Watching high-quality TV doesn’t necessarily require a costly subscription to a cable or streaming service. Several iPhone apps offer live and on-demand content for free, supported by advertisements. Of these, I have found one in particular that does a great job. Until a few months ago, I had never heard of this app. Perhaps you haven’t either. After all, it’s not even currently on our list of the best free streaming TV services.
What is Stirr TV?
The app isn’t well-known
First introduced in 2019, Stirr TV was first conceived by the Sinclair Broadcast Group. Since 2024, it’s been owned by Thinking Media.
Stirr TV is a free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) app. It’s available in the U.S. on several platforms, including mobile (iOS, Android), smart TVs, Fire TV, Roku, and Apple TV. It provides a mix of live and on-demand content. There are several reasons I have turned to Stirr TV, although I can also recognize it’s not for everyone.
Lots of content to enjoy
You can find live and on-demand content
One of the biggest advantages of watching Stirr TV is its wide selection of live programming across various categories. This starts with several Sinclair-owned local channels, including ones in Salt Lake City, Seattle, and Minneapolis-St. Paul. These include a nice mix of local news stories, weather, and breaking news from several NBC, ABC, FOX, and CBS affiliates. Better still, you don’t need to live in any of the “Stirr Cities” to gain access.
In addition to local channels, Stirr TV offers live channels focused on shopping, kids, sports, music, comedy, and entertainment. My favorite channels are Screams TV, which focuses on paranormal series, and Cuisine Culture, which features a nice mix of food and fitness content. The Just for Laughs channel is also worth checking out. It offers stand-up comedy routines, skits, and more.
When I’m interested in catching up with the latest news, I turn to Stirr TV’s many news channels, such as OAN Plus, the Salem News Channel, USA Today, and Al Jazeera. In total, Stirr TV offers over 100 live channels.
Over the years, I have encountered several free streaming services that fail to deliver a satisfactory viewing experience. These platforms often deliver content that is blurry or choppy and are usually filled with too many ads. I can’t say the same about Stirr TV.
When I watch Stirr TV on my iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, the picture quality is clear, and the number of ads that come on each hour is mostly low. If you’ve previously had a cable or satellite subscription and recall the numerous ads shown on local channels, you can expect a similar experience with Stirr TV’s non-local live channels.
It’s also important to note that moving between channels is a quick, smooth experience. The same can’t be said about some other offerings that tend to include long pauses each time you change to a new channel.
There are limitations
It’s not always easy to see what content is available — or not
Stirr TV has several disadvantages. This starts with the local channels. Sure, there are many of them listed in the app, but there’s no denying that many cities aren’t covered. Additionally, even if your city is listed, the offerings don’t include national content. For example, don’t expect to watch the latest episode of Law & Order SVU or NBC Sunday Night Football on any of these channels. That type of content is not available.
Additionally, the Stirr TV interface could be improved and made a bit clearer in displaying the types of content available. While Stirr TV does offer a wide selection of movies, for example, it also features movie trailers, which suggest that something like Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning or Inside Out 2 may be available to stream, even though they are not. The app’s search function is also lackluster, which makes it a little challenging to find fresh content to watch. Neither of the issues has given me a reason to stop using the app, but others might have a problem with them.
Finally, because of licensing restrictions, Stirr TV is only officially available in the U.S. Those who live elsewhere will likely be unable to view its content.
Several Stirr TV alternatives do exist
Some of these are better than others
There are several alternatives to Stirr TV, including ones you may have already heard of. The two biggest FAST offerings are Tubi and Pluto TV. Overall, it’s probably safe to say these offer more content overall than Stirr TV. And yet, there are two important reasons I no longer use them: the excessive use of ads and lower video quality.
Crackle is another well-known alternative, as is Sling Freestream. The former also suffers from having a limited library, and you probably won’t be able to use it outside the U.S. The number of ads on Crackle is also excessive. The former also suffers from having a limited library and excessive ads. It also doesn’t offer any type of local content.
What I dislike the most about Sling Freestream, however, is how it’s presented. It’s clear the folks behind the service only want you to use Sling Freestream until it convinces you, through many ads, to switch to a paid plan. This constant badgering was reason enough for me to forget about Sling Freestream a few months ago.
If you’re looking for more, you will probably be happier with one of the excellent paid streaming services.
Give Stirr TV a chance
The streaming industry has reached unprecedented levels of competition, yet Stirr TV demonstrates that viewers can find excellent content without incurring additional expenses. The service offers a fantastic alternative for individuals seeking to cancel their cable subscription while still enjoying live news broadcasts and a carefully curated selection of TV shows and films.
