How to Watch ABC 7 Chicago (WLS) For Free & Without Cable

Last updated: June 15, 2026

ABC 7 has been the station to beat in Chicago since before most of us were born. WLS signed on in 1948 and later took its call letters from Sears' old "World's Largest Store" radio brand, and it has owned the local news ratings for the better part of fifty years. It's an ABC owned-and-operated station, which means Disney runs it directly and the full network slate runs through channel 7: Eyewitness News, college football, the Oscars, Jimmy Kimmel. The good news for cord-cutters is that none of it needs a cable box. WLS broadcasts free over the air from the top of Willis Tower, and every major live TV streamer in the city carries it. If you only keep one Chicago station, it's this one.

Chicago is about as easy as over-the-air TV gets. Almost every full-power station transmits from a single cluster downtown, most of it off the Willis Tower, and the land around the city is famously flat. Point a basic antenna toward the Loop and you will usually pull in the major networks without much trouble. The signal thins out as you push past the collar counties toward the Wisconsin and Indiana lines, where an amplified or outdoor antenna starts to matter.

Streaming ABC 7 Without Cable

With a free trial: Fubo and YouTube TV all carry ABC 7 and let you watch free during the trial period before any charge.

No free trial, but they carry it: Hulu + Live TV also include ABC 7, though you pay from the first day.

Every Local Channel in Chicago

Here is the full Chicago lineup, whether each channel is available free with an antenna and how well it comes in, plus the streaming services that carry it.

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.

Last updated: June 15, 2026