Although free IPTV services will often suffice for people who only watch live TV occasionally, if you want to enjoy a more cable-like experience, it is advisable to sign up for a paid IPTV service.
But which is the best paid IPTV service? Here is our review of the top paid IPTV providers in 2020.
Is Paid IPTV Legal?
Paid IPTV services can be sub-divided into legal services and gray-area services. Each category has pros and cons.
The legal services are more reliable but have fewer channels and are often restricted to one country due to licensing agreements (though you can always use a VPN to unblock streaming sites in your locale).
Gray area IPTV services have more channels and are cheaper. The legality of such services depends on where you live. Some countries have stricter laws than others. Make sure you understand the potential ramifications before you sign up and start watching. Again, using a VPN is advisable. It will prevent your ISP and local authorities from monitoring your web traffic.
Best Paid IPTV Services: Legal
Let’s begin by running through some of the leading IPTV services which are entirely legal. These names will be familiar to anyone who’s familiar with the cord-cutting world.
1. SlingTV
Sling offers two paid IPTV plans: Sling Blue and Sling Orange. Each costs $25/month. Some channels are available on both services, but there are notable exceptions. Disney and ESPN are only available on Sling Orange; FOX and NBC are only on Sling Blue. If you want all the channels, you can sign up for both packages for a discounted price of $40/month.
Sling is only available in the United States.
2. YouTube TV
YouTube’s paid IPTV service costs $40/month and provides access to more than 60 IPTV channels. The channels include popular networks such as ABC, FOX, CNN, FOX Sports, TNT, and more. Add-on packages are available for premium networks like Starz, Showtime, and AMC Premier.
Again, access is restricted to the US.
3. Now TV
If you live in the UK, check out Now TV. It is the paid IPTV division of Sky. Five packages are available—Entertainment, Sky Cinema, Sky Sports, Kids, and Reality TV. You can buy both daily passes and monthly passes, and you can cancel at any time.
The service is particularly useful for anyone who is looking for an alternative way to watch Sky Sports.
4. AT&T Now
AT&T Now (formerly called DirecTV Now) offers seven packages to US residents, each of which has a different focus and provides access to a different selection of IPTV channels.
The cheapest package is the $55/month Plus plan. It includes 45 channels, including ABC, FOX Sports, ESPN, MSNBC, NBC, Telemundo, and National Geographic. The most expensive plan—Ultimate—costs $135/month. It offers more than 125 channels.
5. Hulu + Live TV
Since the demise of PlayStation Vue in early 2020, Hulu has become the final paid IPTV provider worth recommending. If you only want to watch on-demand movies and TV shows, you can sign up for $5.99/month. If you want to add IPTV, however, the price jumps to $54.99/month.
You will get access to more than US 60 channels as well as cloud DVR storage for recording shows you missed. Add-ons are available for HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, Starz, and Spanish-language content.
Best Paid IPTV Services: Gray Area
Okay, so what about gray area IPTV services? Which are the best providers right now? Let’s take a look.
1. Jarvis IPTV
As we explained in our rundown of the top IPTV services (free and paid), the best paid IPTV service in 2020 Is Jarvis. Jarvis is a Primesteams reseller, but it includes some extra features that you won’t find on the parent service.
Those features include an expanded electronic program guide (EPG), a discounted subscription to the provider’s backup service (called “Friday”), and a level of customer service that’s unrivaled in the IPTV world.
You need an invite to sign up. Keep an eye on r/IPTV to see when invites become available.
2. Eternal TV
Eternal TV has been one of the Reddit community’s favorite IPTV services for a few years.
Sadly, it’s closed to new subscribers for most of the year. While that might be frustrating if you’re desperate to sign up, the restrictions help Eternal to control the load on its servers and thus maintain quality. Check the site regularly for availability.
The service is US-focused; it carries all the major local channels and a wide selection of PPV sports content.
(Note: If you have a sub, read our instructions on how to install Eternal to get started.)
3. Beast TV
One of the most famous names in the gray area IPTV sector is Beast TV. It’s doesn’t necessarily provide the best quality streams, but in terms of the number of IPTV channels offered, it is the number one.
At the time of writing, the service includes 588 US nationwide channels, 1,039 US local channels, 113 Canadian channels, 253 UK channels, 93 Latino channels, and a massive 607 sports channels from around the world. The service costs $15/month.
You can use Beast to watch IPTV on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Android TV, and more.
Learn More About IPTV
If you’d like to learn more about using IPTV before you sign up to a provider, make sure you read some of our other articles. We have written an introductory guide to IPTV and reviewed some of the best IPTV services for a Fire Stick that you can use on your various devices.
