Local Channels in South Carolina: Every TV Market, Station and Way to Watch
South Carolina's local channels come from seven TV markets, four based in the state and three centered in Charlotte, Augusta and Savannah. Each market has its own numbers, so NBC is 10 in Columbia, 2 in Charleston and 4 in Greenville. Below: the main channels in every market, two channel traps, the stations antennas miss, and the cost of each option.
Two traps catch viewers out. In the Upstate, CBS left channel 7 for 4.3 in August 2026. And in Charleston, "ABC 4" has not been on channel 4 for years: it sits on 36.2.
Local TV in South Carolina at a glance
- TV markets
- 4 South Carolina markets plus Charlotte, Augusta and Savannah
- Biggest markets
- Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville, Columbia and Charleston
- Channel traps
- CBS on 4.3 in the Upstate since August 1, 2026; ABC 4 Charleston on 36.2
- Hardest to receive
- VHF stations: NBC 10 and ABC 25 Columbia, ABC 13 Upstate, CBS 13 Florence, CBS 12 Augusta
- Without cable
- An antenna, YouTube TV at $82.99 a month, or IPTVZ at $74.99 for a full year
South Carolina TV markets and their channels
Each South Carolina TV market has its own ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX stations, and Nielsen calls each market a DMA, short for designated market area. Three slices of the state watch markets centered elsewhere. Rock Hill and York County watch Charlotte, Aiken watches Augusta, and Beaufort and Hilton Head watch Savannah. Our guide to local channels by state explains how markets work nationwide. Our North Carolina guide covers the same CBS change for Asheville, and the Georgia guide covers Augusta and Savannah.
We took the numbers below on November 2, 2026 from the broadcast records on RabbitEars. They show what each station sends to your TV, and we compared them with the list of South Carolina TV stations.
| Market | Main South Carolina cities | ABC | CBS | NBC | FOX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville | Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson | 13 | 4.3 | 4 | 21 |
| Columbia | Columbia, Sumter, Orangeburg | 25 | 19 | 10 | 57 |
| Charleston | Charleston, Summerville, Mount Pleasant | 36.2 | 5 | 2 | 24 |
| Myrtle Beach-Florence | Myrtle Beach, Florence, Conway | 15 | 13 | 32 | 43 |
| Charlotte | Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Lancaster | 9 | 3 | 36 | 46 |
| Augusta | Aiken, North Augusta | 6 | 12 | 26 | 54 |
| Savannah | Beaufort, Hilton Head, Bluffton | 22 | 11 | 3 | 28 |
A subchannel is a second stream from the same station, numbered like 4.3. South Carolina now has two network subchannels that many viewers miss, explained in the next section.
Spanish-language TV comes mostly from Telemundo, on 16 in Columbia and 35 in Charleston. Charleston also has Estrella TV on 31.
CBS on 4.3 and ABC on 36.2
Two South Carolina networks sit on a subchannel, so they never appear where viewers expect them:
| Market | Network | Where viewers look | Where it is | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Spartanburg | CBS | 7 (WSPA) | 4.3 (WYFF) | August 1, 2026 |
| Charleston | ABC ("ABC 4") | 4 | 36.2 (WCIV) | September 30, 2014 |
In the Upstate, CBS ended a 70-year run on WSPA, which took The CW instead. CBS now runs on WYFF's third stream, which WYFF named "CBS Carolina" on September 15, 2026.
In Charleston, the "ABC 4" name dates from the old analog channel 4. After a 2014 signal swap, ABC moved to the second stream of channel 36, according to WCIV's history. The main 36.1 carries MyNetworkTV. If you tune to 36 and see the wrong network, step one channel up to 36.2.
Why some South Carolina channels won't come in
VHF, the band that covers channels 2 to 13, causes most antenna trouble in South Carolina. Compact indoor antennas pick it up poorly, and the on-screen number rarely matches the real channel:
| Market | Station on VHF | Shows as | Broadcasts on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | WIS (NBC), WOLO (ABC) | 10, 25 | VHF 10, 7 |
| Greenville-Spartanburg | WLOS (ABC), WSPA (CW), WNTV (SCETV) | 13, 7, 29 | VHF 13, 11, 8 |
| Myrtle Beach-Florence | WBTW (CBS) | 13 | VHF 13 |
| Augusta | WRDW (CBS) | 12 | VHF 12 |
Our finding: Columbia leans on VHF more than any other South Carolina market: NBC 10 and ABC 25 both broadcast there. Charleston, Savannah and Charlotte are the opposite, with all four networks on UHF. Columbia's ABC 25 is a good example of a misleading number, because it really broadcasts on VHF 7.
The fix is an antenna with VHF elements, mounted high and aimed using the FCC reception map. In Columbia, for example, a small window antenna often finds CBS 19 and FOX 57 but loses NBC 10 and ABC 25.
Ways to watch local channels in South Carolina
Spectrum and Xfinity are the main cable companies in South Carolina, with smaller systems and fiber providers in parts of the state. Cable bills add a broadcast TV fee on top of the plan. The main ways to get your locals compare like this:
| Option | What it costs | South Carolina locals | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antenna | One-time purchase | Every station in range | VHF stations in Columbia, and the 4.3 and 36.2 subchannels |
| Cable (Spectrum, Xfinity and others) | Spectrum Stream TV Signature from $100 a month for the first year | All main locals | Fees on top of the plan price, as our monthly cable cost guide shows |
| Live-TV streaming | YouTube TV $82.99 a month; DIRECTV Entertainment $89.99 | The big-market stations in most ZIP codes | Check the Upstate CBS feed for your ZIP code |
| Free station apps | Free | Local news | News only |
| IPTVZ | From $29.99 for 3 months, $74.99 for 12 | Stations from Columbia, Charleston, the Upstate, the Grand Strand and more | Needs a steady connection, about 15 Mbps per HD screen |
Prices from spectrum.com, YouTube TV and DIRECTV, checked October 17, 2026. Over 12 months, IPTVZ comes to about $6.25 a month. For more options, see the cheapest live TV with local channels, or compare the two approaches in IPTV vs cable.
South Carolina's locals without a cable box
Columbia, Charleston, Upstate and Grand Strand stations, together with the cable channels. Try them first in a free IPTVZ trial with no card required, then choose a plan from $29.99 for 3 months.
South Carolina local channels on IPTVZ
IPTVZ carries stations from every market serving South Carolina. We matched each one in our panel catalogue of October 16, 2026 by call sign, so the table reflects the station's current network:
| Market | Confirmed on IPTVZ |
|---|---|
| Columbia | NBC 10, CBS 19, ABC 25, FOX 57 |
| Charleston | NBC 2, ABC 4 (36.2), CBS 5, FOX 24 |
| Greenville-Spartanburg | NBC 4, ABC 13, FOX 21 |
| Myrtle Beach-Florence | CBS 13, ABC 15, NBC 32, FOX 43 |
| Charlotte (York County) | CBS 3, ABC 9, NBC 36, FOX 46 |
| Augusta (Aiken) | ABC 6, CBS 12, NBC 26, FOX 54 |
| Savannah (Beaufort) | NBC 3, CBS 11, ABC 22, FOX 28 |
Our catalogue still files WSPA as CBS 7, but that station now carries The CW. We left it out until we confirm the CBS feed on 4.3. Search the IPTVZ channel list for any station by name.
South Carolina sports on TV in 2026-27
South Carolina has no big-league team of its own, so its fans follow Charlotte and Raleigh, and Gray's stations bring several of those teams over the air:
- Hornets: games air free on four Gray stations. They are WIS 10 in Columbia, WCSC 5 in Charleston, WHNS 21 in the Upstate and WMBF 32 on the Grand Strand. Some games use their Palmetto Sports & Entertainment Network subchannels instead, per the Hornets' viewing guide.
- Hurricanes: the team's own Hurricanes Hockey Network streams on Prime Video, and some games come to the Palmetto Sports & Entertainment Network.
- Panthers: most Sunday afternoon games air on the local FOX or CBS station, so the 4.3 move matters on game day in the Upstate.
- Clemson and the Gamecocks: ACC and SEC games are spread across ABC, ESPN, ACC Network and SEC Network.
IPTVZ carries the South Carolina network stations that air NFL games, plus ESPN and the national sports networks. Our guide to the cheapest way to watch the NFL prices a full season. New to streaming TV? The explainer on how IPTV works covers the basics.
Local channels in South Carolina FAQ
- How many TV markets serve South Carolina?
- Seven. Four are based in the state: Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville, Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach-Florence. York County watches Charlotte, Aiken watches Augusta, and Beaufort watches Savannah.
- What channel is CBS in Greenville and Spartanburg now?
- CBS is on 4.3, a subchannel of WYFF, since August 1, 2026. Channel 7, WSPA, now carries The CW. Rescan your TV if CBS is missing.
- What channel is ABC 4 in Charleston?
- ABC 4 is on 36.2, a subchannel of WCIV, since a 2014 signal swap. Channel 36.1 carries MyNetworkTV.
- Why can't I get NBC 10 in Columbia with an indoor antenna?
- WIS broadcasts on VHF 10, which small indoor antennas handle poorly. ABC 25 has the same problem on VHF 7. An antenna rated for VHF, placed high, usually fixes both after a rescan.
- Where can I watch the Hornets in South Carolina?
- Free over the air on Gray stations, such as WIS 10 in Columbia and WCSC 5 in Charleston, plus their Palmetto Sports & Entertainment subchannels.
- Do I need cable for local channels in South Carolina?
- No. All the network stations broadcast free over the air, and they also come with streaming services and IPTV.
The short version
- Seven TV markets serve South Carolina, three of them centered in another state.
- CBS is on 4.3 in the Upstate since August 2026, and ABC 4 Charleston is on 36.2.
- Columbia's NBC 10 and ABC 25 both broadcast on VHF; Charleston is all UHF.
- Gray stations carry the Hornets over the air across the state.
- IPTVZ carries stations from every market serving South Carolina for $74.99 a year.
Before paying for anything, check your own market. The free IPTVZ trial lets you find South Carolina stations by name, and IPTVZ plans start at $29.99 for 3 months.
Sources
- rabbitears.info: RabbitEars rabbitears.info
- en.wikipedia.org: List of South Carolina TV stations en.wikipedia.org
- en.wikipedia.org: WSPA en.wikipedia.org
- en.wikipedia.org: WCIV's history en.wikipedia.org
- fcc.gov: FCC reception map fcc.gov
- nba.com: Hornets' viewing guide nba.com
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