Cable Alternatives in Amarillo: What Each Option Costs and Who It Suits

What a year costs, option by option

A year without cable in Amarillo can cost as little as an antenna or as much as Hulu + Live TV at $1,199.88.

Option	Price	Amarillo locals?	First year
Antenna	$25 to $60 once	Yes, free over the air	About $50
IPTVZ, 1 device	$74.99 for 12 months	KAMR, KVII, KFDA, KCIT in the catalogue	$74.99
Sling Select	From $19.99 a month	Only in select markets; no CBS	$239.88
YouTube TV Entertainment	$54.99 a month	Check by ZIP	$659.88
YouTube TV Sports	$64.99 a month	Check by ZIP	$779.88
YouTube TV	$82.99 a month	Check by ZIP	$995.88
Hulu + Live TV	$99.99 a month	Check by ZIP	$1,199.88
Optimum Extra TV + fees	$80 + about $20.46 a month	Yes	$1,205.52

Streaming prices as of October 2026, from the providers and our cheapest live TV with local channels guide. Optimum's first-year offer is from reviews.org's Optimum TV review, September 2026, plus fees on its 2026 rate card. All before taxes and internet. Streaming services set their local lineups by ZIP code, so enter yours before you subscribe.

The antenna: Amarillo's best deal

Every Amarillo network tower stands 5 to 11 miles north of downtown, which makes the antenna an easy win in town. You get NBC 4, ABC 7, CBS 10, FOX 14, Panhandle PBS 2, the CW on 7.2 and Telemundo for nothing after the purchase.

Two details matter. CBS 10 and PBS 2 broadcast on VHF, so the antenna must handle VHF-High. And in Canyon, Borger or Dumas, 22 to 34 miles out, an attic or roof antenna does better than one on the TV stand. Our Amarillo TV stations guide has the distances, and the FCC's DTV reception map grades each signal at your address. An antenna won't give you ESPN, HGTV or the other cable channels; pair it with one of the options below if you want those.

Live-TV streaming services

Live-TV streaming services are the closest thing to cable, and they cost close to cable too.

• YouTube TV, $82.99 a month, is the full package. Its $64.99 Sports plan and $54.99 Entertainment plan cut channels to cut the price. Our YouTube TV price guide lists what each includes.
• Hulu + Live TV, $99.99 a month, comes with Disney+ and ESPN Select.
• Fubo, from $64.99 for its Sports plan, leans on sports.
• Sling, from $19.99 for Select, is the budget option, but its local channels come only in select markets and it has no CBS.
• DirecTV's streaming plans include MyNews at $44.99 and MySports at $64.99.

Each lets you cancel month to month. All need steady broadband, roughly 15 Mbps per HD stream.

Network apps for one channel at a time

If you only miss one network, a single app can be cheaper than any bundle. Paramount+ Premium, $13.99 a month, streams your local CBS station where it's available. Fox One, $19.99, carries local FOX, and Peacock Premium Plus, $19.99, local NBC.

In Amarillo, though, those same stations come free on an antenna. The apps make most sense for homes far from the towers, or for the shows and sports each app adds on top.

IPTV

IPTVZ costs $74.99 for 12 months on one device and lists all four Amarillo network stations. Our panel catalogue of October 16, 2026 has NBC 4 KAMR, ABC 7 KVII, CBS 10 KFDA and FOX 14 KCIT by name. Lubbock's network stations are there too, with ESPN, SEC Network, NFL RedZone, and Univision city feeds that no Amarillo antenna can pick up.

A plan is a single payment with no automatic renewal, and the trial lasts 24 hours with no card. Panhandle PBS's own programs aren't listed by name, so keep an antenna for channel 2. Our IPTV in Amarillo guide goes into the details.

Satellite, for homes without broadband

If your Panhandle home has no reliable internet, satellite TV is the alternative to cable that doesn't depend on it. DirecTV and DISH both still sell satellite service, and local channels depend on the market, so prices and contract terms vary. Get a quote for your address and ask about local-channel availability and fees.

For a rural home that can't stream, the combination of an antenna for locals and a satellite package for cable channels is common. If your internet improves later, the streaming options above open up.

Which one fits your house

If you mostly watch	Best fit	Why
Local news and network shows	Antenna	Free after purchase, and the towers are close
Locals plus a few cable channels	Antenna + Sling, or IPTVZ	Covers both for under $300 in year one
Texas Tech, Big 12 and NFL	YouTube TV Sports or IPTVZ	ESPN, FOX networks and the locals
Spanish-language TV	Antenna for Telemundo + IPTVZ or a Spanish add-on	No Univision station broadcasts in the market
Everything cable had	YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV	The fullest channel lists, at near-cable prices
No broadband	Antenna, with satellite for cable channels	Nothing else works without internet

For sports specifically, see our guide to Panhandle sports on TV. If you'd like the national view, our IPTV vs cable guide compares the formats.

Cable alternatives FAQ

What is the cheapest alternative to cable in Amarillo?

An antenna with VHF. It costs about $25 to $60 once and brings in NBC 4, ABC 7, CBS 10, FOX 14 and PBS 2 free.

Who provides cable TV in Amarillo?

Optimum, which took over Suddenlink's name in August 2022. Suddenlink had bought Cox's Amarillo system in 2006.

Does YouTube TV carry the Amarillo stations?

YouTube TV sets its local lineup by ZIP code. Enter your Amarillo ZIP on its site before signing up.

Can I watch Univision in Amarillo without cable?

Not with an antenna, since no Univision station broadcasts in the market. Streaming add-ons and IPTVZ's Univision feeds are the options.

What if I don't have good internet?

Use an antenna for the locals and consider satellite for cable channels. Streaming and IPTV need a steady connection.

The short version

• In Amarillo, an antenna with VHF is the cheapest way to keep the locals.
• YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV come closest to cable, at $82.99 and $99.99 a month.
• Sling is cheapest monthly, but its locals reach only select markets.
• IPTVZ adds cable channels and Univision for $74.99 a year.
• Without broadband, antenna plus satellite is the fallback.

Most Amarillo homes end up with an antenna and one paid service on top. The IPTVZ free trial makes it easy to try that combination. Our statewide look at what cable TV costs in Texas shows where Amarillo's prices sit.