Watch News Online Free: Live Streams That Cost Nothing

News is the one genre where free streaming beats cable outright. ABC News Live, CBS News 24/7, NBC News NOW, and LiveNOW from FOX all stream around the clock at no cost. No cable login, no account. The same streams appear inside Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, and Tubi, next to dozens of other free news channels. Local station streams and international networks on YouTube round it out.

The major broadcasters built these streaming channels specifically for people without cable. Only 36% of US adults still subscribe to cable or satellite, per Pew Research in 2025. If you want live news right now, you can have it in the next thirty seconds for zero dollars.

Where can you watch news online free?

The network streaming channels. ABC News Live, CBS News 24/7, and NBC News NOW are full 24/7 news operations, streaming free on their own sites and apps. They are not clips or recaps; they are live anchored coverage with breaking-news cut-ins. LiveNOW from FOX takes a rawer approach, running live feeds with minimal commentary.

The big free TV apps. Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, and Tubi each carry a news section with dozens of channels. That includes the network streams above, plus cable-style offerings, weather channels, and business news. One app, every major free news stream, one guide.

Local news streams. Most local stations now stream their newscasts free. Apps like NewsON and Local Now aggregate hundreds of local stations by market. Many stations also run their own free streams on their sites and on YouTube. For weather, traffic, and local politics, this replaces the 6 o'clock broadcast entirely.

YouTube. Major international networks stream live free on YouTube, including Sky News, DW, France 24, and Al Jazeera English. US networks also post segments and run live streams during major events. YouTube reached 12.5% of all US TV viewing in May 2025, the record for any single streamer, per Nielsen. Live news is part of why.

Free news streaming compared

Why is news so strong on free streaming?

Because news works with the grain of the model. Advertisers want live, brand-safe audiences. Networks want reach beyond a shrinking cable bundle. Viewers want news the moment something happens, not on a subscription's schedule. Free ad-supported streaming delivers all three, which is why the networks put their full 24/7 operations there rather than behind paywalls.

The result is unusual: for live national news, the free experience is not a lesser version of a paid product. It is the product. Cable news channels like CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC still require pay TV for their main feeds. The broadcast networks' streaming channels compete directly with them, free.

Streaming as a whole hit a record 47.5% of US TV viewing in December 2025, per Nielsen. Sourced numbers live in our industry statistics hub.

What is the free news experience like?

Ads run lighter than cable. Expect roughly 4 to 8 minutes per hour on free streams versus cable's 12 to 16, an industry norm. Breaking coverage often runs long stretches without breaks.

No login friction. The network news streams deliberately skip account walls. Open the site or app and the stream is playing. This matters most during breaking news, when every paywalled competitor loses the race to a free stream.

The guide is the superpower. Inside Pluto TV or The Roku Channel, news behaves like a cable news tier. Flip between ABC, CBS, NBC, weather, and business channels in one interface. Our free live TV guide covers how these apps organize their channel lineups.

Depth varies. Streaming news channels repeat blocks during quiet hours and lean on live events during busy ones. For long-form investigative work you will still reach for other sources; for live coverage they are excellent.

Where Vidiyo fits

Vidiyo is a free platform for independent, creator-run TV channels, and it plays a different role in news. It does not carry ABC, CBS, NBC, or any licensed news network, and it is not where you go for breaking national coverage.

What it hosts is independent voices: commentators, niche-beat journalists, and community broadcasters running their own 24/7 channels. They schedule their own programming and run live shows with real-time chat. That is coverage the big guides do not list, from perspectives the networks do not staff. It plays free in the browser with no account. Browse the lineup to see who is broadcasting.

Watch on Vidiyo and elsewhere

• Browse live channels on Vidiyo in your browser, free.
• Jump to the news category for channels in this genre.
• Check the live TV guide for what is on now.
• ABC News Live: abcnews.go.com
• CBS News: www.cbsnews.com

Quick answers

How can I watch news online free right now? Open ABC News Live, CBS News 24/7, or NBC News NOW in any browser and press play. No account, no cable login. Or open Pluto TV and jump into its news section for every major stream in one place.

Can I watch CNN or Fox News free online? Not their main cable feeds; those still require a pay TV or streaming subscription. Free alternatives are the broadcast networks' 24/7 streams and LiveNOW from FOX, plus each cable network's free clips and site coverage.

How do I stream my local news free? Check your station's website and app first; most stream newscasts free. NewsON and Local Now aggregate local stations across the US in one app, also free.

Is there a catch to free news streams? Ads, and that is it. The networks fund these channels through advertising because it earns more than a paywall would. You are the audience, not the customer, and for news that trade works well.

Start watching

Free news is the easiest entry point into free streaming. Here is the rest of the map:

• Browse free live channels on Vidiyo, no account needed
• How to watch free live TV online
• The best free streaming services, compared
• Free sports streaming that is actually legal