How to Watch Abbott Elementary Season 4 without Cable

The Spool Staff
October 28, 2024

It’s back to school season again for fans of Abbott Elementary, with Season 4 premiering October 9 on ABC. For the unenrolled, the series is a mockumentary style sitcom evoking The Office or Modern Family, which takes place at the underfunded Willard R. Abbott Elementary School. With Season 3 giving us Janine’s career dilemma and some real pressure applied to the Janine-Gregory romance, what other developments will we catch in Season 4?

Where to Watch Abbott Elementary Season 4

Abbott Elementary Season 4 premiers on ABC beginning Wednesday, October 9 at 9:30PM ET. Then, episodes will be available to stream on Hulu the next day.

Abbott Elementary Season 4 on ABC

You can watch Abbott Elementary Season 4 on ABC without cable on any of these cord-cutting services:

DirecTV Stream

DirecTV Stream is a streaming service that offers everything from live TV, local channels, on-demand films, sports packages, and even premium cable networks like HBO and Starz for an additional fee. Its plans, which start at $70/month, are on the pricier side of live TV, but that’s because it offers unlimited DVR and streams on top of at least 75 channels, depending on the plan you pick.

Fubo

Designed for the ultimate sports fan, Fubo is an on-demand and live TV service that streams games from multiple leagues including the NFL, NBA, MLB, and the Premier League. You can get up to 215 live channels on your lineup, which includes coverage on RSNs and local stations, though you might have to pay extra if you want premium entertainment channels like Starz and Showtime.

Hulu with Live TV

Combining the best of streaming and cable, Hulu with Live TV pairs Hulu’s original programming like Only Murders in the Building, imports like Normal People, and licensed ABC shows like Modern Family with live TV channels like CNN, CBS, and TCM to give you an all-in-one TV package. The plans start at $77/month (with ads), but for an additional fee, you can upgrade to a bundle that removes commercials and throws in Disney+ and ESPN+ to the mix.

YouTube TV

Often dubbed as the best cordless replacement to cable, YouTube TV is a live TV streaming platform that gives you access to more than 100 channels, sporting events, local channels, unlimited DVR space, and up to three simultaneous streams. But what really gives YouTube TV its edge is customization; depending on your needs, you can easily add premium channels like HBO, sports channels like NFL Redzone, and Spanish channels like Unimas to your preferred lineup.

DirecTV Stream Ultimate

DirecTV Stream Ultimate is the second-biggest package offered by DirecTV Stream. With it, you get up to 160 channels (up 40 channels from the previous tier) across entertainment, sports, and news. That’s almost any channel you can think of—from TBS and USA; to ESPN and CBS Sports; to CNN and BBC News; and so much more. You get it all, plus tens of thousands of on-demand titles for the price of $109.99/month (saving you roughly $40/month from the package after it), so if the budget allows, it's worth trying the Ultimate plan yourself.

Sling TV

Slings TV is a relatively affordable and wide-ranging live TV streaming service that has three main plans: the family-friendly Sling Orange, the sports-and-news-focused Sling Blue, and the comprehensive Sling Orange + Blue. The latter has a total of 46 channels, including IFC, TNT, and MGM, plus cloud DVR and simultaneous streams. You can also add multiple add-ons, like the Sports Extra, the News Extra, and the International Extra, to enhance your base package.

Fubo Elite

If you're a sports fan looking to cover all your bases, Fubo Elite has more than 256 channels and 130 live events that cover sports of all kinds, from basketball to cricket to golf. Channels include ESPN, CBS Sports Network, FS1 and FS2, beIN Sports, NFL Network, all the BIG Networks, and more. Depending on where you live, you should also have all the major local networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX. Even though Fubo Elite is a notch above the basic tier, with unlimited DVR and simultaneous screens, it still notably does not have Turner channels like CNN, TNT, and TBS.

Abbott Elementary Season 4 on Hulu

Hulu offers thousands of current and old titles, including hit original series throughout its tenured history. If you’re not yet familiar with the service, here’s a link and refresher:

Hulu

Hulu may be on the cheaper side at just $7.99/month, but the on-demand streaming service boasts an ever-growing catalog of original series like The Handmaid’s Tale, primetime hits like Modern Family, and BBC imports like Killing Eve. It’s also where you’ll find FX’s critically acclaimed titles like Atlanta, Fargo, and Reservation Dogs. Hulu runs on ads, but if you can’t stand commercials, you can go ad-free for $17.99/month.

Crossover?

Outside of any storyline, one thing to look out for in Season 4 is a “crossover.” At the 2024 SDCC, Abbott Elementary lead star Quinta Brunson (Janine) bluntly teases, “We will be doing an interesting crossover this season.” The partner series has yet to be announced, if it is a series, and if it is indeed a crossover episode.