Can you replace cable TV with free network apps?

In this video tip, Mr. Noobie talks about free network television apps, whether or not they are truly free and if you can use them to replace your paid television programming.

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It seems just about every television network has their own app. CBS has a free app to watch shows on its network. ESPN has a free app to watch its sports programming. But are these apps really as free as they sound?

Hi, I’m Mr. Noobie and today I’m going to answer the question, can you replace cable TV with free network apps?

Network apps: free to install

When it comes to free network apps, think of it as “free to install”. In other words, it doesn’t cost you anything to download and install the app.

Once you get inside the app, however, it’s often a different story.

Some television network apps will offer a limited selection of their television programming free to watch in the app, but they’ll make you pay a subscription fee to watch their full selection of programming. In a sense, the app is nothing more than a free trial to the network’s paid subscription service.

Still need paid television provider

Other television network apps are only complementary to a paid subscription to their network through your cable or satellite provider. So when you open the app to watch television programming, you’ll first be asked to provide your login credentials to your cable or satellite company. If the app determines that you don’t pay for the network through a TV provider, it won’t allow you to watch any programming through the app.

In other words, in order to watch all of ESPN’s programming in the WatchESPN app, you’ll first need to be a paid subscriber with a cable or satellite company to a package that includes the ESPN channels.

In the end, if your goal is to complement your existing cable programming with these network apps, you’ll probably be happy. But if your goal is to replace your cable television with these network apps, you’re going to be sorely disappointed.

This tech tip has been brought to you by XFINITY. For more information on how you can get high-speed Internet access in your home, visit xfinity.com.