How to Watch Rick and Morty: The Anime Without Cable

The Spool Staff
November 21st, 2024

While they have to wait for the eighth season, Rick and Morty fans thankfully have the upcoming anime to tide them over until 2025. With ten full episodes, fans can enjoy seeing the show in both Japanese and English dubs.

Like the original, the anime focuses on the wild and wacky adventures of mad scientist Rick Sanchez and his fretful grandson Morty Smith.

Where to watch Rick and Morty: The Anime

A new episode of the English-dubbed Rick and Morty: The Anime airs on Cartoon Network every Thursday, starting August 15 on the Adult Swim block at 12 AM ET/PT, streaming shortly the next day on Max.

The Japanese dub, English subtitles are also available on the Adult Swim website every Saturday starting August 17.

There are three ways to watch Rick and Morty: The Anime: live on Cartoon Network, streaming on the Adult Swim website, or the next day on Max.

Rick and Morty: The Anime on Cartoon Network

You can watch Rick and Morty: The Anime on Cartoon Network without cable on one 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.

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 with All Extras

Sling TV offers Orange, Blue, and various specific package options like Sports and Entertainment extras if you want to bling out on extra channels. Orange offers 34 channels including Disney Channel and ESPN, while Blue offers a little more at 42 channels including MSNBC and Fox News. Each go for $40/month, but together go for $55/month with 46 channels. Plus, you even get $25 off of your first month, making Sling TV (and its various extras) one of the most affordable plans to consider.

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.

DirecTVStream Optimo Más

DirecTVStream's Spanish-language plan boasts a hundred channels, including major networks like Univision and Telemundo in select markets, and plenty of Hispanicized favorites like Nat Geo Mundo, CNN es Español, and Hogar de HGTV. At $80/month, Optimo Más is a lot pricer than other Spanish plans like Fubo Latino, which goes for about $35/month, but it generally has more channels (in Spanish and English alike) and offers great features like three simultaneous streams and unlimited DVR. Unlike with DirecTV cable, you can easily cancel your subscription with the contract-less Optimo Más if you're not satisfied.

Spectrum TV Stream

Spectrum TV Stream is the internet provider's most affordable TV plan yet. At $40/month, it offers cable channels like CNN, TCM, and Disney, but notably, it does not include sports and local channels in its catalog. For that, you'd have to look at Spectrum's other plans, like Spectrum TV Choice. TV Stream is only available for Spectrum internet users, and to date, it has yet to offer a free trial. It may not sound like it has a lot going for it, but TV Stream is actually a great option for Spectrum customers looking for leaner (read: sports-less) TV packages that can conveniently be paid along with the internet.

Rick and Morty: The Anime on Max

Of course, with HBO acquiring Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, it’s unsurprising that Rick and Morty: The Anime streams on HBO’s respective streaming home Max. Here is a refresher and a link to subscribe:

Max

While best known for streaming epic shows like Succession, Game of Thrones, and The White Lotus, Max rounds its selection with blockbusters from Warner Bros., news from CNN, reality shows from Discovery, and for an additional fee, live sports from B/R. Max’s plans begin at $10/month, but if you already have HBO, you should check with your TV provider to see if it can give you Max at no additional cost.

What’s the difference between the anime and the original?

Rick and Morty: The Anime is directed by Takashi Sano, who previously directed five shorts with Japanese variants of the characters.

All ten episodes are available to watch on Max

There are currently 10 episodes of Rick and Morty: The Anime available to stream on Max. You can also watch all 71 episodes of the original American cartoon that this anime is inspired by.

Max

While best known for streaming epic shows like Succession, Game of Thrones, and The White Lotus, Max rounds its selection with blockbusters from Warner Bros., news from CNN, reality shows from Discovery, and for an additional fee, live sports from B/R. Max’s plans begin at $10/month, but if you already have HBO, you should check with your TV provider to see if it can give you Max at no additional cost.