What to Do After Cancelling Cable: Complete Post-Cable Setup Guide

You cancelled cable. Now what?

Most people cancel before they have a plan, then spend two weeks scrambling to figure out where to watch their shows. This guide walks you through exactly what to do — in order — so you have a complete streaming setup before your cable service shuts off.

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Step 1: Get a Streaming Device (If You Don't Have One)

Your TV's built-in smart TV apps are usually fine for basic streaming, but they get slow, lose support for new apps, and are harder to update than a dedicated streaming stick. A $30-50 streaming device gives you a faster, more flexible setup.

Best picks:

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Step 2: Set Up a Free Antenna for Local Channels

This is the step most people skip, then regret. An antenna gives you ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS, and local channels — completely free, in broadcast HD that's sharper than cable.

Local news, network TV, most NFL games (Fox, CBS, NBC), and awards shows: all free forever after a $25 one-time hardware purchase.

Check Price: Indoor HDTV Antenna (~$25) →

Setup: Plug the coaxial cable into your TV's antenna input (usually labeled "ANT IN" or "RF IN"). Run a channel scan from your TV's menu. Position the antenna near a window for best results. Takes 10 minutes total.

Verify your reception first: Enter your address at AntennaWeb.org to see which channels you can receive. Most urban and suburban households get 30-50 channels.

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Step 3: Load Up on Free Streaming Apps

Before spending any money, install these free services on your new streaming device:

Tubi — 50,000+ movies and TV shows, free with ads. One of the largest free streaming catalogs. No subscription required.

Pluto TV — 250+ live channels plus on-demand content. Organized like cable — channel surfing for free. No login required.

Peacock Free — NBC content, some live sports, originals. Free tier covers a lot.

Plex — Free account gives you access to 50,000+ movies, shows, and 500+ live channels. Also serves as a local media server if you have personal files.

YouTube — Full-length movies are available for free on YouTube Movies. And YouTube itself has an enormous catalog of cord-cutting-friendly content.

Between antenna and free apps, most households cover 70-80% of what they watched on cable before spending a dollar on subscriptions.

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Step 4: Choose Your Paid Subscriptions (2-3 Max)

With the free tier handled, decide what specific content you need that isn't available free:

For general entertainment: Netflix ($7/month with ads), Hulu ($8/month with ads), or Max ($10/month with ads)

For Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, kids content: Disney+ ($8/month)

For live sports (NFL, NBA, college): Peacock Premium ($8/month covers NBC sports and Premier League)

For ESPN and cable channels: Sling TV Orange (~$40/month)

For a full cable replacement: YouTube TV (~$73/month) — expensive but still cheaper than cable

Rule of thumb: Start with 1-2 subscriptions. Add more only after you've actually used what you have. Most people find they watch 2-3 services regularly and forget they subscribed to others.

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Step 5: Replace What You Specifically Watched on Cable

Map your cable habits to streaming equivalents:

| What you watched | Where to find it now | |-----------------|---------------------| | Network TV (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox) | Antenna (free) or streaming app | | NFL on ESPN/ESPN2 | Sling Orange or YouTube TV | | NFL on local networks | Antenna (free) | | NBA / NHL | Sling, YouTube TV, or league apps | | CNN / Fox News / MSNBC | Sling, YouTube TV, or free on some apps | | HGTV / Food Network / Discovery | Philo ($40/mo) or Sling | | AMC / FX originals | AMC+ ($7/mo), Hulu | | HBO shows | Max ($10/mo with ads) | | Showtime / Paramount Network | Paramount+ ($6/mo) | | Kids' content | Disney+ ($8/mo) covers Disney, Pixar, Marvel |

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Step 6: Set Up Your DVR Replacement

Cable boxes include a DVR for recording live TV. Without one, you have three options:

Option A: Use a streaming service with cloud DVR. YouTube TV and Hulu Live TV include unlimited cloud DVR. Sling TV includes 50 hours.

Option B: Buy a standalone OTA DVR. Devices like the Tablo or HDHomeRun connect to your antenna and add DVR functionality for over-the-air channels. Useful if you record a lot of network TV.

Option C: Don't record at all. Most network shows are available on-demand through the network's streaming app the next day (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox all have free apps).

For most households, option C is sufficient — and free.

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What Your Monthly Cost Looks Like Now

Example setup for a family:

• Streaming device: $49 one-time (Roku)
• Antenna: $25 one-time
• Netflix (2 screens + 4K): $22.99/month
• Disney+: $8/month
• Peacock Free: $0
• Pluto TV: $0
• Total ongoing: ~$31/month

Compared to a typical cable bundle at $83-120/month, you're saving $50-90/month — that's $600-1,080/year.

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The First Two Weeks: Checklist

• [ ] Streaming device set up and connected
• [ ] Antenna installed and channel scan done
• [ ] Tubi, Pluto TV, Peacock Free installed
• [ ] Primary streaming subscription(s) active
• [ ] Old cable equipment returned (get tracking receipt)
• [ ] Confirmed cable cancellation on bank statement
• [ ] Internet-only price negotiated with ISP if needed

After 30 days, most cord-cutters don't miss cable. The rare holdout usually just needs to find the right streaming service for a specific channel they're missing.

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Related Reading

• How to Cut the Cord: Complete Guide for Beginners (2026)
• Best Streaming Devices 2026: Complete Buyers Guide
• How to Cancel Cable: Comcast, Spectrum, and AT&T Step-by-Step Guide
• Best Free Streaming Services in 2026: Watch More, Pay Less
• How to Watch Local Channels Without Cable in 2026 (Free & Paid Options)