One of the most difficult parts of living in a foreign country is that you generally don’t have a way to watch your favorite TV shows and movies. Most cable and satellite providers offer a minimal international programming TV channel lineup and if they do, it can be expensive. Trying to find a legal and affordable option for the best of German TV entertainment can be very challenging or at least it used to be. We will explain how to get the channels you love.
How To Watch German TV Without Cable
The best method available to find your favorite German TV channels is cord-cutting services. Cord-cutting services are inexpensive, easy-to-use, and most importantly, are safe to use. Cord-cutting services allow the user to watch streaming video content on their home television set or on smart devices such as phones and tablets.
Many people think that they can just try to find a free stream somewhere on the internet, but this can be dangerous as illegal streams are usually laced with malware. The best part about streaming services is that they do not require a contract and there are no installation charges or hidden fees.
Stream German TV With Sling TV
One option available to watch German channels such as My German TV is Sling TV. This is one of the most popular live tv streaming services in America. The service is available nationwide to anyone with an internet connection. To use Sling TV you simply hook up a streaming device to your TV, connect it to your home internet, and select what you want to watch.
Sling TV is an affordable, legal method to stream German TV. The service contains many features such as DVR service, simultaneous streams, on-demand content, and an easy-to-use interface. One major positive is that you are also able to cancel your service at any time without penalty. This service really gives the consumer the freedom to customize their viewing experience at a reasonable price. Sling TV also offers many additional a-la-carte add-ons such as premium channels and sports packages.
To see a complete list of Sling TV channels, add-ons, and other features please read our Sling TV review.
Sling German TV Features
One of the best components of this Sling TV language pack is the many features. Some of the most popular features include the free 8-day replay which allows you to watch the best TV shows on-demand, up to 8 days after they air. Get up to 50 hours of Cloud DVR and 3 simultaneous streams. Here are some additional features:
- Watch television in your preferred language at any time, anywhere
- Watch programming on multiple supported devices at the same time
- Get all the channels you love from your home country and abroad
- On-demand programs and films in multiple languages
- Simple, easy-to-use interface makes finding what you are looking for a cinch
- Option to view recent television up to 8 days from its air date (International Customers only)
- No contracts or Social Security number required
- Customer support available 24/7
Watch German TV Overseas
Most streaming services are only available to residents of the United States, but that does not mean that you cannot stream German TV overseas. Using a VPN can allow you to bypass geoblocking. A VPN directs all your traffic through a server located in the country of your choice. In this case, you can set your server location to the United States and watch Brazilian programming in another country.
VPNs are inexpensive, legal, and easy to use. We recommend ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN is hands down the best option available because of the number of available servers, the top-notch security, and it has the speed necessary to stream videos. The best part is they offer a 30-day money back guarantee. To learn more about VPNs please read our VPN review guide.
How much do German TV Packages Cost?
There are currently several packages available. This service has several different combinations of German and regular Sling TV packages. There is no long-term contract involved and you can cancel at any time. Subscribers typically pay monthly. You can try it for free to see if you like it.
In addition to German television, Sling TV has two base English packages that offer American TV channels such as ESPN and Comedy Central. The two streaming plans are Sling Orange and Sling Blue. Sling Orange costs $35/month and you get 25+ popular channels. Sling Blue costs $35/month and gives access to 40+ channels.
German Mosaic | |||
Sling Blue | |||
Sling Orange | |||
Sling Blue + Orange |
What German TV Channels Are Included?
There are lots of great TV channels being offered in this package. Sling TV offers 3 different channels in their plan. These channels are DW Deutsch+, My German TV, and Welt, The different live streaming TV plans offer a mixture of news and movie channels. Also included are many different English speaking channels from around the globe at no extra cost. Below is the list of channels for all of the packages.
DW Deutsch+ (prev. Deutsche Welle (DW-TV)) | German | GE |
My German TV | German | GE |
ProSiebenSat.1 | German | GE |
Extra Features and Add-on Packages
Sling TV has one of the most robust selections of extras and add-ons. Add News, Kids, Sports, and other packs. The different types of plans include entertainment, news, lifestyle, and premium channels. These are a-la-carte extra packages of channels that you can add to your base German TV plan.
Sling Orange + Blue Extras
Standalone Subscriptions
Device and Equipment
Using a cord-cutting service such as Sling TV gives you several methods to use their service. If you wish to watch on a television set you will need a streaming device that is connected to the internet and your TV. These devices are inexpensive and Sling TV usually has several promotions to receive a free streaming player if you pre-pay for a few months of the service. Some newer smart TVs have Sling TV already built-in.
You can also live-stream German TV on smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and desktop computers. This means that you can bring the service with you anywhere you have a cell phone or WiFi connection.
Here is a list of compatible devices:
- Amazon Fire Devices: All Amazon Fire TV devices, Fire Tablets on Android OS 4.4.2 or higher, Amazon Fire TV Edition by Element
- Android Tablets and Smartphones: OS KitKat 4.4 or newer
- Android TV: OS KitKat 4.4 or newer, Select Smart TVs – Sharp AQUOS, Sony Bravia, LeEco, AirTV Player, AirTV Mini
- Apple TV: 4th generation Apple TV or newer, tvOS 10.0 and higher
- Google Chrome Browser: Most recent version of Chrome, MAC OS, Windows 7 or 8.1
- Chromebook: Select Chromebook Devices
- Chromecast: All Chromecast devices, Vizio SmartCast TVs
- Google Nest: Nest Hub, Nest Hub Max
- iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch): iOS 11 or newer, iPhone XS, XS Max devices
- LG TV: WebOS 3.0 and higher
- Microsoft Edge Browser: Most recent version of Edge
- Oculus Go: Oculus Go 3.54 or higher
- Portal TV: Portal TV 6.11.967
- Roku: Roku LT and higher, Roku TVs from Hisense and TCL
- Safari Browser: Most recent version of Safari
- Samsung: 2016-2019 Smart TVs
- Windows 10: All Windows 10 computer and enabled deviced
- XBOX: XBOX One, XBOX One S, XBOX One X
- Xfinity X1: International and select Latino services only, Arris Xg1v1, Pace Xg1v1, Pace Xg1v3, Xg1v4, Xi5
Conclusion
Finding a high-quality, legal stream of your favorite German tv shows and movies can be difficult and unfortunately, it still is. This is one of the weakest language packs that Sling TV has to offer. However, if you are looking My German TV or Welt then this is an economical option. Feel free to try it yourself and if you don’t care for this service then you can cancel anytime. To get started check out the free trial.