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Even if you’ve cut the cord, there are still ways to watch hit TV shows on MTV, like Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta, The Challenge: Home Turf, Glam Slam and others, live without cable.
All your favorite MTV shows through affordable streaming platforms, often at little to no cost. Along with the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, which is announced for Sunday, Sept. 27, MTV offers a lineup of other popular reality shows, including Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, Teen Mom, and RuPaul’s Drag Race, as well as classic series, such as Laguna Beach, The Hills, My Super Sweet 16 and many more. Whether you’re into drama, competition or following the lives of your favorite personalities, MTV has something for everyone.
Below, Billboard breaks down the current deals and offers available to watch MTV online without cable.
How to Watch MTV Online Without Cable for Free
If you don’t have cable, you can watch MTV online for free, or at a lower price with different streaming services, like DirecTV, Philo, Paramount+ and Sling TV. DirecTV and Philo both offer free trials for up to a week, allowing you to sign up and stream without any initial cost.
Philo
Philo
Prices start at just $25 per month.
For those in search of an alternative streaming platform, consider Philo. The streaming service offers more than 70 cable channels including MTV, as well as BET, VH1, Lifetime, OWN, AMC, Comedy Central starting at $25 per month after a seven-day free trial. The Essential plan comes with over 130 free streaming channels, more than 80,000 on-demand titles and unlimited DVR.
In addition, you can jump to the Bundle+ plan for $33 per month and get everything in the Essential plan, as well as access to AMC+, HBO Max Basic with Ads and Discovery+ apps. But if you go for the Bundle+ plan, you won’t get access to a free trial.
DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is offering a five-day free trial for new subscribers.
You can start a five-day free trial with DirecTV for instant access to more than 125 live channels, with prices starting at $59.99 for the first month of service ($94.99 per month afterwards). Along with MTV, streaming plans include network television channels, such as NBC, CBS, FOX and ABC and other cable channels.
Sling TV
You can also stream all your favorite shows on Sling TV. With the streamer’s Sling Orange plan, you can stream MTV and other channels starting $45.99 per month. The plan includes more than 30 channels, with exclusive sports and family channels. With the service’s new Sling Passes option, you can get a single day of access to live TV, sports and entertainment for just $4.99.
Please note: Prices and channel availability depends on your local TV market. You can learn more about Sling TV here.
If you’re already a subscriber to Paramount+, your subscription includes access to MTV shows online, and occasional live MTV airings of shows like the VMAs. You’ll have have access to watch MTV shows on-demand at anytime.
Not subscribed? While it starts at $8.99 per month, Paramount+ doesn’t currently offer a free trial. However, there’s a clever workaround with a 30-day subscription to Walmart+. Learn more about Walmart+ and Paramount+ here.
For those seeking budget-friendly options, the most cost-effective option would be Paramount+ with Showtime. This subscription not only grants access to Paramount+’s extensive library of shows and movies, but also allows streaming of Showtime’s entire catalog for just $12.99 per month after the free trial period ends.
In addition, MTV is available to stream with a subscription to Fubo or Hulu + Live TV.
