page of the Lifetime website and enter the activation code shown in the Roku channel there.
Check out Roku here.
| | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
60+ Channels | 40+ Channels (Blue) 30+ Channels (Orange) | 95+ Channels | 20+ Prime Channels | No Live TV Channels |
| On-Demand | On-Demand | On-Demand | On-Demand | On-Demand |
3 Concurrent Streams | 3 Concurrent Streams (Blue) 1 Stream (Orange) | 3 Concurrent Streams | 3 Concurrent Streams | 1 Stream (Basic) 2 Concurrent Streams (Standard) 4 Concurrent Streams (Premium) |
| Unlimited DVR | 50-Hours DVR 200 Hours for $5/mo | No DVR | Offline Viewing | Offline Viewing |
$25/mo | $35/mo | $55/mo $10 for the first month | $12.99/mo $119/yr | $8.99/mo (Basic) $13.99/mo (Standard) $17.99/mo (Premium) |
| 7-Day Free Trial | 3-Day Free Trial | No Free Trial | 30-Day Free Trial | No Free Trial |
Streaming Service Comparison Table
Conclusion
You do not need a cable plan to watch all the drama unfold in Lifetime shows.
If you want a customizable service, Sling TV is your best choice. However, there are two plans; you simply have to decide which one is right for you.
Philo is an inexpensive alternative to cable TV, but the lack of local news and sports might be an issue for some.
While Vidgo lacks certain features like DVR, it makes up for it with Social TV and plenty of channels.
You can also opt for on-demand streaming services like Amazon Prime and Netflix. They are cheaper than other streaming services, but they lack the traditional live TV experience.
There is never a shortage of entertaining content from Lifetime. Likewise, there is no shortage of ways to watch Lifetime without cable.
How do you stream Lifetime? Have you tried any of the streaming services we mentioned above? How was your experience? Let us know in the comments below to help other cord-cutters with their decisions.
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Additional Resources
Read some of our other articles like:
How to watch Bravo without cable
How to watch AMC without cable
How can I watch TV Land without cable
How to Watch Newsmax TV Life for Free
To find out the future of TVision after it shut down, check out our Youtube video below: