IPTV $10 a Month: What Under $10 Legally Buys, Channel by Channel

Short answer: $10 a month legally buys one real live TV bundle in the US: Frndly TV, whose Basic plan costs $8.99 monthly, and whose annual plans work out to $6.99 to $9.99 a month. Everything else under $10 is either free (Pluto TV, Tubi, The Roku Channel, Philo's free tier and an antenna) or an on-demand service with a little live content, such as Peacock Select or Paramount+ Essential. Philo's paid plans start at $25 and ESPN Select at $13.99, so both have moved above the $10 line. Here's what each option includes, channel by channel, as of October 2026.

Everything $10 or less, in one table

US list prices as of October 2026, before tax. "Live" means channels that play on a schedule, as opposed to on-demand libraries.

The pattern is clear. Under $10, live TV means free channels, your local stations by antenna, or Frndly's lineup. The cable networks most people think of, such as ESPN, CNN, HGTV or TNT, don't exist at this price legally.

Frndly TV: the one real bundle

Frndly TV is the only licensed live TV bundle you can still buy for under $10 a month. All three tiers carry the same 50-plus channels; the tier only changes picture quality, screens and DVR.

Channels you'll find on Frndly include Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Mystery, Hallmark Family, Game Show Network, INSP, UPtv, Great American Family, The Weather Channel and Outdoor Channel, plus a run of classic-TV, faith, lifestyle and documentary channels. The full lineup is on Frndly's site, and it's worth checking for your one must-have channel before you pay.

What it doesn't have: local ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox, any sports networks and any cable news networks.

Pick Classic on the annual plan. At $7.99 a month it's HD with a DVR, under $10, and cheaper than Basic billed monthly. Skip Basic unless you watch on one small screen and never record. Skip Frndly entirely if no one in the house watches Hallmark or classic TV: that's what you're paying for.

Free live TV: what's actually on

The free, ad-supported services, often called FAST channels, are the biggest source of sub-$10 live TV, and they've improved a lot. Each one works like a cable guide, with channels running on a schedule.

Pluto TV carries hundreds of channels, many built around a single show or franchise, plus news, movies, comedy and sports highlights. Paramount owns it, so you'll find CBS-related news and classic Paramount shows.

Tubi, owned by Fox, is best known for its free movie library but also runs live news and entertainment channels.

The Roku Channel is free on Roku devices and on the web, with a large live guide including news channels and themed channels.

Philo's free tier gives you 120+ free channels inside Philo's app with no card required.

Across these services you'll find streaming news channels from the major networks, such as CBS News, NBC News NOW and ABC News Live on one or more of them, along with weather, true-crime, classic sitcom and reality channels. What you won't find are the cable networks themselves: no ESPN, CNN, HGTV or TNT.

Pick free services as the base layer of any budget setup. Skip them as your only TV if someone wants a particular cable network.

The antenna: locals for $0 a month

An indoor antenna costs about $20 to $60 once, and then gives you local channels free forever. In most markets that means ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS and The CW, plus subchannels such as MeTV, Ion, Antenna TV or Cozi TV. The exact list depends on your area.

That covers local news, network prime time, most NFL games, college football on network TV, the Olympics on NBC and big events like the Super Bowl. Picture quality is often better than streaming, because over-the-air signals are less compressed.

Check reception for your address with the FCC's DTV maps before you buy. If you want to record, a Tablo DVR (about $100 one time, no subscription required) adds that. Our guide to free, antenna and paid options side by side covers the setup.

Just over $10: Philo, ESPN Select and friends

A few services people expect to find under $10 have drifted above it.

Philo Essential ($25). Philo is still the cheapest cable-style bundle, with 70+ entertainment channels, but it's two and a half times this budget. Its free tier is the under-$10 version.

ESPN Select ($13.99). This was ESPN+, which cost under $10 a few years ago. It rose again on September 17, 2026, and it's the streaming tier, not the ESPN channel.

Peacock Premium ($12.99) and Paramount+ Premium ($13.99). The tiers that include your live local NBC or CBS station. Worth it only if you can't get those channels with an antenna.

Frndly Classic monthly ($10.99). A dollar over; the annual plan brings it back under.

Three $10 stacks that work

The free stack ($0 a month). Antenna for locals, plus Pluto TV, Tubi and The Roku Channel. Good for news, network TV and Sunday football. You give up cable networks and DVR.

The family stack ($7.99 a month). Antenna plus Frndly TV Classic on the annual plan. Locals, Hallmark, classic TV, HD and a DVR for Frndly channels. A strong setup for older viewers and family households. You give up news and sports networks.

The library stack ($8.99 a month). Antenna plus Peacock Select or Paramount+ Essential, plus the free services. Live locals by antenna, an on-demand library on top. You give up live cable channels entirely.

Want more than this? The next real step up is Philo at $25, which pairs with an antenna for most entertainment viewers. Our price ladder from $0 up shows each step after that.

The $10 offers to avoid

Search "IPTV $10 a month" and the results are full of sellers promising every US channel, sports included, for $9.99, and often a year for $50 or so. Set those against this article: the only licensed bundle at that price is Frndly, with about 50 family channels and no sports. A service offering ESPN, every local station and thousands of international channels for $10 isn't paying for them.

Those services are unlicensed, they're often taken down without warning, and payment by crypto or gift card means no refund. Other warning signs: lifetime deals, channel counts in the thousands, and apps you can't find in the official app stores. Our fact-check of those claims goes through them one by one.

Our pick

Best $10 live TV: an antenna plus Frndly TV Classic on the annual plan, at $7.99 a month. It's HD, has a DVR and covers local channels and family viewing for less than a single streaming app.

Best $0 live TV: an antenna plus Pluto TV, Tubi and The Roku Channel.

If $10 isn't enough: move straight to Philo at $25 with an antenna, rather than stacking several small services.

Quick answers

Can I get live TV for $10 a month? Yes. Frndly TV Basic is $8.99 monthly, and Frndly's annual plans work out to $6.99 to $9.99 a month. Free services and an antenna add more at no monthly cost.

What channels does Frndly TV have? About 50 family, classic and lifestyle channels, including Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Mystery, Game Show Network, INSP and The Weather Channel. It has no locals, sports or news networks.

Is Philo under $10? Not any more. Philo Essential is $25 and Bundle+ $33, but Philo has a free tier with 120+ ad-supported channels.

Is ESPN under $10 a month? No. ESPN Select is $13.99 and ESPN Unlimited $31.99 as of October 2026.

What free live TV services are there? Pluto TV, Tubi, The Roku Channel and Philo's free tier, all supported by ads.

How can I watch local channels for free? With an antenna, a one-time purchase of roughly $20 to $60.

Are $10 IPTV services with thousands of channels legal? No. The only licensed live bundle at that price is Frndly TV with about 50 channels.

Prices are US list prices before tax. Channel lineups on Frndly and the free services change and vary by device, and antenna channels depend on your location. Checked October 2026.