San Diego Local Channels: How to Watch Free & Without Cable
Last updated: September 21, 2026
Here is every local channel in the San Diego market, whether you can pull it in free with an antenna, and which live TV streaming services carry it. Click any channel for the full free-and-without-cable rundown.
| Channel | Antenna (Free) | Streaming services |
|---|---|---|
| ABC | YesGood | Fubo (free trial) |
| NBC KNSD · Ch 39 | YesGood | DirecTV Stream (free trial) Fubo (free trial) Hulu + Live TV Sling TV YouTube TV (free trial) |
| UNIVISION KBNT · Ch 17.1 | YesGood | Fubo (free trial) |
| UNIMAS KDTF · Ch 36.17 | YesGood | Fubo (free trial) |
| ABC KGTV · Ch 10 | YesGood | DirecTV Stream (free trial) Hulu + Live TV YouTube TV (free trial) |
| The CW KFMB-DT2 · Ch 8.2 | YesGood | YouTube TV (free trial) |
| CBS KFMB · Ch 8 | YesGood | Fubo (free trial) Hulu + Live TV YouTube TV (free trial) |
| FOX KSWB · Ch 69 | YesGood | DirecTV Stream (free trial) Fubo (free trial) Hulu + Live TV YouTube TV (free trial) |
| Telemundo KUAN · Ch 48 | YesGood | Fubo (free trial) Hulu + Live TV YouTube TV (free trial) |
Antenna reception is free with a one-time antenna purchase. Services tagged “free trial” let you watch at no cost during the trial window; the rest require a paid subscription from day one.
Every Station in the San Diego Market
The streaming lineup above only covers the channels the live TV services carry. Over the air there is more: public television, independents, religious broadcasters and the low-power stations that carry the diginets. Here is the full market.
Full power
| Station | What it carries | Owner | On air since |
|---|---|---|---|
| KFMB-TV 8VHF | 8.1 CBS, 8.2 Independent/MyNetworkTV | Tegna Inc., a subsidiary of Nexstar Media Group | 1949 |
| KGTV 10VHF | ABC | E. W. Scripps Company | 1953 |
| KPBS 15UHF | PBS | San Diego State University | 1967 |
| KNSD 39UHF | NBC | NBC Owned Television Stations | 1965 |
| KUAN-LD 48UHF | Telemundo | Telemundo Station Group | 1980 |
| KUSI-TV 51UHF | The CW | Nexstar Media Group | 1982 |
| KSWB-TV 69UHF | Fox | Nexstar Media Group | 1984 |
Low-power
| Station | What it carries | Owner | On air since |
|---|---|---|---|
| KSDX-LD 9 | — | — | — |
| KZSD-LD 10UHF | KGTV | E. W. Scripps Company | 2000 |
| KBNT-CD 17UHF | Univision | Entravision Communications | 1992 |
| KVSD-LD 26 | Daystar | — | — |
| KDTF-LD 36UHF | UniMás | Entravision Communications | 1997 |
| KSKT-CD 43 | MovieSphere Gold, Nuestra Visión | — | — |
Mexican stations
| Station | What it carries | Owner | On air since |
|---|---|---|---|
| XHJK-TDT 1UHF | 1.1 Azteca Uno, 1.2 ADN Noticias | TV Azteca | — |
| XHCTTI-TDT 3 | — | — | — |
| XETV-TDTUHF | 6.1 Canal 5, 16.1 Nu9ve | Grupo Televisa | 1953 |
| XHCPDE-TDT 11UHF | Canal Once | Instituto Politécnico Nacional | 1999 |
| XEWT-TDT 12UHF | Televisa Regional | Grupo Televisa | 1960 |
| XHUAA-TDT 19UHF | 19.1 Las Estrellas, 19.2 Foro | Grupo Televisa | 1990 |
| XHTIT-TDT 21UHF | 21.1 Azteca 7, 21.2 a+ | TV Azteca | 1987 |
| XHAS-TDT 33UHF | 33.1 Estrella TV, 33.2 Milenio TV | Televisora Alco, S. de R.L. de C.V. | 1981 |
| XHBJ-TDT 45UHF | PSN | Media Sports de México, S.A. de C.V. | 1988 |
| XHDTV-TDT 49UHF | Milenio TV | Intermedia Telecomunicaciones, S.A. de C.V. | 1999 |
Defunct
| Station | What it carries | Owner | On air since |
|---|---|---|---|
| K35DG-D | — | — | — |
Station details come from public FCC filings and each station’s own record. Subchannel lineups change more often than main channels do.
The Cheapest Way to Get All Four Networks in San Diego
An antenna is the only free answer, and in this market it gets you all of them. If you want them streamed instead, Fubo at $79.99 a month is the cheapest service that carries every one of the 4 network stations here.
| Service | Price | Carries all 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Sling TV | $45.99/mo | 1 of 4 |
| DirecTV Stream | $59.99/mo | 3 of 4 |
| Fubo | $79.99/mo | Yes |
| Hulu + Live TV | $82.99/mo | Yes |
| YouTube TV | $82.99/mo | Yes |
Prices are the current base plans and change often. Local carriage is checked at signup by ZIP code.
How Far Are the San Diego Transmitters?
Most of the dial transmits from within 13 miles, so a flat indoor antenna in a window facing the towers is usually enough. KFMB-TV, KGTV broadcast on VHF, which the small flat antennas sold as "HDTV antennas" are bad at. Check the box says VHF and UHF.
| Station | Distance | Direction | Band |
|---|---|---|---|
| KFMB-TV 8.1 CBS | 10 miles | northwest | VHF |
| KGTV ABC | 10 miles | northwest | VHF |
| KBNT-CD Univisionlow power | 10 miles | northwest | UHF |
| KDTF-LD UniMáslow power | 13 miles | east | UHF |
| KZSD-LD KGTVlow power | 13 miles | east | UHF |
| KSWB-TV Fox | 13 miles | east | UHF |
| KNSD NBC | 13 miles | east | UHF |
| KUAN-LD Telemundo | 13 miles | east | UHF |
| KPBS PBS | 13 miles | east | UHF |
| KUSI-TV The CW | 13 miles | east | UHF |
| XHAS-TDT 33.1 Estrella TVlow power | 16 miles | southeast | UHF |
| XHUAA-TDT 19.1 Las Estrellaslow power | 16 miles | southeast | UHF |
| XETV-TDT 6.1 Canal 5low power | 16 miles | southeast | UHF |
| XHTIT-TDT 21.1 Azteca 7low power | 16 miles | southeast | UHF |
| XHJK-TDT 1.1 Azteca Unolow power | 16 miles | southeast | UHF |
| XEWT-TDT Televisa Regionallow power | 16 miles | southeast | UHF |
| XHBJ-TDT PSNlow power | 16 miles | southeast | UHF |
| XHCPDE-TDT Canal Oncelow power | 23 miles | southeast | UHF |
| XHDTV-TDT Milenio TVlow power | 40 miles | southeast | UHF |
Measured from downtown San Diego in a straight line. Hills, buildings and how high your antenna sits matter as much as the distance.
Sports in the San Diego Market
Teams that call this market home, with the full breakdown of where each game airs:
- San Diego Padres (MLB)
San Diego Market at a Glance
| Market rank | #30 of 210 US TV markets |
| Stations on the air | 24 |
| Networks carried over the air | 27, including CBS, Independent/MyNetworkTV, ABC, PBS, NBC, Telemundo, The CW, Fox |
| Station groups | Tegna Inc., a subsidiary of Nexstar Media Group, E. W. Scripps Company, San Diego State University, NBC Owned Television Stations, Telemundo Station Group, Nexstar Media Group |
| Oldest station | on air since 1949 |