Short answer: the big streaming platforms each run a channel store where you can add premium channels, such as Starz, MGM+ or Paramount+, to an account you already have, billed on one invoice and watched inside one app. It's a legitimate and often convenient way to buy channels one at a time. The non-obvious catch is that a channel bought through a store generally plays only inside that store's app: a Starz subscription bought in Prime Video won't sign you in to the Starz app, and it goes with you only as far as that platform does.
At a glance
Buying channels through a store
| Main stores | Prime Video, The Roku Channel, YouTube, Apple TV |
| What you get | One bill, one app, one watchlist |
| The limit | Plays only in that store's app |
| Price vs direct | Usually the same; deals vary |
| Cancel through | The store, not the channel |
What a channel store is
Cable used to sell premium channels as add-ons: pay a few dollars more and a movie channel appeared in your guide. The streaming platforms rebuilt that model. Inside apps you already use, you can subscribe to a premium network, and its programmes appear alongside everything else, in the same interface, billed to the account you already have.
These stores are run by the platform, and the channels in them are licensed. The network gets a share of each subscription, the platform keeps a cut for handling billing and distribution, and you get the channel without creating another account.
It's one of the few genuinely à la carte ways to buy television: one network at a time, month to month, without a bundle.
The four main stores compared
Each platform's store works slightly differently. The line-ups change as networks come and go, so treat the channel mentions below as typical rather than guaranteed.
| Store | Where it lives | Needs | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Video Channels | Prime Video app | A Prime membership in the US | Largest selection, frequent discounts |
| Roku Premium Subscriptions | The Roku Channel | A Roku account | The Roku Channel app also runs on some non-Roku devices |
| YouTube Primetime Channels | YouTube app | A Google account | Also used for YouTube TV add-ons |
| Apple TV Channels | Apple TV app | An Apple account | Works on Apple devices and some TVs |
Not every network is in every store, and a network can leave a store as its business deals change. Before subscribing, search the store for the specific channel you want.
What stores do well
One bill. Several premium channels appear on a single invoice, which makes it easier to see what you're paying for.
One interface. Shows from different networks sit in the same watchlist and "continue watching" row. You don't hunt through five apps for the next episode.
Easy to start and stop. Subscribing and cancelling are both a couple of clicks inside the same account. That makes it practical to add a channel for one series and drop it afterwards.
Promotions. Stores regularly run introductory discounts, such as a few months of a channel at a reduced price. These can be better than the network's own offer.
Trials without new accounts. Trying a channel doesn't mean handing your card details to another company.
The catch: where the channel lives
The convenience comes with one structural limit that shapes everything else.
It plays in the store's app. A channel bought through Prime Video is watched in Prime Video. It generally won't unlock the network's own app, and it won't appear in another platform's app. If you later move from a Fire TV to an Apple TV, the subscription follows only if the store's app exists there.
Features can differ. The version of a channel inside a store sometimes lacks features of the network's own app, such as downloads, 4K, certain live feeds or extras. It's usually close, but not always identical.
Some content may be missing. Occasionally, a network holds back some programmes, often live events or newer add-on content, for its own app.
Account sharing follows the store. Profiles and household rules are the store's, not the network's. That's usually fine, but it's worth knowing if the family uses a different platform on each television.
Store or direct: how to decide
A few questions sort out most cases.
Do you mostly watch on one platform? If every television in the house runs the same system, a store subscription fits naturally. If your household mixes Roku, Fire TV and Apple TV, subscribing direct usually works better, because the network's own app runs everywhere.
Is there a price difference? Often there isn't, but compare the regular price in the store against the direct price, and check whether the direct version includes an annual option the store doesn't.
Do you need a specific feature? If downloads for flights, 4K, or a particular live feed matter, confirm the store version has them.
How long will you keep it? For a single series, the store's quick cancellation is ideal. For a channel you keep all year, direct may be tidier.
Premium channels versus live TV bundles
Channel stores mostly sell premium networks: film and drama channels with large on-demand libraries. They're a different product from live TV bundles, which carry dozens of cable networks, local stations and sports.
Some viewers find that a couple of store channels plus free services cover everything they watch, and that they never needed a bundle. Others need live news, local stations or sport, which store channels rarely replace. For the bundle side of the decision, our comparison of live TV streaming services sets out the options.
It's also worth knowing that live TV services themselves offer premium channels as add-ons, often at the same price as the stores. If you already have a live TV subscription, adding a premium network there keeps it in your guide, next to the channels you already watch.
Keeping track and cancelling
The ease of adding channels is also how bills creep up. A few habits keep it under control.
Cancel through the store. A channel bought in Prime Video is cancelled in your Amazon account's channel settings. On Roku, it's in your Roku account's subscriptions. In YouTube, it's under purchases and memberships. Deleting the app or cancelling in the network's own settings won't stop a store charge.
Cancel early; access continues. On most stores, cancelling stops the next renewal but leaves the channel active until the end of the period you've paid for. There's no advantage in waiting until the last day.
Check each store's list twice a year. Subscriptions started for one show are the easiest to forget. Our guide to cutting your streaming bill includes a quick audit you can run across all of them.
Watch for trials that convert. A free trial becomes a paid subscription automatically unless cancelled. Setting a calendar reminder the day you start is the simplest fix.
Channel offers to avoid
Searching for ways to "buy IPTV channels" also brings up sellers offering thousands of channels for a small fee, often as a list or login rather than an app from a recognisable company.
Those aren't channel stores. A seller who can offer every premium network at once, cheaply, doesn't hold the rights to any of them. The risks are practical as well as legal: the service can vanish overnight with your payment, payment details go to an unknown party, and major platforms increasingly block the apps that such services depend on. Enforcement against the operators has also stepped up, as our summary of this year's crackdown describes.
The legitimate way to buy channels one at a time is the one described above: a platform store or the network's own app, both of which pay the people who make the programmes.
Quick answers
Can I buy individual TV channels for streaming? Yes. Premium networks can be added one at a time through channel stores in Prime Video, The Roku Channel, YouTube and the Apple TV app, or bought directly from the network.
Do I need Amazon Prime to use Prime Video Channels? In the US, yes. Prime Video Channels are available to Prime members as add-ons.
Can I watch a channel bought through Prime Video in the network's own app? Generally no. A channel bought through a store plays inside that store's app.
Is it cheaper to buy premium channels through Amazon or Roku? Regular prices are usually the same as buying direct, but stores often run introductory discounts. Compare both before subscribing.
How do I cancel a channel added through Prime Video or Roku? In your Amazon or Roku account's subscription settings. Cancelling in the network's app or deleting the app won't stop the charge.
Can channel stores replace a live TV bundle? For some viewers. They mainly sell premium film and drama networks, so viewers who need live news, local stations or sport usually still need a live service.
Are cheap offers of thousands of channels legitimate? No. A seller offering every premium network cheaply doesn't hold the rights, and such services can disappear with your payment.
Channel store line-ups, prices and features change as networks sign and end distribution deals. Check the current offer in the store before subscribing. Checked September 2026.