- An antenna gets you every local newscast live and free.
- CBS Boston, NBC10 Boston and Telemundo run free 24/7 streaming news channels.
- Station apps are free; some streams carry only newscasts, not all programming.
You do not need a cable package to watch Boston’s local news. The stations want viewers on every screen, and most now give their news away in at least three ways: over the air, in their own apps and on free streaming channels. Which mix suits you depends on whether you want the full newscast at airtime, a rolling news channel, or just alerts on your phone.
Option 1: An antenna
An antenna is the only way to get every station’s full programming live and free, including the newscasts exactly as they air. Boston’s main stations are listed in Boston TV Channels: Every Local Station You Can Get With an Antenna with their channel numbers. If you have never set one up, The Best TV Antenna for Boston: How to Choose One for Your Home walks through choosing and placing it.
Option 2: Free 24/7 streaming news channels
Several Boston stations run streaming news channels that are separate from their broadcast signal. You can find them on streaming devices and free services without an account with the station.
| Station | What it offers | Where the station says to find it |
|---|---|---|
| CBS Boston (WBZ-TV) | Free 24/7 local news stream | CBSNews.com/boston/live, the CBS News app on Fire TV, Pluto TV under Live TV, Local News |
| NBC10 Boston | 24/7 news channels | Peacock, Samsung TV Plus, Roku and Xumo, plus the NBC10 Boston app |
| Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra | Noticias Noreste, a 24/7 channel in Spanish | Roku TV, Fire TV, Samsung TV Plus, Xumo Play, Local Now, Pluto, TCL, Xfinity and Amazon Prime Video, and the station’s app |
These channels change platforms from time to time, so if you cannot find one, check the station’s own help page. NBC10 Boston, for example, gives step-by-step directions for Roku: open the Live TV tile or The Roku Channel and look for its news channel in the guide.
Option 3: Station apps and websites
- 7News (WHDH) says viewers can watch 7News live on its free app on phones and tablets, with free breaking news and weather alerts. Search WHDH in your app store. It also has a separate 7Weather app with live radar.
- NBC10 Boston points viewers to its website and its NBC10 Boston app.
- GBH offers a livestream of GBH TV at video.wgbh.org; you can continue without a GBH Passport membership, and PBS shows are on PBS.org and the PBS app.
- WCVB promotes a free streaming app on its website.
Tip: Turn on the stations’ push alerts only for the topics you care about, such as weather and school closings. Otherwise your phone will buzz all day.
Setting it up on a streaming device
Most streaming devices let you add the station channels in a few minutes, and the stations publish the steps themselves. CBS Boston says to install the CBS News app on Fire TV and open its Live Now section, or to open Pluto TV, choose Live TV and then Local News. NBC10 Boston says Roku users can open the Live TV tile or The Roku Channel and scroll to its news channel. Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra gives similar directions in Spanish for Fire TV, Roku and Samsung TVs.
- Look for a Local News section in free live TV guides such as Pluto TV or The Roku Channel.
- If a channel is missing, search for the station’s name rather than the network’s.
- Add the station’s own app as a backup; apps often carry newscasts that the free channels do not.
Which option fits which viewer?
| You want | Best fit |
|---|---|
| The 6 and 11 o’clock news exactly as broadcast | Antenna |
| News on in the background all day | A free 24/7 streaming news channel |
| Storm updates on the go | The station’s app with alerts on |
| Public affairs and PBS programs | GBH livestream and PBS app |
What you give up without cable
Streams and apps do not always carry everything the station airs. Network shows, sports and some syndicated programs may be missing from a station’s own stream because of rights, which is why an antenna remains the most complete free option. Live sports are a special case; see Boston Sports Radio and Game Broadcasts: Where to Hear the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics and Bruins.
If you watch on a smart TV, check its free live TV section too. Several Boston stations’ news channels appear there alongside national channels, and you can add them to a favorites list so the local news is one click away. Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra, for example, tells Samsung TV owners to look for its Noticias Noreste channel in the app bar.
During big storms
When weather knocks out power or internet, streams stop working. That is when a battery radio or an antenna on a TV with backup power earns its keep. Read Boston Weather and Storm Coverage: Where to Get Forecasts and Warnings and Emergency Alerts on Boston TV, Radio and Phones: How EAS and WEA Work before the next nor’easter.