Local Channels in Texas: Every TV Market, Station and Way to Watch

How local TV works in Texas

A TV market is the area that receives the same set of local stations. A DMA is Nielsen's name for it, short for designated market area. Each market has its own affiliates: local stations that carry ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and the other networks, plus their own local news.

That is why the same network sits on different numbers across Texas. CBS is 11 in Houston and in Dallas-Fort Worth, but 5 in San Antonio and 42 in Austin. The number on your screen is the station's virtual channel. The frequency it really broadcasts on can be different, which matters for antennas.

Two more things surprise new Texans. Some markets cross state lines: Texarkana watches Shreveport stations, and El Paso shares its market with Las Cruces, New Mexico. And a few small markets let one station carry two networks, so NBC might be on 12.2 instead of its own channel.

Texas TV markets and their channels

These are the eleven largest Texas TV markets and their main channels. Numbers are the over-the-air channels your TV shows, from the list of Texas TV stations and FCC records, checked October 18, 2026.

Market	Main cities	ABC	CBS	NBC	FOX	Univision	Telemundo
Houston	Houston, Sugar Land, The Woodlands, Galveston	13	11	2	26	45	47
Dallas-Fort Worth	Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano	8	11	5	4	23	39
San Antonio	San Antonio, New Braunfels, Kerrville	12	5	4	29	41	60
Austin	Austin, Round Rock, San Marcos	24	42	36	7	62	42.2
El Paso	El Paso, Las Cruces (NM)	7	4	9	14	26	48
Rio Grande Valley	McAllen, Harlingen, Brownsville, Weslaco	5	23.2	23	38	48	40
Corpus Christi	Corpus Christi, Kingsville, Alice	3	10	6	38	28	10.2
Waco-Temple-Bryan	Waco, Killeen, Temple, Bryan-College Station	25	10	6	44	None	10.2
Tyler-Longview	Tyler, Longview, Lufkin, Nacogdoches	7	19	56	51	None	7.3
Amarillo	Amarillo, Canyon, the Panhandle	7	10	4	14	None	31
Lubbock	Lubbock and the South Plains	28	13	11	34	None	None

A subchannel is an extra channel a station broadcasts next to its main one, numbered like 23.2. It lets one station carry a second network. In the Rio Grande Valley, for example, CBS is a subchannel of NBC station KVEO. "None" means the market has no full-power station for that network. Bryan-College Station also has its own CBS station, KBTX on channel 3.

Full station lists, subchannels and antenna tips are in our market guides to Houston TV stations and Dallas-Fort Worth TV stations, with the other markets coming next.

Smaller Texas TV markets

Eight smaller markets cover the rest of Texas, and in several of them one station carries two or three networks. Here are their main channels:

Market	Main channels
Beaumont-Port Arthur	ABC 12 (KBMT), NBC 12.2, CBS 6 (KFDM), FOX 6.3
Abilene-Sweetwater	NBC 9 (KRBC), ABC 12 (KTXS), FOX 15 (KXVA), CBS 32 (KTAB)
Midland-Odessa	ABC 2 (KMID), CBS 7 (KOSA), NBC 9 (KWES), FOX 24 (KPEJ)
Wichita Falls-Lawton	NBC 3 (KFDX), CBS 6 (KAUZ), FOX 18 (KJTL)
San Angelo	NBC 3 (KSAN), FOX 6 (KIDY), CBS 8 (KLST)
Laredo	NBC 8 (KGNS), ABC 8.2, Univision 27 (KLDO)
Victoria	ABC 25 (KAVU), FOX 19 (KVCT)
Sherman-Denison (Sherman-Ada market)	CBS 12 (KXII), NBC 10 (KTEN)

Texarkana is part of the Shreveport, Louisiana market, where NBC is 6 (KTAL) and FOX is 33 (KMSS).

Why some Texas channels won't come in

Most Texas antenna trouble comes from stations that broadcast on VHF. VHF is the older TV band, channels 2 to 13. Small indoor antennas handle VHF poorly, so these stations are usually the first to break up or vanish after a scan.

Market	Station on VHF	Shows as	Broadcasts on
Houston	KTRK (ABC), KHOU (CBS), KUHT (PBS)	13, 11, 8	VHF 13, 11, 8
Dallas-Fort Worth	WFAA (ABC)	8	VHF 8
San Antonio	KSAT (ABC), KLRN (PBS)	12, 9	VHF 9 (both on KLRN's signal)
Austin	KTBC (FOX)	7	VHF 7
Corpus Christi	KIII (ABC), KZTV (CBS)	3, 10	VHF 8, 10
Waco-Temple-Bryan	KCEN (NBC), KWTX (CBS)	6, 10	VHF 9, 10
Tyler-Longview	KLTV (ABC)	7	VHF 7
Amarillo	KFDA (CBS)	10	VHF 10
Rio Grande Valley	KRGV (ABC)	5	VHF 13
Laredo, Midland-Odessa, Beaumont	KGNS (NBC), KWES (NBC), KBMT (ABC)	8, 9, 12	VHF 8, 9, 12

Our finding: We looked up the real broadcast channel of the main network and PBS stations in every Texas market in FCC records. At least 18 of them are on VHF, and in eight markets ABC is one of them: Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Tyler-Longview, the Rio Grande Valley, Laredo and Beaumont. So if one network is missing after a scan, check ABC first.

Two Texas markets have a backup that works on any TV. In Houston, CBS 11 is repeated on UHF as 11.11. In Dallas-Fort Worth, WFAA is repeated on UHF as 8.8. Elsewhere, an antenna rated for VHF-high, placed high and aimed at the towers, is the fix. The FCC reception map shows the direction for your address. Our guide to why Texas channels won't come in on an antenna goes station by station.

Ways to watch local channels anywhere in Texas

Every Texan has the same five options for local channels, and they trade price against reliability differently:

Option	What it costs	Texas locals	Watch out for
Antenna	One-time purchase	Every station you can receive	VHF stations indoors, long distances in rural Texas
Cable or satellite (Spectrum, Xfinity in Houston, DIRECTV, DISH and others)	Spectrum Stream TV Signature from $100 a month for the first year	All main locals	Broadcast TV surcharge, box fees, price after year one
Live-TV streaming (YouTube TV, DIRECTV streaming)	YouTube TV $82.99 a month; DIRECTV Entertainment $89.99	Most big-market locals	Local lineups vary by ZIP code, so check yours first
Free station apps	Free	Local news streams	News only, not the full channel
IPTVZ	From $29.99 for 3 months, $74.99 for 12	Local stations from all 19 Texas markets	Needs a steady connection, about 15 Mbps per HD screen

Prices from spectrum.com, YouTube TV and DIRECTV, checked October 17, 2026. Spectrum is the main cable company in much of Texas. Our guide to leaving Spectrum in Dallas-Fort Worth breaks down a real bill, and the Houston Xfinity guide does the same for Xfinity.

Worth it if you watch live TV most days: the 12-month IPTVZ plan works out to about $6.25 a month. That is less than one month of most streaming packages.

Texas local channels on IPTVZ

IPTVZ carries local stations from all 19 Texas TV markets, plus Shreveport for Texarkana. Our panel catalogue of October 16, 2026 lists at least 69 local network stations from Texas. These are the main ones, matched by call sign against FCC records:

Market	Confirmed on IPTVZ
Houston	NBC 2, PBS 8, CBS 11, ABC 13, My 20, FOX 26, CW 39, Univision 45, Telemundo 47, UniMás 67
Dallas-Fort Worth	FOX 4, NBC 5, ABC 8, CBS 11, KERA 13, TXA 21, Univision 23, FOX 4+ 27, KFAA 29, Telemundo 39, UniMás 49
San Antonio	NBC 4, CBS 5, PBS 9, ABC 12, UniMás 17, FOX 29, KMYS 35, Univision 41, Telemundo 60
Austin	FOX 7, ABC 24, NBC 36, CBS 42
El Paso	CBS 4, ABC 7, NBC 9, FOX 14
Rio Grande Valley	ABC 5 (KRGV), NBC 23 (KVEO), plus KGBT and KXFX
Corpus Christi	ABC 3, NBC 6, CBS 10, PBS 16, FOX 38
Waco-Temple-Bryan	NBC 6, CBS 10, ABC 25, FOX 44, plus CBS 3 (KBTX) in Bryan
Tyler-Longview	ABC 7, CBS 19, FOX 51, NBC 56
Amarillo	NBC 4, ABC 7, CBS 10, FOX 14
Lubbock	NBC 11, CBS 13, ABC 28, FOX 34
Midland-Odessa	ABC 2, CBS 7, NBC 9, FOX 24
Abilene and San Angelo	NBC 9, ABC 12, FOX 15, CBS 32 (Abilene); NBC 3, FOX 6, CBS 8 (San Angelo)
Other markets	Beaumont (ABC 12, CBS 6), Laredo (NBC 8), Victoria (ABC 25, FOX 19), Wichita Falls (NBC 3, CBS 6, FOX 18), Sherman (CBS 12, NBC 10) and Shreveport-Texarkana

A station missing from this table may still be in the lineup: we list only what we have checked. Search the full IPTVZ channel list for your station by name. Because IPTV works over the internet, you can also watch another Texas market's locals, like Houston news from Dallas.

Spanish-language TV in Texas

Univision and Telemundo have stations or subchannels in almost every large Texas market. Houston has Univision 45 and Telemundo 47, Dallas-Fort Worth has Univision 23 and Telemundo 39, and San Antonio has Univision 41 and Telemundo 60. UniMás adds a third Spanish network in the biggest cities.

Along the border, viewers in El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley can often pick up stations from Mexico with an antenna. IPTVZ includes Univision, Telemundo, UniMás and Galavisión, plus Spanish sports on FOX Deportes, ESPN Deportes and TUDN. Our guide to Spanish-language TV in Houston compares the options and prices.

Texas sports on local TV

Texas teams are spread across free TV, regional networks and team apps in 2026-27. Here is where the big ones stand:

• Houston: the Astros and Rockets play on Space City Home Network and its SCHN+ app. Texans games air on the Houston network stations. See Astros and Rockets without cable.
• Dallas-Fort Worth: the Mavericks are free on KFAA 29, the Stars split between FOX 4 and Prime Video, and the Rangers have their own network. See Cowboys, Mavericks, Stars and Rangers without cable.
• San Antonio: the Spurs moved to DAZN for 2026-27, at $19.99 a month or $119.99 for the season, per News 4 San Antonio. The team said 22 games would also air free on a local station, not yet named in September.
• College football: Texas and Texas A&M play in the SEC, mostly on ESPN, ABC and SEC Network. Big 12 teams such as Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU and Houston play mostly on ESPN and FOX networks.

IPTVZ carries Space City Home Network, a Spurs channel, SEC Network, ESPN and the local network stations, plus channels for Austin FC, FC Dallas and the Houston Dynamo.

Local channels in Texas FAQ

How many TV markets are there in Texas?

Nineteen Nielsen TV markets cover Texas. The largest are Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin. Some cross state lines: El Paso includes Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Texarkana watches the Shreveport, Louisiana market.

What channel is ABC in Texas?

It depends on the market. ABC is 13 in Houston, 8 in Dallas-Fort Worth, 12 in San Antonio, 24 in Austin, 7 in El Paso and 3 in Corpus Christi.

What channel is CBS in Texas?

CBS is 11 in Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth, 5 in San Antonio, 42 in Austin, 4 in El Paso and 10 in Corpus Christi, Waco and Amarillo.

Why can't I get local channels with my antenna in Texas?

Most often the station broadcasts on VHF, which small indoor antennas struggle with, or the towers are too far away. Use an antenna rated for VHF, place it high, aim it at the towers and rescan.

Can I watch Houston channels in Dallas?

Not with an antenna: each market only receives its own stations. Over the internet you can. IPTVZ carries local stations from both Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth, among other Texas markets.

What is the cheapest way to get local channels in Texas?

An antenna is free after you buy it. For locals plus cable channels, IPTVZ costs $74.99 a year, compared with YouTube TV at $82.99 a month.

Do streaming services carry Texas local channels?

In the big markets, mostly yes: YouTube TV and DIRECTV carry the main Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth stations. Lineups vary by market, so check your ZIP code on the service's site before you subscribe.

Do I need cable for local channels in Texas?

No. Local channels are free over the air with an antenna, and they are also available on streaming services and IPTV without a cable box.

The short version

• Texas has 19 TV markets, and each market has its own channel numbers.
• Stations on VHF, like ABC 13 Houston and WFAA 8 Dallas, are the hardest to receive.
• Houston has a CBS backup on 11.11 and Dallas-Fort Worth has a WFAA backup on 8.8.
• IPTVZ carries local stations from all 19 Texas markets for $74.99 a year.

Try your own market's channels first. A free 24-hour IPTVZ trial takes a couple of minutes, and plans start at $29.99 for 3 months.