TV One provides true crime and other programming aimed at a middle-aged Black audience. But it’s enjoyed by a much broader group. And no one need a cable contract to enjoy it. Read on to learn your options.
In a hurry? TV One is not as widely available online as some channels. But you still have a few good options:
- DIRECTV STREAM: This full cable replacement service gives you everything you expect from cable and more for less money. A 5-day free trial is now available for DIRECTV STREAM.
- Philo: Super inexpensive live TV streaming service with 7-day free trial.
If you can’t watch your favorite sports, TV and movies because of your location, try ExpressVPN to get access to the content you deserve. Signup now.
Table Of Contents
TV One is among several channels launched in the last twenty years to feature programming produced by and for people of color. It differentiates itself from its predecessor (and competitor) BET by targeting an older demographic, 25- to 54-year-olds.
But you don’t need a cable or satellite subscription to catch the latest episode of Unsung. Read on to find out how you can watch the largest Black-owned network without the cable company taking you for a ride.
What Is TV One
TV One’s parent company, Urban One, was founded as Radio One back in 1980 (the same year as BET). TV One itself came along in 2004, in response to criticism of BET’s representation of people of color and a desire from older African-Americans for content that wasn’t wall-to-wall music videos or obnoxious teen reality.
The channel has grown to become the largest African-American-owned media conglomerate, encompassing over 50 radio stations, two TV channels, a syndication service, a set of online brands, and a brand-management agency to support the whole media empire.
TV One is not the only network vying for Black viewers. Aside from its own sister-station Cleo TV (targeting women of color), there’s:
- Allblk (AMC)
- aspireTV (UP Entertainment)
- BET (Paramount Global)
- BET
- BET Her
- BET Gospel
- BET Jams
- BET Soul
- Black News Channel (BNC — a newcomer to the industry)
- Bounce TV (the first African-American targeted broadcast channel)
- Fox Soul (Fox’s digital streaming local-ish channel)
- Oprah Winfrey Network (also known as OWN, targeting Black women)
- Revolt (urban music channel founded by Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs).
TV One Shows
TV One’s content consists mostly of true-crime series (For My Man, Sins of the City, Fatal Attraction), documentaries on Black America and notable individuals (Uncensored, Unsung, Hey, Black America!), lifestyle reality and talk shows (One Stage to the Next, Life Therapy, Sister Circle), original movies (Christmas Dilemma, Blood on Her Badge, Bad Dad Rehab), and classic African-American series (In Living Color, Empire, What’s Happening!!, Family Matters).
It also airs the annual Urban One Honors, which celebrates entertainers, artists, educators, and community leaders of color.
Featured original series include:
- Fatal Attraction: True crime series that centers around a different romance-turned-homicidal each week.
- Life Therapy: Actress-turned-life-coach AJ Johnson gives clients a dose of straight talk to help them improve their lives.
- Rickey Smiley for Real: Reality show that follows the professional and personal life of the comedian.
- Sins of the City: Limited anthology true-crime docuseries that examines the dark side of a different city each week via an in-depth review of a crime that had a major impact on that city, from initial discovery to the trial aftermath.
- Unsung: TV One’s award-winning breakout biography series spotlights overlooked and under-credited R&B, hip-hop, soul, and gospel musicians from the 1960s on. It has spawned spin-off series Unsung Hollywood (focusing on actors and shows), Unsung Presents: The Decades, and at least two Unsung Films made-for-TV biopics.
Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days
Unblock Your Favorite Movies and Shows With a VPN
If you can’t watch your favorite movies and shows because of your location, a VPN will allow you to get the access you are entitled to, plus extra security and unequalled privacy. Check out our VPN Guide for everything you need to know, including our top pick ExpressVPN.
Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.
Stream TV One
Many cable TV companies carry TV One, but you can watch it cheaper and with no long-term contracts and commitments with a live TV streaming service. The biggest services (Hulu + Live TV, FuboTV, Sling TV, YouTube TV) do not offer it. But a few others do.
Philo
Philo is a great choice for those looking to save a little (actually a lot) on their TV provider. You get over 60 channels for $25/mo, including TV One, Cleo TV, aspireTV, BET, BET Her, OWN, and Revolt. But it is missing all local channels. Try Philo free for 7 days.
No messing around with tiers or packages; they have one plan, three add-ons for movies, unlimited DVR, and simultaneous streaming on up to 3 devices for all accounts. Just note that this service has no sports channels or local stations. (Philo review)
DIRECTV STREAM
If the saying is, “Go big or go home,” DIRECTV STREAM (formerly AT&T TV) is not going home. Urban One fans can get both TV One and Cleo TV in the Choice Package for $108.99/mo, as well as the Oprah Winfrey Network, BET, and Black News Channel (the only streaming service that carries BNC). New customers get a 5-day free trial with DIRECTV STREAM.
You also get all your local regional sports networks so you can follow your home team on the court, diamond, rink, or field. If you sign-up online, all plans come with unlimited cloud DVR and streaming on unlimited devices at once. (DIRECTV STREAM review)
Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days
Vidgo
Vidgo costs $69.99/mo. In all, you get 100+ channel lineup, which includes TV One, aspireTV, BET, and OWN. It also includes a lot of content that is family-friendly (Disney Channel) and sports-oriented (ESPN).
Note that Vidgo does not offer any DVR service or on-demand content, and offers limited local network support. You can, however, stream on up to three devices at once. (Vidgo review)
Streaming Devices for TV Now
You can watch TV Now on most streaming devices regardless of the service you select:
- Amazon Fire TV
- Android phones and tablets
- Apple TV
- Chromecast
- iOS (iPhone, iPad)
- Roku
- Web browser.
DIRECTV STREAM makes things very easy by providing the option of using its own device (it costs $120 or $5/mo for 24 months). You can also use Samsung smart TVs with it.
Vidgo and Philo support devices built on Android TV. And Philo allows you to use the Amazon Fire tablet.
Superpower Your Live TV Streaming With a VPN
You can’t beat a VPN for privacy, security, and access. We have used them for years as an important part of our streaming toolkit and we recommend ExpressVPN. Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.
| i | See our VPN Buyer’s Guide for complete information on how to choose the best VPN for your needs. |
Today’s TV One Schedule
Here is today’s schedule in Eastern Time:
| Love That Girl – The Kid Is Not My Son Jasmine moves to LA; Latrell shows up with a groupie; a reality show, "Real Estate Boss" is doing a segment on Delroy and Del Jones Realty. |
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| A Different World – How Bittersweet It Is In an effort to make Dwayne jealous, Whitley accepts a date with Ron. |
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| A Different World – Blues for Nobody's Child An orphaned waif (T.J. Evans) plans to make Freddie's dorm room his new home. |
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| The Cosby Show – Calling Dr. Huxtable Cliff is called to the hospital for three deliveries; Theo is left in charge at home. |
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| The Cosby Show – You Only Hurt the One You Love Theo accidentally hurts Rudy after convincing her to play circus with him. |
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| The Cosby Show – The Shower Denise worries about her soon-to-be-married pregnant friend, and throws her a bridal shower. |
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| The Cosby Show – Cliff's 50th Birthday Denise and Sondra come home from college to celebrate their father's 50th birthday. |
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| Living Single – Trick or Trust Khadijah (Queen Latifah) becomes convinced that Scooter (guest star Cress Williams) is cheating on her when she finds evidence in his apartment. |
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| Living Single – Abstinence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder Synclaire and Overton (Kim Coles, John Henton) must decide if they are ready for a sexual relationship. With Queen Latifah. |
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| Living Single – Double Indignity Max (Erika Alexander) gets a new job selling subliminal tapes for a telemarketing company. With Queen Latifah, Kim Coles and T.C. Carson. |
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| Living Single – My Cups Runneth Over Regine has trouble facing herself when she's advised to have breast reduction surgery to rest her overburdened back. |
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| Fatal Attraction – Horror at the Hotel When a couple disappears from their hotel room, detectives find hidden deceit and malevolence that will end in a tragic investigation. |
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| Fatal Attraction – Campus Crisis Ardena Carter's life resembles a fairy tale, but when she vanishes, the community must band together and find her before they lose her forever. |
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| For My Man – Deadly Devotion In Burlington, N.C., gunfire erupts at a park killing a 21-year-old man; police are shocked when their investigation leads them to a "good girl" whose love for a "bad boy" has pushed her into a violent world of vice. |
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| For My Man – No Good Deed Goes Unpunished A church deacon is found dead after an apartment fire, and the evidence points to foul play. |
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| For My Man – Baited by Love A beautiful college student falls under the spell of a so-called bad boy; during their whirlwind romance, he encourages her to join him in engaging in criminal activities. |
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| A Different World – How Bittersweet It Is In an effort to make Dwayne jealous, Whitley accepts a date with Ron. |
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| A Different World – Blues for Nobody's Child An orphaned waif (T.J. Evans) plans to make Freddie's dorm room his new home. |
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| A Different World – Whitley's Last Supper Whitley's father (Ron O'Neal) puts her on a budget; Kim can't relax before an exam. |
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| A Different World – The Goodwill Games Dwayne is in the middle as Whitley and Kinu (Alise Gyse Dickens) compete on rival academic teams. |
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| The Cosby Show – Calling Dr. Huxtable Cliff is called to the hospital for three deliveries; Theo is left in charge at home. |
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| The Cosby Show – You Only Hurt the One You Love Theo accidentally hurts Rudy after convincing her to play circus with him. |
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| The Cosby Show – The Shower Denise worries about her soon-to-be-married pregnant friend, and throws her a bridal shower. |
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| The Cosby Show – Cliff's 50th Birthday Denise and Sondra come home from college to celebrate their father's 50th birthday. |
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| A Different World – 21 Candles Whitley is convinced that everyone has forgotten her 21st birthday. |
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| A Different World – Sweet Charity The students try to help Kim make money to pay for college, Dwayne and Ron appear in a commercial. |
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| A Different World – Soldier Boy Col. Taylor (Glynn Turman) is roasted at the campus military dinner; Dwayne issues a challenge to Whitley. |
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| A Different World – The Getaway Spring break begins badly when Dwayne and Ron pick up the wrong luggage. |
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| A Different World – The Getaway Spring break is further complicated for Dwayne and Ron by drug dealers who are pursuing them. |
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| A Different World – Perhaps Love ... Whitley finds comfort with Dwayne at his place -- until she mistakes his mother (Patti LaBelle) for the maid. |
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| A Different World – Everything Must Change Whitley plans to tell Dwayne that a relationship is possible -- but it may be too late. |
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| A Different World – How Bittersweet It Is In an effort to make Dwayne jealous, Whitley accepts a date with Ron. |
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| A Different World – Blues for Nobody's Child An orphaned waif (T.J. Evans) plans to make Freddie's dorm room his new home. |
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| A Different World – Whitley's Last Supper Whitley's father (Ron O'Neal) puts her on a budget; Kim can't relax before an exam. |
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| A Different World – The Goodwill Games Dwayne is in the middle as Whitley and Kinu (Alise Gyse Dickens) compete on rival academic teams. |
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| A Different World – Tales From the Exam Zone Walter is the host for a "Twilight Zone"-type look at students cramming for midterm exams. |
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| A Different World – Good Help Is Hard to Fire Dwayne's visiting mom (Patti LaBelle) lands in the middle of a melee involving Dwayne, Kinu (Alisa Gyse Dickens) and Whitley. |
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| A Different World – Love Thy Neighbor Dwayne and Whitley finally commit themselves to a relationship. |
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| Love That Girl – To Live and Lie in L.A. Jasmine gets mugged while running an errand for Delroy in a sketchy neighborhood, winding up in the wrong place the wrong time. |
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| Love That Girl – Most Likely to Not Succeed Latrell's ten-year high school reunion; Imunique and Fabian pull a prank; Delroy gets ready for a hot date. |
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| Love That Girl – Delroy's Wonderful Life Delroy suffers a minor heart attack and considers shutting down Del Jones Realty; Jimi comes to Delroy in a dream. |
Wrapping Up
So you don’t have to rely on cable to get your True Crime Mondays on, or catch all the inspiring stories over Women’s History Month. Just subscribe to one of the services listed above, and you can cut the cord without cutting off Fatal Attraction.
Our top choice to stream TV One is Philo since it offers a full lineup of channels and great extras. Try Philo free for 7 days.
FAQs
What awards shows does TV One broadcast?
Currently, TV One airs the Urban One Honors, run by its parent company for various artistic and community contributions. In the past, it has carried the Stellar Gospel Music Awards and the NAACP Image Awards (both have since moved to BET). It has also previously broadcast the Triumph Awards, presented by Al Sharpton’s National Action Network.
Can I watch TV One through its app or website?
There are some full episodes available on the website (particularly in the Rewind section), and you can watch Rewind episodes (prior seasons) on the iOS app, but newer episodes require a TV provider login. The Roku and Android apps require a TV provider login to watch anything. None of the streaming services seem to provide TV Everywhere access to TV One, however.
Can I watch TV One with an antenna?
No. Over-the-air (OTA) networks, like your local ABC, NBC, Fox, or CBS broadcast stations, are free for anyone to pick up with an antenna, but are also included in many pay TV subscriptions as well. TV One is not OTA; it’s a pay channel, like Discovery, BET, or TBS. That means you need to subscribe to a pay TV provider to get it: cable, satellite, or internet streaming (like the services above).
Who owns TV One?
TV One is wholly owned by Urban One, originally founded as Radio One by Cathy Hughes. It was built starting from a single radio station in Washington, DC in 1980, by Hughes and her son Alfred Liggins. When Radio One went public in 1999, Hughes became the first woman of color to lead a publicly-traded company.
Urban One has since acquired Reach Media, HelloBeautiful.com, and Elev8.com. Hughes and Liggins have both been inducted into the Broadcast & Cable Hall of Fame.
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