How to Get (Free) Streaming TV for Business
Entertainment plays a vital role in business by creating a positive and engaging environment for employees and customers. With the correct content, you can boost employee morale and productivity, increase customer shopping time, increase leg traffic, and boost revenue.
Many businesses use their TVs for this purpose. However, there is only so much you can do if you have to curate playlists yourself. You might even get into trouble with copyright infringement strikes unless you use streaming TV services.
While streaming services have become increasingly popular for providing entertainment for your customers and visitors, subscribing to all of them can be financially prohibitive.
Growing Trend of Streaming TV In Businesses
Free streaming services offer a wide selection of popular movies and music videos you can play in your business space without spending a penny.
These services provide TV and on-demand content access, including a mix of older classics and newer hits. Some even provide other entertaining features and customization options.
The best digital signage solution for many businesses is supposed to be free. With the rise of streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, businesses have recognized the benefits of using streaming TV to provide entertainment and information to employees and customers.
One of the main advantages of streaming TV is the ability to access a wide range of content on-demand, at any time, and from any device. This is particularly beneficial for businesses with a diverse workforce, as employees can watch shows and movies that reflect their individual interests and preferences.
However, these streaming TV services are mostly expensive for small businesses. This article discusses how you can get free streaming TV services for your business.
Benefits of Streaming TV for Businesses
Streaming TV has become essential for businesses across all industries to keep their customers, employees, and guests informed and entertained while on their premises.
You may need it for your break room, lobby, sports channels at your café, or a range of programming for multiple guest rooms. Let's explore how streaming TV benefits various businesses.
1. Small Offices
Most businesses receive occasional visits from guests, who may have to wait for their appointments. Instead of leaving them to wait in silence and discomfort, consider adding a TV for offices to your waiting room.
You can keep your customers and visitors occupied by providing a television in the lobby, making their wait time seem shorter. Apart from the lobby, your business most likely has a break room where employees can relax.
Installing streaming TV packages is an excellent way to keep you and your team informed and entertained while in the break room.
2. Restaurant and Bar
Your restaurant or bar relies heavily on creating the right ambiance and atmosphere to attract and retain customers. One way to achieve this is by providing entertainment that keeps them engaged during their stay.
Some prefer commercial-free music programming, which reinforces their brand and theme. Others opt for news or sports displayed on multiple TVs throughout their location.
3. Hotel and Hospitality
Good streaming TV service can help you provide reliable and high-quality entertainment to your guests' rooms through our commercial cable TV solutions.
Whether you run a hotel, motel, assisted-care living center, or any other type of hospitality business, you can choose from a wide selection of programming that will satisfy guests.
Many hotel and hospitality TV solutions are similar to residential services, where each guest room receives access to various channels.
Many commercial cable solutions for hotel TV and the hospitality industry include software and other technology that allows multiple cable TV channels to be delivered to each guest room.
You can configure the software to assign channels as you please, including premium content such as HBO and Showtime and other customer favorites.
Free Streaming TV Services for Businesses
Many people opt to cut cable and watch TV for free, and you're not alone if you're considering doing the same. The cable industry in the U.S. lost a significant number of subscribers, with 410,000 cutting the cord during the first quarter of 2017 alone.
With the plethora of streaming options available today, cutting the cord has never been easier. Here are some clever ways to enjoy TV shows and movies without the burden of expensive cable packages.
1. Get an HDTV Antenna
An HDTV antenna, also known as an over-the-air (OTA) antenna, allows you to receive free broadcast TV signals in high-definition (HD) format. It is designed to pick up signals transmitted over the air by local TV stations without a cable or satellite subscription.
HDTV antennas come in various shapes and sizes and can be installed indoors or outdoors, depending on the signal strength in your area. They provide a cost-effective alternative to cable or satellite TV services. They are popular among cord-cutters who want to enjoy local TV channels without paying a monthly subscription.
An HDTV antenna can pick up signals from as many as 109 channels for those living near a city. You can visit Antenna Web to determine the number of channels available in your area and which type of antenna would provide you with the best reception.
There are different types of antennas for different situations. We don’t want to leave you stranded, so let us explain.
First, depending on your location, you may get either a directional or omnidirectional antenna.
Directional Antenna
Directional antennas are specifically designed to be pointed in a particular direction. These antennas are ideal for situations where there is a clear line of sight between the antenna and the cell tower.
They are also useful when the cell tower is situated too far away for a multi-directional antenna to manage. You can use directional antennas when all the available cell towers are in a particular direction.
By pointing the antenna in the right direction, you can receive a stronger, more reliable signal, resulting in better image quality.
Omni-directional Antennas
Omni-directional antennas, in contrast, are designed to receive signals equally well in all horizontal directions. These multi-directional antennas are particularly useful when you are unsure about the source of the TV signal.
Due to their ability to intercept signals from different directions, they can maintain satellite connectivity even when signals bounce off buildings and other objects.
Although slightly more expensive than directional antennas, they are still an excellent option compared to paying for cable or other streaming services every month.
To ensure optimal reception, you must also consider the placement of your antenna. This decision involves choosing between an outdoor or indoor antenna.
Indoor Antennas
If you reside within a 10-mile radius of TV broadcast towers or live in a place where installing an outdoor antenna is not feasible, an indoor TV antenna may be your best bet.
These antennas are small and can be conveniently placed in any room. They are also quite affordable, and you can easily set them up. You must connect the antenna to the "Ant In" receiver on your TV and position the receiver in a nearby window.
Outdoor TV Antennas
An outdoor TV antenna may be your best option if you live in rural or wooded areas. Compared to indoor antennas, outdoor antennas are less likely to experience signal obstructions caused by roofing materials, buildings, and walls.
Most outdoor TV antennas are mounted on rooftops and come at affordable prices. You can find one with an 80-mile range for under $40, making it a cost-effective solution for those who want to enjoy free over-the-air broadcasts.
2. Sign Up For A Free Video Streaming Service
The internet provides numerous video streaming services that offer free cable TV alternatives. While some are accessible without charge or account registration, others may require a login, a small fee, or both.
Here is a list of free streaming services:
1. YouTube
If you're searching for live-streaming TV options for your business, YouTube is a crucial one to consider.
Although it may be more expensive than other alternatives, YouTube TV provides the best value for your money. Depending on your location, you'll receive a comprehensive set of local channels to benefit your business.
Moreover, its user interface is very user-friendly and intuitive, using the same UI as the YouTube website. However, some notable channels and networks are not there. Nevertheless, YouTube TV probably covers all the necessary bases for your business needs.
2. Crackle TV
Crackle TV is worth checking out if you enjoy binge-watching movies and TV shows without paying a dime. The network was initially known as "Grouper," but it was renamed Crackle TV after being acquired by Sony Entertainment in 2006.
One thing to note is that the streaming service inserts ads in the content at specific intervals. Although this may be bothersome, it is what allows the service to remain free.
Crackle offers a lot of excellent programming and is a cost-effective method of obtaining TV shows. While the content on Crackle TV changes monthly, there is still an abundance of movies and TV shows to choose from.
3. Classic Television Online
There is a way to enjoy classic television shows without paying a monthly subscription fee. Simply go to the Classic Television Online website, and you will find a wide range of vintage TV shows at your fingertips.
The collection includes everything from daytime programs and prime-time specials to unforgettable late-night interviews, providing ample opportunities to indulge in nostalgia.
4. Hulu
While YouTube TV offers a wider range of content, Hulu focuses on more specialized programming. Hulu's main appeal lies in its on-demand library, although its live TV selection is less extensive than YouTube TV's.
You will not find channels Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and AMC among Hulu's live channels, though many of their shows are available on demand. If your business relies heavily on streaming sports like baseball, basketball, (American) football, or hockey, Hulu may not be the best fit.
For instance, sports bars and restaurants may require continuous, high-quality sports coverage.
5. Fubo TV
If you need specialized sports content for your business, FuboTV is hands down the best streaming service to consider.
With over 100 channels, including some competitors don't offer, Fubo TV primarily emphasizes live and on-demand sports programming, making it an ideal choice for sports-related businesses.
Fubo TV also offers some of its live-streaming channels in multiple languages, further increasing its appeal. Whether your business is sports-focused or you have a lot of sports enthusiasts on staff, FuboTV would make an excellent addition to your establishment's streaming lineup.
Why We Hate These Streaming For Businesses
While many free streaming TV options exist, most are not good for your business. Why?
Firstly, the quality of the stream may not be reliable or consistent, leading to a poor viewing experience for customers or employees. More still, almost all of these platforms display unsolicited ads between streams.
Your audience may be enjoying a great video, and suddenly, an advertisement of your competitors pops up! That is bad for business.
Is all hope lost?
No!
There is a truly free option that offers you several benefits. What is that?
Best Free Streaming TV For Any Business: Loop TV
Loop TV is a streaming service specializing in streaming licensed music videos and other premium video content. You get more than 200 channels of free music and non-music content to cater for any kind of audience.
The best thing about Loop TV is that the solution is customisable! You can add your business banners, or your business adverts on TV as you wish,
Loop TV is primarily geared towards businesses such as bars, restaurants, hotels, and retail stores, providing them with a free alternative to cable TV programming. Different types of content can be programmed to play throughout the day (perhaps mellower music during mornings, snappy content in the afternoons and upbeat music videos in the evening). This allows businesses to customize their content specifically towards their audiences, enabling them to engage more directly.
There are many reasons why you might want to provide entertainment at your business, and fortunately, there are numerous streaming services available to meet your needs.
Whether you require music, TV shows, movies, or sports programming, there's a streaming service out there that can deliver. The right live streaming options can help to enhance the atmosphere of your business and create an ideal work environment.
For a versatile streaming service that covers a wide range of content, Loop TV is an excellent option to consider. If you're looking to lower or eliminate your cable bill but still want access to your favorite shows and movies, there are alternative options available.
The choice of which option (or options) to go with will depend on various factors such as your location, budget, and personal preferences.