How to Watch 'The Bachelorette' Even if You Don't Have Cable

Hannah Brown's season of The Bachelorette is already underway, and it's looking crazy/great/crazy-great. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to catch up on the fan-favorite series, even if you don't have cable, or a TV.

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Hannah Brown's season of ABC's The Bachelorette is already underway, and it's looking crazy/great/crazy-great. So much drama, and there's only been one episode! So if you don't want to feel left out in the office kitchen, or can't imagine your life without Hannah Beast, there are plenty of ways to catch up on the fan-favorite series—even if you don't have cable, or a TV.

Your location will essentially determine how and where you can watch. Major networks are often available for free without a cable subscription, but it depends, and you usually need a TV. Per the ABC website, "Anyone physically located in the U.S. or its territories (including Puerto Rico, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands) with access to a broadband internet connection, and a supported web browser, mobile, or streaming TV device. If you subscribe to ABC through one of our participating TV providers (and your subscription is in good standing), you have access to additional content." Note that just having internet won't give you access to most shows, just some video snippets and the occasional episode.

Per Money, "Check out DIRECTV’s channel guide here, Xfinity’s here, Optimum’s here and Spectrum’s here to find out what your local ABC channel is." To watch free TV these days, you usually need a digital antenna, which will set you back about $50.

This service will require you to sign up for cable or a livestreaming TV service (more on that below), but it does provide a good option if you're starting from scratch, don't have access, and need a provider through which to watch the show.

According to the ABC website, "The ABC live stream is currently available in the following markets: Chicago, Fresno, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham and San Francisco with a participating TV provider." More cities are available, but only through DirecTV.

You have to sign in and list a provider, so test it to see if it works for you.

You might have heard of these services like YouTubeTV and Hulu + Live TV (DirecTV and Playstation have services too). YouTubeTV is what I have, and it provides most stations we need at a lower cost than cable. Be warned, though: At least in the case of YouTubeTV, the latest Apple TV is the only version that the service is compatible with to sync with our television, so it may necessitate buying more equipment. You can watch these services on your computer, so you don't necessarily need a TV for this option.

The aforementioned services have free trial periods, so you could technically sign up and watch an episode or two before the cost kicks in. But you can't exactly watch the full series that way, so just be aware of that.

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Katherine J. Igoe
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.