Skinny TV Bundles Explained: The Cheapest Ways to Get Live Sports and News Without Cable
Updated
A skinny TV bundle is a smaller live TV package built around one interest, usually sports or news, for much less than a full cable-style lineup. In October 2026, the cheapest options are an antenna for free local channels plus a single genre service: Fox One costs $19.99 a month, ESPN Unlimited $31.99, and Sling Orange $45.99. DIRECTV's MySports pack bundles 20+ sports channels with ESPN Unlimited. If you want every channel in one place, a full live TV service is the better fit.
The idea is catching on. A Parks Associates report from October 2026 found 39% of U.S. internet households now watch live sports or events through on-demand streaming services and 25% use free FAST channels. An earlier Parks survey found 68% of streaming pay-TV subscribers find skinny bundles appealing.
Cheapest genre bundles compared (October 2026)
| Option | Price | Best for | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antenna | Free after buying one | Locals | ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS and subchannels in range |
| FAST apps | Free | News and reruns | Ad-supported live channels |
| Fox One | $19.99/mo | FOX sports and news | Local FOX, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network, FOX News, FOX Business |
| ESPN Unlimited | $31.99/mo | ESPN sports | All ESPN networks, ESPN+, NFL Network |
| ESPN Unlimited + Fox One | $39.99/mo | Most national sports | Both services |
| Sling Orange | $45.99/mo | Cable sports and news | ESPN, TNT, CNN and more; one stream |
| DIRECTV MySports | $64.99/mo ($49.99 first month) | Sports fans who want one app | 20+ sports channels including TNT, TBS, FS1, NBA TV, NFL Network and ESPN Unlimited |
Picked a skinny bundle?
Make sure your internet keeps up with live sports.
Pick by what you watch
- Sports: ESPN Unlimited plus Fox One covers most national games for $39.99; add an antenna for CBS and NBC. Compare ESPN plans in ESPN Unlimited vs ESPN Select.
- News: free FAST news channels plus an antenna cover the basics; Fox One adds FOX News and FOX Business.
- Locals only: an antenna is enough. See how to watch ABC without cable.
- Everything: skip skinny bundles and compare full services like YouTube TV in our YouTube TV plans and pricing guide.
Internet speed for skinny bundles
Each HD stream needs about 25 Mbps, and 4K needs more. Two or three people streaming live sports at once fit easily on a 300 Mbps plan.
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