MSNBC, along with fellow cable news channels Fox News and CNN, consistently comes in on top of the rankings for the most popular channels in the country.
So, if you wanna know what channel you need to flip to for the latest breaking news, I’ve got you. I’ve dug deep and found the channel numbers for MSNBC across six top TV providers in 50+ major U.S. cities.
And if you’ve ditched cable but still wanna watch MSNBC, streaming services like YouTube TV and Peacock will have your back. Keep reading for all the deets.
What channel is MSNBC on near me?
MSNBC’s channel number will depend on your TV provider and where you live. Satellite TV providers like DIRECTV and DISH use consistent channel numbers across the country, while cable providers often have different numbers by area.
If your city isn’t listed below, enter your zip code into our service-finder tool above for details on what TV providers are available near you.
MSNBC channel numbers in major U.S. cities
| City | Cox channel | DIRECTV channel | DISH channel | Optimum channel | Spectrum channel | Xfinity channel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque, NM | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 30 |
| Anchorage, AK | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | — |
| Atlanta, GA | — | 356 | 209 | — | 43 | 120 |
| Austin, TX | — | 356 | 209 | — | 49 | — |
| Bakersfield, CA | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | — |
| Baltimore, MD | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 61 |
| Boston, MA | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 40 |
| Bronx, NY | — | 356 | 209 | 23 | 14 | — |
| Brooklyn, NY | — | 356 | 209 | 23 | 14 | — |
| Buffalo, NY | — | 356 | 209 | — | 59 | — |
| Charlotte, NC | — | 356 | 209 | — | 50 | — |
| Chicago, IL | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 59 |
| Cincinnati, OH | — | 356 | 209 | — | 49 | — |
| Cleveland, OH | 53 | 356 | 209 | — | 26 | — |
| Colorado Springs, CO | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 37 |
| Columbus, OH | — | 356 | 209 | — | 57 | — |
| Dallas, TX | — | 356 | 209 | — | 52 | — |
| Denver, CO | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 65 |
| Detroit, MI | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 37 |
| El Paso, TX | — | 356 | 209 | — | 33 | — |
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 30 |
| Fort Worth, TX | — | 356 | 209 | — | 52 | — |
| Fresno, CA | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 17 |
| Honolulu, HI | — | 356 | 209 | — | 107 | — |
| Houston, TX | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 80 |
| Indianapolis, IN | — | 356 | 209 | — | 52 | 67 |
| Jacksonville, FL | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 185 |
| Kansas City, MO | — | 356 | 209 | — | 28 | — |
| Las Vegas, NV | 19 | 356 | 209 | — | — | — |
| Los Angeles, CA | — | 356 | 209 | — | 49 | — |
| Louisville, KY | — | 356 | 209 | — | 45 | — |
| Memphis, TN | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 81 |
| Miami, FL | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 30 |
| Milwaukee, WI | — | 356 | 209 | — | 46 | — |
| Minneapolis, MN | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 62 |
| Nashville, TN | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 51 |
| New Orleans, LA | 72 | 356 | 209 | — | — | — |
| New York, NY | — | 356 | 209 | 23 | 14 | — |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 42 | 356 | 209 | — | — | — |
| Orlando, FL | — | 356 | 209 | — | 26 | 42 |
| Philadelphia, PA | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 76 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 63 | 356 | 209 | — | — | — |
| Pittsburgh, PA | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 183 |
| Portland, OR | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 128 |
| Sacramento, CA | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 37 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 48 |
| San Antonio, TX | — | 356 | 209 | — | 62 | — |
| San Diego, CA | 39 | 356 | 209 | — | 50 | — |
| San Francisco, CA | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 60 |
| San Jose, CA | — | 356 | 209 | — | 61 | 60 |
| Seattle, WA | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 47 |
| St. Louis, MO | — | 356 | 209 | — | 47 | — |
| St. Paul, MN | — | 356 | 209 | — | 31 | 70 |
| Tampa, FL | — | 356 | 209 | — | 41 | 83 |
| Tucson, AZ | 34 | 356 | 209 | — | — | 26 |
| Washington, DC | — | 356 | 209 | — | — | 38 |
Data effective as of post date.
Get MSNBC with cable or satellite TV
MSNBC is available with most cable and satellite TV providers. If you’re looking for a new TV provider, I’ve listed out a few of the best traditional TV providers with MSNBC on their channel lineups below.
| Provider | Price | MSNBC | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIRECTV | $84.99–$164.99/mo. | ✔ |
View Plans for DIRECTV Read DIRECTV review |
| DISH | $91.99–$121.99/mo. | ✔ |
View Plans for DISH Read DISH review |
| Spectrum | $45.00–$105.00/mo. | ✔ |
View Plans for Spectrum Read Spectrum review |
| Xfinity | $20.00–$80.00/mo. | ✔ |
Read Xfinity review |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Get MSNBC with a live TV streaming service
Good news for you cord-cutters out there: MSNBC is carried by most live TV streaming services.
There are some exceptions, though, namely, Frndly TV and Philo. TBH, Frndly TV and Philo not carrying MSNBC isn’t a shock to me, as both of their lineups heavily skimp on news channels.
Below, I’ve listed some of the best live TV streaming services that do carry MSNBC with one or more of their plans.
| Provider | Price | MSNBC | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIRECTV STREAM | $84.99–$164.99/mo. | ✔ |
View Plans for DIRECTV STREAM Read DIRECTV STREAM review |
| Fubo | $14.99–$94.99/mo. | ✔ |
View Plans for FuboTV Read Fubo review |
| Hulu + Live TV | $81.99–$95.99/mo. | ✔ |
View Plans for Hulu Read Hulu + Live TV review |
| Sling TV | $45.99–$60.99/mo. | ✔ |
View Plans for Sling TV Read Sling TV review |
| YouTube TV | $82.99/mo. | ✔ |
View Plans for YouTube TV Read YouTube TV review |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Watch MSNBC on Peacock
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
As a Peacock subscriber, you’ll have access to a large library of MSNBC content at no extra cost to your typical monthly subscription ($7.99–$13.99/mo.).
Disappointingly, Peacock does not provide live streams of MSNBC content as it airs. To get live MSNBC content without traditional TV, you’ll need to get a subscription to one of the live TV streaming services listed above.
That said, you’ll still be able to watch episodes of MSNBC staples like The Beat with Ari Melber and Morning Joe just one day after they air. So, if you don’t mind the slight delay, a Peacock sub is a great way to get your MSNBC fix.
What’s on MSNBC?
MSNBC is a news channel that focuses primarily on U.S. news and political commentary from a liberal-leaning viewpoint.
Some current MSNBC shows
- All In With Chris Hayes
- The Beat With Ari Melber
- Chris Jansing Reports
- Deadline: White House
- Inside With Jen Psaki
- José Díaz-Balart Reports
- The Katie Phang Show
- Katy Tur Reports
- The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell
- MSNBC Prime
- Morning Joe
- PoliticsNation
- The Rachel Maddow Show
- The Saturday Show with Jonathan Capehart
- Velshi
- The 11th Hour With Stephanie Ruhle
What is MSNBC?
MSNBC is a cable news channel that airs programming concerning U.S. news and political commentary.
MSNBC was started in 1996 as a joint venture between NBC News and Microsoft. The channel went from being primarily focused on 24/7 news coverage in its beginnings to its current mix of news and opinion-based political content from liberal commentators.
MSNBC is consistently the second most popular news channel in the U.S., trailing behind rival Fox News but ahead of CNN.
Pro tip: Wondering what the difference is between MSNBC and CNBC? MSNBC and CNBC are both news channels, but while MSNBC focuses largely on breaking news and political commentary, CNBC focuses primarily on business news and the stock market.
What channel is MSNBC on FAQ
What channel is MSNBC on DIRECT TV?
MSNBC is channel 356 with DIRECTV, regardless of where you live.
Is MSNBC the same as NBC?
No, MSNBC is not the same as NBC. Both channels are owned by NBCUniversal, but while MSNBC focuses on U.S. news and political commentary, NBC—while still airing its own daily news shows—also airs entertainment programming like Law & Order: SVU and Saturday Night Live.
Can you stream MSNBC for free?
You can stream MSNBC for free with free trials from live TV streaming services like Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV.
Fubo’s free trial lasts for a week (get all the deets on our Fubo free trial guide) and Hulu + Live TV’s is for 3 days, while YouTube TV’s trial length varies. We recommend checking out our YouTube TV deals page to see what the current free trial promo length is.
