If you’re a cord-cutter who has canceled cable but still wants to watch broadcast TV, PBS might be the solution you’re looking for. PBS offers a range of programs that you can watch for free online or through their app. Here’s a guide to watching PBS without cable.
First, let’s talk about how to watch PBS through the website. To do this, go to PBS.org and select your member station. Click on “live TV” on the upper right-hand corner of the screen and you can watch the entire live feed of your local PBS station for free.
To watch PBS through the app, download the PBS app and activate it by navigating to PBS.org/activate and entering the code displayed on your screen in the app. After that, sign in or create a PBS account, which is free. If you’re using an iOS or Android mobile device, you won’t need to activate it. Once you’ve done that, you can watch the live feed of your local PBS station through the app.
In addition to the live feed of your PBS station, you can also watch a selection of their shows on demand for free. To get extended access to the on-demand content, you will need PBS passport. PBS passport requires a recurring donation of $5 or more to your local PBS station and gives you access to their entire back catalog.
If you’re interested in watching PBS Kids and their different children’s shows, you can go to pbskids.org or download the PBS KIDS app. The process is similar to watching regular PBS.
It’s worth noting that some premium channels, which include PBS content, can be accessed through Amazon or Apple. However, there is overlap between these channels and the outlets where you can watch PBS for free.
Lastly, you can also watch your PBS station with an antenna. If you’re subscribing to a live TV streaming service, note that some of these services that include local stations do not include PBS. The ones that do include PBS are YouTube TV or DirecTV stream.
In summary, there are many ways to watch PBS without cable. Our favorite method is to go to the PPS app and watch it for free, but there are other options as well.