San Francisco Local Channels: How to Watch Free & Without Cable

Last updated: June 15, 2026

Here is every local channel in the San Francisco 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.

Antenna Reception in San Francisco

The Bay Area is one of the trickiest over-the-air markets in the country, and it is all about the hills. Most stations transmit from Sutro Tower in San Francisco and San Bruno Mountain just to the south, but the same hills that give the city its character block signals street by street. One side of a hill gets a clean picture, the other gets nothing. The South Bay and San Jose often lean on their own translators. If you are serious about antenna TV here, a rooftop or attic antenna with a clear shot toward Sutro Tower is usually the difference between a full lineup and a handful of channels.

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.