Rockford Local Channels: How to Watch Free & Without Cable
Last updated: September 21, 2026
Here is every local channel in the Rockford 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 WREX · Ch 13 | YesGood | DirecTV Stream (free trial) Fubo (free trial) Hulu + Live TV YouTube TV (free trial) |
| Marquee Sports Network MARQ | Nocable/stream only | Fubo (free trial) |
| ABC WTVO · Ch 17 | YesGood | Hulu + Live TV YouTube TV (free trial) |
| Telemundo WFBN · Ch 23 | YesGood | Hulu + Live TV YouTube TV (free trial) |
| The CW WREX-DT2 · Ch 13.2 | YesGood | DirecTV Stream (free trial) Hulu + Live TV YouTube TV (free trial) |
| CBS WIFR · Ch 23 | YesGood | Fubo (free trial) Hulu + Live TV YouTube TV (free trial) |
| FOX WQRF · Ch 39 | YesGood | DirecTV Stream (free trial) 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 Rockford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| WREX 13VHF | 13.1 NBC, 23.10 CBS | Gray Media | 1953 |
| WTVO 17UHF | 17.1 ABC, 17.2 MyNetworkTV | Mission Broadcasting, Inc. | 1953 |
| WSLN 19VHF | The CW | Gray Media | 2023 |
| WQRF-TV 39UHF | 39.1 Fox, 39.2 Bounce | Nexstar Media Group | 1978 |
Low-power
| Station | What it carries | Owner | On air since |
|---|---|---|---|
| WIFR-LD 23UHF | CBS | Gray Media | 2017 |
| WFBN-LD 35UHF | 35.1 Heroes & Icons, 35.2 Telemundo | Weigel Broadcasting | 1989 |
Adjacent locals
| Station | What it carries | Owner | On air since |
|---|---|---|---|
| WTTWUHF | — | Window to the World Communications, Inc. | 1955 |
| WHA-TV | — | — | 1954 |
| WQPT-TVUHF | — | Western Illinois University | 1983 |
Defunct
| Station | What it carries | Owner | On air since |
|---|---|---|---|
| W25CL 25UHF | — | Trinity Broadcasting Network | 1986 |
| WCFC-CA 51 | — | — | — |
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 Rockford
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 | 0 of 4 |
| DirecTV Stream | $59.99/mo | 2 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 Rockford Transmitters?
Most of the dial transmits from within 6 miles, so a flat indoor antenna in a window facing the towers is usually enough. WSLN, WREX 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| WTVO 17.1 ABC | 6 miles | west | UHF |
| WIFR-LD CBSlow power | 6 miles | northwest | UHF |
| WSLN The CW | 6 miles | northwest | VHF |
| WREX 13.1 NBC | 9 miles | west | VHF |
| WTTWlow power | 78 miles | east | UHF |
| WFBN-LD 35.1 Heroes & Iconslow power | 82 miles | northeast | UHF |
| WQPT-TVlow power | 94 miles | southwest | UHF |
Measured from downtown Rockford in a straight line. Hills, buildings and how high your antenna sits matter as much as the distance.
Sports in the Rockford Market
Regional sports networks carried here, which is where most local games actually live:
| Network | Services confirmed to carry it |
|---|---|
| Marquee Sports Network | Fubo |
| NBC Sports Chicago | Fubo and Hulu + Live TV |
| NBC Sports Chicago Plus | Fubo |
| NBC Sports Chicago Plus 2 | Fubo |
Rockford Market at a Glance
| Market rank | #137 of 210 US TV markets |
| Stations on the air | 11 |
| Networks carried over the air | 9, including NBC, CBS, ABC, MyNetworkTV, The CW, Fox, Bounce, Heroes & Icons |
| Station groups | Gray Media, Mission Broadcasting, Inc., Nexstar Media Group, Weigel Broadcasting, Window to the World Communications, Inc., Western Illinois University |
| Oldest station | on air since 1953 |