How to watch NBC for FREE in the U.S.
How to watch NBC for FREE in the U.S.

The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network owned by Comcast. The network is headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, with additional major offices near Los Angeles (at 10 Universal City Plaza), and Chicago (at the NBC Tower). NBC is one of the Big Three television networks, and is sometimes referred to as the "Peacock Network", in reference to its stylized peacock logo, introduced in 1956 to promote the company's innovations in early color broadcasting; it became the network's official emblem in 1979.

NBC has thirteen owned-and-operated stations and nearly 200 affiliates throughout the United States and its territories, some of which are also available in Canada and/or Mexico via pay-television providers or in border areas over-the-air; NBC also maintains brand licensing agreements for international channels in South Korea and Germany.

Watch Live NBC For Free In The U.S

Tokyo Olympics 2020 is currently streaming on NBC. Photo: VisiOneClick
Tokyo Olympics 2020 is currently streaming on NBC. Photo: VisiOneClick

Before we cover the options you have to pay for to watch local NBC, I wanted to cover Locast. Locast streams the local NBC network live in over 42% of households, and it is 100% free. You can even watch Locast using a streaming device. Locast supports Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and Android TV.

While Locast is technically free, the service does interrupt its broadcast every 15 minutes or so to ask for a donation of $5. If you decide to donate, then the message is removed, and you can watch without solicitation from Locast for donations. Please, note that the service also subject to a pending lawsuit from the major broadcast networks, so while the service is currently legal, it is unknown how long that status will last.

Locast is available in the following 34 TV markets:

  • Atlanta, GA
  • Baltimore, MD
  • Boston, MA
  • Charlotte, NC
  • Cleveland, OH
  • Chicago, IL
  • Columbus, OH
  • Dallas, TX
  • Denver, CO
  • Detroit, MI
  • Houston, TX
  • Indianapolis, IN
  • Los Angeles, CA
  • Madison, WI
  • Miami, FL
  • Minneapolis, MN
  • New York, NY
  • Orlando, FL
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • Phoenix, AZ
  • Portland, OR
  • Puerto Rico
  • Rapid City, SD
  • Raleigh-Durham, NC
  • Sacramento, CA
  • San Francisco, CA
  • Scranton, PA
  • Seattle, WA
  • Sioux City, IA
  • Sioux Falls, SD
  • Tampa Bay, FL
  • Tri-Cities (TN, KY, and VA)
  • Washington, D.C
  • West Palm Beach, FL

You can try their service by downloading Locast to your favorite supported streaming device or on their website.

How to Stream NBC Live In The U.S

If Locast isn’t an option then you can also use other Live TV streaming services. The two best options are Hulu and Youtube TV. The following streaming services offer live NBC online. With these services, you can watch NBC live. You watch NBC shows as they air, just as if you had a cable subscription. I’ve broken down the availability of NBC live streams by giving the locations each streaming service provides live NBC.

NBC On Hulu Live TV

Hulu not only offers its on-demand service but live-streaming as well. They offer NBC along with other local networks and other channels found on cable TV. According to the data we have, live NBC is available everywhere in the US. However, be sure to check Hulu’s Website for the latest channels in your area on this page: Hulu Live TV Channels by Zipcode.

A Subscription to Hulu + Live TV includes:

  • The basic package comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR storage. (Upgrades available)
  • Watch on 2 screens at once. (Upgrades available)
  • It comes with 6 customizable profiles
  • Includes entire Hulu streaming library

Hulu + Live TV is supported on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, iOS, Android, and more. You can read more about Hulu in our review of Hulu. There isn’t a month to month contract so you can sign up to test the service without fear of a long term commitment. You can sign up for Hulu Live TV using this link: Sign up for a Free-Trial to Hulu + Live TV.

NBC on fuboTV

FuboTV has rapidly increased the number of locations where they stream the live local NBC network. Currently, FuboTV carries NBC in all major TV markets in the US.

You can check out a free trial to FuboTV here. Here are some of fuboTV’s features:

  • Over 100 channels are available in fuboTV’s channel lineup
  • You can watch on three screens at the same time
  • 250 hours of cloud DVR storage
  • The FuboTV app is available on major platforms, including Roku, Chromecast, Fire TV, Apple TV, and more.

How Much: FuboTV costs $64.99 per month.

NBC on YouTube TV

YouTube TV is another great option to watch NBC live. YouTubeTV offers live NBC with its streaming service in all markets in the US. Youtube TV supports Android, iOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, and more. The YouTube TV app isn’t available on Roku. However, users can use YouTube TV through the YouTube app on Roku devices.

YouTube TV provides:

  • NBC and over 70 other channels
  • unlimited cloud DVR storage
  • stream on three devices at once
  • Youtube TV supports Android, iOS, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, and more. The YouTube TV app isn’t available on Roku. However, users can use YouTube TV through the YouTube app on Roku devices.
  • Includes Youtube TV on-demand
  • offers a 1-week free trial.

Stream NBC on Sling

Sling TV offers NBC as a part of their Sling Blue package in the following markets:

  • New York – WNBC
  • Philadelphia – WCAU
  • Chicago – WMAQ
  • Boston – WBTS
  • Washington, DC – WRC-TV
  • Miami/Ft. Lauderdale – WTVJ
  • Hartford/New Haven – WVIT
  • Dallas/Ft. Worth – KXAS
  • Los Angeles – KNBC
  • San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose – KNTV
  • San Diego – KNSD

You can check Sling TV’s promo page for new offers. They often have great deals for signing up.

Sling TV is supported on Windows and Mac PCs and laptops, Android and iOS devices, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Nexus player, Xbox One, 4th Generation Apple TV, Chromecast, and more. See our guide to Sling TV for more information.

Watch NBC on Roku in The U.S

To watch NBC on Roku through a streaming service like FuboTV, Hulu Live TV, AT&T TV, YouTube TV, etc., follow these instructions.

  1. Subscribe to a streaming service that carries NBC
  2. On your Roku Menu, navigate to “Search” and press “OK” on your remote
  3. Enter the name of the streaming service you subscribe to in the search bar
  4. Select the streaming service and press “OK.”
  5. Select “Add Channel” press “OK” on your remote. If the channel is already installed, “Go To Channel” will be an option.
  6. The App is now installed on your Roku. Open the app, and log in with the credentials you used to subscribe to the service. NBC will be a channel available through the app’s live TV guide.

Watch NBC on Fire TV in the U.S

To watch NBC on Fire TV through a streaming service like FuboTV, Hulu Live TV, AT&T TV, YouTube TV, etc, follow these instructions.

  1. Subscribe to a streaming service that carries NBC
  2. On your Fire TV Home screen, click on the search icon in the upper-left corner of the screen.
  3. Enter the name of the streaming service you subscribe to in the search bar
  4. Select the streaming service and press “OK.”
  5. Select “Download,” and the channel will install
  6. The App is now installed on your Fire TV. Open the app, and log in with the credentials you used to subscribe to the service. NBC will be a channel available through the app’s live TV guide.

If you do not subscribe to one of the streaming services that carry NBC, you can also download the NBC app to your Fire TV. This won’t be the same as having your local NBC channel, but you will at least have access to NBC TV shows.

Watch NBC on Apple TV in the U.S

To watch NBC on Apple TV through a streaming service like FuboTV, Hulu Live TV, AT&T TV, YouTube TV, etc., follow these instructions.

  1. Subscribe to a streaming service that carries NBC
  2. Scroll right to the search icon in the upper-left corner of the screen
  3. Enter the name of the streaming service you subscribe to in the search bar
  4. Select the streaming service click the cloud icon, and the channel will install
  5. The App is now installed on your Apple TV. Open the app, and log in with the credentials you used to subscribe to the service. NBC will be a channel available through the app’s live TV guide.

If you do not subscribe to one of the streaming services that carry NBC, you can also download the NBC app to your Apple TV. This won’t be the same as having your local NBC channel, but you will at least have access to NBC TV shows.

Download the NBC App for Your Device

Downloading the free NBC App is the best way to keep up with your favorite shows and watch the newest episodes. To get started, just look for the app on any supported device. The NBC App may come preinstalled on certain platforms, but on others, you'll need to select it from your device app store. See the list of devices below for details.

Android Phones and Tablets

Grab your Android phone or tablet and follow these steps:

With your Android mobile device, visit the Google Play store or click the icon from your home screen

In the Search bar, type "NBC"

Click the NBC App icon

Click the Install button and then confirm

Android TV

To download the app on your Android TV device, follow the steps below:

Visit the Google Play store

In the left-hand navigation area, search for "NBC"

In the app listing area, click the Download button

When the app is installed, click Open

Apple TV

If you're using an older Apple TV model (3rd generation), the NBC App is preinstalled and should be accessible from the device home screen. If you're using a new model (4th generation and later), follow the steps below:

Visit the App Store

In the Search bar, type "NBC"

Click the NBC App icon

Click "Get" to download the app
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