Watch live news on Apple TV and never miss a beat

If you’re like me when you watch the news, you want to see it in real-time, as it’s happening. After all, who likes playing catch up on breaking news when everyone else has already moved on to the next big story? Nobody.

A lot of people wonder if they can watch live news on their Apple TV. The good news is yes! With your Apple TV, you can easily follow a developing story, in real time, from news sources you trust.

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Live news vs. video news on Apple TV

Every morning I turn on my Apple TV to check out the latest live news so I know what’s going on in our world the moment I wake up. And if I don’t find anything worthwhile that’s broadcasting live, I can always look at pre-recorded video news from the previous day.

And though it may not seem like it, there is a difference between live news and pre-recorded news.

Not all news apps offer live news. Video news is pre-recorded. That means by the time you see it, it’s already happened. Not the most exciting way to follow a story.

On the other hand, live news streams in real-time so you can stay current on developing stories and feel like you’re part of the action. We’ll show you how to watch live news on Apple TV, so you never miss a beat.

How do I set up news apps with live streaming?

If you don’t already have them, download and install apps from your favorite news sources, like CBS, Bloomberg, ABC News, FOX News, SkyNews, Reuters TV, and so forth. The easiest way to find all the best news apps Apple TV offers is to open the App Store.

• Select the App Store icon on the home menu of your Apple TV.
• Swipe upward with the remote to reveal the top menu.
• Choose Categories.
• Select News from the right sidebar and all the news apps Apple TV offers appear.
• Click on the news app you want to download.
• Choose Get to install the app.
• Select the Download icon.
• Type in your Apple ID password if required.
• Once the download is complete, the news app appears in your home menu for easy access.

You can also type or dictate (speak into the remote) the name of the news app you want into the search bar.

Does the news app offer live-streaming?

• Open a news app.
• On the news app’s main menu, look for the word Live.
• Click to watch the live stream.

The cost of watching the news on Apple TV

Some news apps are free, some others are free with a cable subscription while others require a monthly subscription. Pricing varies from app to app. Sometimes, paid content is labeled as Premium.

You can also access news and other content if you subscribe to third-party paid subscription services like HULU + LIVE TV, DirecTV Now, SlingTV, CBS All Access, YouTube TV and even PlayStation Vue!

Download locastapp and watch your local live TV for free

A free app run by a non-profit www.locast.org allows users to watch their local live TV for free on Apple TV.

This is currently limited to the following cities but its worth checking out especially if you want to tune into the local sports broadcasts.

• New York

• Philadelphia

• Boston

• Washington DC

• Baltimore

• Chicago

• Houston

• Dallas

• Sioux Falls

• Denver

• Rapid City

• Los Angeles

• San Francisco

Popular news apps on Apple TV

ABC, CBS, and NBC are still heavily watched today by viewers who want their content delivered in a traditional manner that people are used to. They all offer live feeds on their Apple TV apps.

Choose your news

For selective viewers, who only want to watch the news they’re interested in, great options for live news are apps such as Haystack TV, Sling TV, and Reuters TV.

These apps offer a wider variety of content and let the viewer decide what they like when they like it.

What’s unique about these news apps is that they learn from you by memorizing your news viewing patterns. With this information, these news apps offer you fresh content relevant to your interests.

Using the Livestream news app on your Apple TV

If you want a one-stop shop for your news from a variety of sources, the Livestream News App is for you!

With the Live Stream news app, you can search for news from some of your favorite news providers. Follow any currently developing story or watch any others you might have missed.

Setting up the Live Stream News App is quick and easy. The Live Stream News app is under the news section of the app store, but the easiest way to find it is to follow the directions above.

Watch YouTube live without a YouTube TV subscription

YouTube TV offers news and programming from over 70 networks (and growing.) But after a free trial, it costs about $45 USD per month. And you may not want to spend that kind of money.

The good news is that you can watch some live programming on YouTube using the regular app on your Apple TV!

Look for a Live symbol on the thumbnail of the content you want to watch. Youtube offers you Live news sources from Bloomberg, Al Jazeera, and a few other stations.

If you’re only interested in live content, you search for the word “live” or “live news” using YouTube’s search function.

Watching local live news on Apple TV

You can be kept up to date on matters in your home city with your AppleTV!

CBS, NBC, PBS, ABC, and many other national and local news stations offer Apple tvOS apps. So check these apps first and see if they run any of your local news and video highlights or showcase live events.

For everyone else, your best bet to watch local news on your Apple TV is to download your local news app to your iOS device and AirPlay it to your Apple TV.

You can also watch live and local news using Apple’s TV app–Apple’s TV app supports live news for tvOS 11 and iOS 11 and above.

I can’t find my favorite news app on Apple TV!

If Apple TV doesn’t currently offer your favorite news app, one alternative is to AirPlay that news app from an iOS device such as an iPad or iPhone to your Apple TV.

How to AirPlay to Apple TV

Apple TV may change the way we get our news, but that doesn’t mean it feels different or makes you jump through frustrating learning curves.

Whether or like to watch the news the traditional way or pick and choose, Apple TV has you covered! And with Apple launching Apple TV+ later this year, there’s more to come.   

Andrew Palmer

Andy is a former Apple employee with a deep knowledge of Apple products. He currently covers writing tips and tutorials for different Apple products.

Andy is also an avid video producer with superb video editing skills and loves editing using his MacBookPro.