Dallas TV Stations: Every Dallas-Fort Worth Local Channel and How to Watch

Dallas-Fort Worth TV stations list

These are the twelve main Dallas-Fort Worth TV stations, with the number your TV shows, the network, the call sign and the city each one is licensed to. Station data comes from the FCC station database and RabbitEars.info (checked October 17, 2026).

Channel	Network	Station	Known as	Broadcasts on	Licensed to	Language	On IPTVZ
4.1	FOX	KDFW	FOX 4	UHF 35	Dallas	English	Yes
5.1	NBC	KXAS-TV	NBC 5	UHF 24	Fort Worth	English	Yes
8.1	ABC	WFAA	WFAA 8	VHF 8	Dallas	English	Yes
11.1	CBS	KTVT	CBS 11	UHF 19	Fort Worth	English	Yes
13.1	PBS	KERA-TV	KERA	UHF 14	Dallas	English	Yes
21.1	Independent	KTXA	TXA 21	UHF 18	Fort Worth	English	Yes
23.1	Univision	KUVN-DT	Univision 23	UHF 33	Garland	Spanish	Yes
27.1	MyNetworkTV	KDFI	FOX 4+	UHF 27	Dallas	English	Yes
29.1	Independent	KFAA-TV	KFAA 29	UHF 30	Decatur	English	Yes
33.1	The CW	KDAF	CW33	UHF 32	Dallas	English	Not confirmed
39.1	Telemundo	KXTX-TV	Telemundo 39	UHF 36	Dallas	Spanish	Yes
49.1	UniMás	KSTR-DT	UniMás 49	UHF 33 (Univision's signal)	Irving	Spanish	Yes

DFW also has smaller over-the-air stations. They include MeTV and West on 55 (KAZD, Lake Dallas), ION on 68 (KPXD, Arlington), Estrella TV on 47 (KTXD, Greenville), TBN on 58 and Daystar on 2. "Broadcasts on" is the station's real transmission channel. It explains most antenna trouble further down.

Eleven of the twelve stations in the table are part of the IPTVZ lineup, along with MeTV. You can search them by name in our full IPTVZ channel list.

What channel is ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX in Dallas?

Over the air, FOX is channel 4, NBC is 5, ABC is 8 and CBS is 11 in Dallas-Fort Worth. PBS is 13 (KERA) and The CW is 33. Those numbers come from the stations themselves, so they are the same on every antenna TV from Denton to Cleburne.

• FOX: 4 (KDFW)
• NBC: 5 (KXAS)
• ABC: 8 (WFAA)
• CBS: 11 (KTVT)
• PBS: 13 (KERA) and The CW: 33 (KDAF)

Cable and satellite boxes use their own numbering, so FOX 4 might sit on a different number in your provider's guide. Our Dallas channel numbers guide goes network by network, subchannels included.

Free subchannels on DFW TV

Every DFW station broadcasts extra channels after the dot, and they cost nothing with an antenna. A subchannel is an extra channel a station sends on the same signal, shown with a dot number such as 11.2. Channel 11.1 is CBS, while 11.2 to 11.5 are four more networks from the same station. Here are the ones worth knowing, from the RabbitEars Dallas-Fort Worth listing:

Channel	Network	What it shows
4.3 / 4.5	Heroes & Icons / Nosey	Classic dramas, daytime talk shows
5.2 / 5.3	COZI TV / NBC True CRMZ	Classic TV, true crime
8.2 / 8.3	News 8 Now / True Crime Network	WFAA news and weather, crime documentaries
11.2 / 11.5	Start TV / Charge!	Dramas with female leads, action movies
13.2 / 13.3	PBS Kids 24/7 / Create	Kids' shows all day, cooking and travel
27.2 / 27.3	Movies! / BUZZR	Classic movies, game shows
33.2 / 33.3	Antenna TV / Grit	Classic sitcoms, westerns
68.2 / 68.3	ION Plus / Laff	Crime dramas, comedy

MeTV adds its own family of channels on 55, including MeTV Plus, Story Television and MeTV Toons. Somewhere in Plano, someone is watching a western on Grit at midnight and has no idea it is free. Now you know too.

Which area the DFW stations cover

The same stations serve the whole Dallas-Fort Worth TV market, not just the two big cities. A TV market, which Nielsen calls a DMA, is the area that receives the same set of local stations. It takes in Arlington, Plano, Irving, Garland, Frisco, McKinney, Denton, Grand Prairie and Mesquite. If you live anywhere in that area, the table above is your lineup.

Several stations are licensed to cities outside Dallas, and the FCC lists them that way. NBC 5, CBS 11 and TXA 21 belong to Fort Worth. Univision 23 is licensed to Garland, UniMás 49 to Irving and KFAA 29 to Decatur. With an antenna, distance and terrain decide what you receive. With streaming or IPTV, your address inside the area makes no difference to the picture.

Fort Worth viewers have a few local questions of their own, covered in our guide to Fort Worth TV stations. Heading east toward Tyler or south toward Waco? Those are separate TV markets with their own stations, covered in our Tyler-Longview TV guide and Waco, Temple and Bryan TV guide.

Why WFAA 8 drops out, and the 8.8 fix

WFAA 8 is the only main Dallas-Fort Worth station that broadcasts on VHF. Every other big station, FOX 4, NBC 5 and CBS 11 included, uses UHF. Small indoor antennas often struggle with VHF, so ABC is usually the first channel to break up or vanish after a scan.

This is the top Dallas antenna complaint on Reddit. A popular r/Dallas thread asks whether anyone else has "horrible reception on WFAA" with a digital antenna. One commenter pointed out that WFAA is the only major DFW channel on a VHF signal. Another wished for "an alternate channel, like 48 or something, we can tune into."

Our finding: That alternate channel already exists. WFAA's sister station KFAA, licensed to Decatur, rebroadcasts WFAA on UHF channel 30, and your TV shows it as 8.8. According to KFAA's Wikipedia entry, owner TEGNA started this simulcast to improve WFAA's reception. It is the same ABC programming as 8.1.

VHF (very high frequency) is the older TV band, channels 2 to 13. UHF (ultra high frequency) covers channels 14 to 36, where most stations broadcast today. The on-screen number does not tell you the real channel. FOX shows up as 4, yet KDFW actually transmits on UHF channel 35, according to the FCC. ABC is the opposite case: it shows as 8 and really is on 8.

1. Rescan and look for 8.8. If 8.1 breaks up but 8.8 comes in, keep 8.8 as your ABC channel.
2. Use an antenna rated for VHF-high. Channels 7 to 13 need it. Many flat "leaf" antennas list only UHF in the small print.
3. Go high and aim it. An attic or a window facing the towers beats a TV stand. The FCC DTV reception map shows the direction and signal strength for your address.
4. Or take the antenna out of the equation. Streaming and IPTV deliver WFAA over your internet connection, so the VHF problem does not apply.

The same VHF pattern shows up in other Texas cities too. Our guide to why some Texas channels won't come in on an antenna lists every VHF station in the state.

NextGen TV in Dallas-Fort Worth

Yes, DFW has NextGen TV, but only on one shared signal. KSTR on UHF 34 carries ATSC 3.0 versions of FOX 4, Univision 23, CW33 and UniMás 49, according to RabbitEars and Wikipedia's list of ATSC 3.0 stations. You need a NextGen-capable TV or tuner to see them. Older TVs simply keep showing the regular versions, so nothing breaks if you skip it.

Cord cutters on Reddit have called DFW "really behind" in NextGen TV. ABC, CBS, NBC and PBS have no NextGen versions here yet.

How to watch DFW local channels without cable

There are five realistic ways to watch DFW locals, and they trade cost against reliability in different ways. An antenna is free but picky about WFAA. Cable is reliable but expensive. Streaming services vary by station. Here is the honest comparison.

Option	What it costs	DFW locals	Watch out for
Antenna	One-time purchase	Every station you can receive	WFAA 8 on VHF indoors (try 8.8)
Cable or satellite (Spectrum, DIRECTV, DISH and others)	Monthly bill plus equipment	All main locals	Promo prices that rise, box fees, contracts
Live-TV streaming (DIRECTV streaming, YouTube TV)	Monthly bill; YouTube TV is $82.99	Depends on the service	Check each station before you subscribe
Free station apps	Free	Local news streams	News only, not the full channel
IPTVZ	From $29.99 for 3 months, $74.99 for 12	Eleven of the twelve main stations, plus the Mavericks, Stars and Rangers channels	Needs a steady connection, about 15 Mbps per HD screen

Already paying Spectrum? Our guide to leaving Spectrum in Dallas-Fort Worth shows how to drop the TV package, keep the internet and switch without losing a channel.

On streaming services, check the station list before you subscribe. TheStreamable's Dallas-Fort Worth listing (October 17, 2026) shows DIRECTV with ABC 8, CBS 11, FOX 4, NBC 5, Telemundo 39, CW33 and Univision 23. YouTube TV's main plan is $82.99 a month at its regular price (checked October 17, 2026).

Now the money part. One Dallas viewer on Reddit said internet plus YouTube TV worked out to about $100 a month. Our 12-month IPTVZ plan is $74.99 in total, which works out to about $6.25 a month. It includes the DFW stations above plus 19,000+ live channels. Worth it if you want your locals, your teams and the cable channels in one app, without a contract. It runs on a Firestick, Smart TVs, Apple TV and Android devices.

What IPTVZ costs in Dallas-Fort Worth

IPTVZ plan	Price	Per month
3 months	$29.99	About $10.00 a month
6 months	$49.99	About $8.33 a month
12 months	$74.99	About $6.25 a month
24 months	$129.99	About $5.42 a month
5 years	$259.99	About $4.33 a month

Every plan starts with a free 24-hour trial, no credit card needed, and comes with a 48-hour money-back guarantee for technical issues. Our guide to IPTV in Dallas-Fort Worth compares a full year of each option and explains what internet speed and device you need.

Cowboys, Mavericks, Stars and Rangers on TV

DFW sports moved back toward free TV, but every team does it differently. Here is where each one airs in the 2026-27 season:

• Cowboys: Sunday afternoon games air on FOX 4 or CBS 11 depending on the opponent. Sunday night games are on NBC 5, Monday night games on ESPN or ABC (WFAA 8), and Thursday night games stream on Prime Video.
• Mavericks: local games air free on KFAA 29, with at least 15 also on WFAA 8. The Mavericks' MavsTV+ streaming costs $14.99 a month or $99.88 for the season, per the Dallas Morning News (October 14, 2026).
• Stars: 17 games air free on FOX 4 and FOX 4+, as FOX 4 reported. All regional games stream on Prime Video for Prime members in the Stars' area.
• Rangers: the team's own Rangers Sports Network airs on DIRECTV, Spectrum, U-verse and Astound, with a select package of games over the air on CW33, per the Rangers.

IPTVZ carries the local stations above plus dedicated Mavericks, Stars, Rangers and Cowboys channels. Our guide to watching the Cowboys, Mavericks, Stars and Rangers without cable prices every option for a full season.

Spanish-language TV in Dallas-Fort Worth

DFW has four Spanish-language stations: Univision 23 (KUVN), Telemundo 39 (KXTX), UniMás 49 (KSTR) and Estrella TV 47 (KTXD). All four broadcast on UHF, so they come in more easily than WFAA. Free subchannels include TeleXitos on 39.2 and Bounce TV on 23.2. Univision, Telemundo and UniMás Dallas are all on IPTVZ, along with Spanish sports channels such as FOX Deportes, ESPN Deportes and TUDN.

Dallas local TV FAQ

What channel is FOX in Dallas?

FOX is channel 4 in Dallas-Fort Worth, station KDFW, known as FOX 4. Its sister station FOX 4+ is on channel 27. On cable or satellite, check your provider's guide, because providers use their own numbers.

What channel number is CBS in Dallas?

CBS is channel 11 in Dallas, station KTVT, known as CBS 11. It is licensed to Fort Worth and broadcasts on UHF channel 19.

What TV channel is NBC in Dallas?

NBC is channel 5, station KXAS, known as NBC 5. It is licensed to Fort Worth and broadcasts on UHF channel 24.

What is channel 8 news in Dallas?

Channel 8 is WFAA, the ABC station in Dallas-Fort Worth. Its 24-hour news and weather channel, News 8 Now, is on 8.2.

Why can't I get WFAA channel 8 on my antenna?

WFAA broadcasts on VHF channel 8, which small indoor antennas often struggle with. Rescan and look for 8.8, a copy of WFAA on UHF from sister station KFAA. An antenna rated for VHF also helps.

What channel are the Mavericks on?

Local Mavericks games air free on KFAA, channel 29, with at least 15 also on WFAA 8. National games air on networks such as ESPN, ABC, NBC and Prime Video.

Do I get local channels without cable in Dallas?

Yes. An antenna picks up the DFW stations for free. Live-TV streaming services and IPTV also carry the locals over the internet, with no cable box or contract.

The easiest way to get every DFW channel

• DFW's big four are FOX 4, NBC 5, WFAA 8 and CBS 11.
• WFAA 8 is the only main station on VHF; channel 8.8 carries it on UHF.
• The Mavericks are free on KFAA 29, and 17 Stars games are free on FOX 4 and FOX 4+.
• IPTVZ carries the DFW locals and team channels from $29.99 for 3 months.

Try it before you pay anything. A free 24-hour IPTVZ trial takes a couple of minutes, and plans start at $29.99 for 3 months.