What are you actually agreeing to when you press "subscribe" on a US live TV service? The price is on the front page. The terms that decide what you really pay (how the trial converts, when the intro price ends, what a cancellation refunds, how much notice you get before a rise) are spread across help pages. This guide puts them side by side.
Short answer: every licensed US live TV subscription is month to month with no contract, billed in advance, and cancellable online. The catches are in the details: intro prices of $49.99 to $59.99 jump to $83 to $100, cancelling mid-month rarely refunds anything, prices can rise with about a month's notice, and taxes and sports fees sit on top. The "IPTV subscription USA" pages that dominate search sell the opposite model: prepaid 3- to 24-month plans with no licence behind them.
At a glance
US live TV subscription terms
| Contracts | None at any major licensed service |
| Trials | 3 to 7 days, card usually required |
| Intro prices | Up to $50 off, for 1 to 6 months |
| Mid-month cancel | Access to period end, usually no refund |
| Price rises | Any time, normally with ~30 days' email notice |
| On top of the price | Tax, RSN fees, add-ons |
The terms, service by service
Taken from each service's own sign-up and help pages in early October 2026. Offers change often, sometimes weekly during football season.
| Service | Trial or intro (Oct 2026) | Then | Screens | Pause? | Notable term |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube TV | $59.99 for 2 months, new users | $82.99 | 3 | Yes, 4 weeks to 6 months | Recordings expire 21 days after access ends |
| Hulu + Live TV | 3-day free trial, or $49.99 first month | $99.99 (ads), $109.99 (no ads) | 2 | Check current terms | Trial not open to some existing Disney+/Hulu/ESPN subscribers |
| DirecTV (streaming) | 5-day free trial, new residential customers | Entertainment $89.99; MySports $44.99 for 6 months, then $64.99 | Unlimited at home | Check current terms | Card required; temporary holds may apply during trial |
| Sling | Passes rather than a trial | Orange or Blue $45.99; Essentials $19.99 | 1 to 4 by plan | Check current terms | No credits or refunds for partial months |
| Philo | 7-day free trial | $25; $33 with Bundle+ | 3 | Check current terms | DVR kept a year when billed direct by Philo |
| Fubo | Free trial | About $75-$90 by plan | Several at home | Check current terms | Regional sports fee in some ZIP codes |
| Frndly TV | 7-day free trial | $8.99 to $12.99 | 1 to 4 by tier | Check current terms | Basic tier is SD only |
"Check current terms" means we couldn't confirm a pause option from the service's own pages; several have offered one at times. For the channel side of the decision, see our best licensed live TV by budget.
How free trials convert
A free trial on a live TV service is a paid subscription with a delayed first charge. Four rules apply almost everywhere:
- A card is required. DirecTV says temporary holds may appear on your card during the trial. Some services verify the card with a small authorization.
- It converts automatically at the full monthly price unless you cancel before it ends. Some bill at the exact time the trial began, not at midnight.
- Eligibility is narrower than it looks. Trials are for new customers. Hulu's Live TV trial isn't open to some people who already subscribe to Disney+, Hulu or ESPN; DirecTV's is for new residential customers.
- Add-ons may bill from day one. Premium channels or sports packs added during a trial aren't always free.
Cancel the day you start the trial if your service lets you keep watching to the end; most do. Our free trial guide lists what to test in those few days.
Intro prices and what month two costs
Intro pricing has largely replaced long free trials at the big services. It's a real saving, but it's front-loaded:
| Plan | Intro | Regular | First-year cost | Saving vs regular |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hulu + Live TV (ads) | $49.99 for 1 month | $99.99 | $1,149.88 | $50 |
| YouTube TV | $59.99 for 2 months | $82.99 | $949.88 | $46 |
| YouTube TV Sports + News | $49.99 for 5 months | $71.99 | $753.88 | $110 |
| DirecTV MySports | $44.99 for 6 months | $64.99 | $659.88 | $120 |
Before tax. Two things to note. First, the longer the intro period, the more it's worth: DirecTV's six-month MySports rate saves more than Hulu's single month. Second, YouTube TV's Sports + News offer was listed for returning users, so lapsed subscribers aren't always shut out. Read the eligibility line under any offer.
Billing, refunds and partial months
All of these services charge a month in advance, on the same date each month. Cancel and you keep watching until that paid month ends; you don't get the unused days back. Sling's terms say it plainly: there are "no credits or refunds issued for partial or prepaid months after cancellation". YouTube TV says you keep access until the end of your payment period.
The practical rule: cancel any time before the renewal date, not the day after it. Cancelling the day after renewal still gives you almost a full month, but you've paid for it.
Refunds outside that are discretionary. Outages are sometimes credited if you ask, and a charge after cancellation is usually a billing-platform mix-up (see below). If you need to go further, our guide to getting money back from a TV service covers chargebacks.
Price changes: what notice you get
None of the licensed services guarantees your price. They can raise it at any time, and in recent years most have done so annually. What you get is notice: typically an email about 30 days before the new price applies from your next billing date. That's your window to cancel, switch plans or drop add-ons.
Some 2026 reference points: Peacock Premium went to $12.99 on 17 September 2026, ESPN Unlimited is $31.99, and Hulu + Live TV's regular price was listed at $99.99 in October. YouTube TV's base price has risen several times since launch; we keep its full price history.
Intro prices don't protect you either. If a rise lands during an intro period, check the email: the new regular price is what you'll pay when the offer ends.
Fees that aren't in the headline
| Charge | Who adds it | Typical size |
|---|---|---|
| State or local tax on streaming | Depends on your address; some cities add an amusement tax | A few dollars on a $90 plan |
| Regional sports network fee | Fubo, in areas where it carries an RSN | A few dollars to around $17/mo by ZIP code |
| 4K and screens add-ons | YouTube TV 4K Plus $9.99; Hulu Unlimited Screens | $5-$10/mo |
| Sports and news extras | Sling Sports Extra and News Extra | $6-$15/mo |
| Premium channels | All services | About $10-$20 each |
DirecTV handles sports networks differently: rather than a fee, they're built into Choice and above, which is why Choice costs $5 more than Entertainment. Our real monthly cost breakdown adds hardware and internet to the picture.
Cancelling, pausing and your rights
Cancel where you pay. If you subscribed through Apple, Google, Roku or Amazon billing, the service itself can't stop the charge; cancel in that platform's subscriptions page. Deleting the app cancels nothing.
Think about recordings first. At YouTube TV, recorded programs expire 21 days after your access ends and may not be retrievable if you come back. If you'll return for the next season, pausing is better: YouTube TV lets you pause for anything from 4 weeks to 6 months, keeps your recordings during the pause, and restarts billing automatically.
What the law says. The FTC's "click to cancel" rule was vacated by a federal appeals court in July 2025, before most of it took effect. The Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act still requires clear disclosure of recurring charges, your express consent, and a simple way to stop them, and several states, California among them, have their own automatic-renewal laws. In practice, every licensed live TV service lets you cancel online.
For step-by-step pausing and switching around the sports calendar, see how to pause, cancel or switch.
How the prepaid "IPTV subscription" model differs
Search "IPTV subscription USA" and the first page is almost entirely seller landing pages. Their terms look like this:
| Term | Licensed US services | Typical top-ranking seller pages |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Monthly, cancel any time | 3, 6, 12 or 24 months, paid up front |
| Price basis | Per household, screens included | Per 'connection'; more devices cost more |
| Trial | 3-7 days or an intro price | 24-hour trial or '7-day money back' |
| Payment | Card or app store billing | Often gift cards, crypto or payment apps |
| Channel rights | Licensed from the networks | None shown |
| If it shuts down | Company still exists to refund or credit | Prepaid months are lost |
The structure isn't an accident. A seller with no rights to the channels has every reason to collect a year or two in advance, because the service may not last that long. A licensed service has no need to: you pay for the month you watch. If someone offers you a 24-month plan for live US TV, that alone tells you most of what you need to know. Our page on when paying yearly makes sense covers the few legitimate annual plans, such as some network apps.
A checklist before you subscribe
- Note the trial or intro end date in your calendar, and the regular price after it.
- Check the channel guide for your ZIP code, especially local stations and regional sports.
- Count the screens your household uses at once against the plan's limit.
- Look for an RSN fee or local tax at checkout, before the final click.
- Decide where you'll be billed. Paying directly makes cancellation simpler; app-store billing puts all subscriptions in one list.
- If you'll leave in spring and come back in autumn, check whether the service offers a pause.
Quick answers
Do US live TV subscriptions have contracts?
No. YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV's streaming plans, Sling, Philo, Fubo and Frndly TV are all month to month, renew automatically and can be cancelled online, with no early-termination fee.
Do I get a refund if I cancel mid-month?
Usually not. Services bill a month in advance and let you watch until the end of the paid period. Sling, for example, says no credits or refunds are issued for partial or prepaid months after cancellation.
Which live TV services have a free trial?
In October 2026: Philo and Frndly TV advertised 7 days, DirecTV 5 days for new residential customers, Hulu + Live TV 3 days, and Fubo a free trial. YouTube TV was leading with an intro price of $59.99 for two months instead. Sling sells passes rather than a trial.
Can a live TV service raise my price mid-subscription?
Yes. None of them lock your price. Increases are normally announced by email about a month ahead and apply from your next billing date. You can cancel before it takes effect.
What happens to my DVR recordings if I cancel?
It depends on the service. YouTube TV keeps recordings for 21 days after your access ends, and they may not come back if you return later. Pausing instead keeps them.
Can I pause a live TV subscription?
YouTube TV lets you pause for 4 weeks up to 6 months, with billing restarting automatically. Other services have offered pauses at times, sometimes only inside the cancellation flow.
Why is my bill higher than the advertised price?
Usually sales or amusement tax where you live, a regional sports network fee on Fubo in some areas, or add-ons like 4K or extra screens. Intro prices ending is the other common cause.
Is it a red flag if an IPTV subscription is sold as a 12-month prepaid plan?
For live TV in the US, yes. Licensed services bill monthly. Prepaid 3-, 12- or 24-month plans priced by number of connections, often paid by gift card, are how unlicensed services are sold.
Trial lengths, intro offers and prices change frequently and were taken from each service's own pages in early October 2026; Fubo's price is an approximate range. Pause and refund policies can change without much notice, and the FTC has restarted work on a cancellation rule. Checked October 2026.