Start Watching Your Favorite Shows Live Using the Kodi App (2024)

Use several popular apps to stream TV in real time

Writer

William Patterson University

Nick Congleton has been a tech writer and blogger since 2015. His work has appeared in PCMech, Make Tech Easier, Infosec Institute, and others.

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What to Know

Within Kodi go to Add-ons > Download > Video Add-ons, select your desired add-on, and click Install.
You can use the many add-ons for Kodi to watch live TV, and though some are free, some do require subscriptions.
If you use Kodi on a device with Chrome, you can use a Kodi add-on to you run Chrome from within Kodi to watch what you like.

While there is no built-in functionality to watch live TV on Kodi, there are quite a few great ways to get live streaming TV on any device running the Kodi app.

How to Watch Live TV on Kodi Using a Live TV Add-on

Add-ons are your best bet, and the process of installing them is dead simple.

Some add-ons require a subscription to the streaming service, while others are entirely free, like Cheddar, BBC iPlayer, Pluto TV, and Comet. If you have a subscription to services like Playstation Vue, MLB TV, DAZN, Fox Sports Go, or USTV Now, you can find easy to use add-ons to install to Kodi.

Begin by opening Kodi. You'll arrive on the main menu of the Kodi interface. Look to the left and select Add-ons.
Select Download at the bottom of the list of tabs.
Scroll down and click Video Add-ons.
See Also
Sky Help Center
Scroll through the list until you find your desired add-on, then select it.
Kodi will take you to a page devoted to your chosen add-on. At the bottom, select Dependencies to find out what additional software will be installed for the add-on to function correctly. When you finish, select Cancel to back out.
It's good practice to look at these to make sure there's nothing shady going on, although the Kodi team evaluates and approves all add-ons in the default repository.
Back on the add-on page, select Install to install your add-on. Kodi will show you the dependencies again. Select OK to continue.
Kodi will download and install the add-on and all of the necessary dependencies. You'll see notifications when each successfully installs, while the final message will let you know your add-on installs.
Go back to the Kodi Add-ons page. This time, select the Video add-ons tab. You'll see your newly downloaded add-on pop up in the main body of the window. Select it to launch it.
Kodi will open your add-on. From there, you can navigate through and locate a TV stream to start watching!

How to Watch Live TV on Kodi Using Google Chrome

This method will only work if Google Chrome is available on your device. There is an add-on for Kodi that can launch your device's install of Google Chrome in kiosk mode, meaning there are no borders. It gives the effect of a regular app and combined with the web interface available for many streaming services. The result is often a smooth and easy-to-navigate experience.

How to Watch Live TV on Kodi With PVR

There are a few ways to watch live TV via a PVR on Kodi. You can connect to an existing PVR device that's networked in your home, or you can set up a TV tuner card on your computer running Kodi. Either way, Kodi offers a set of PVR client add-ons that you can use to connect to your PVR and watch live TV directly through Kodi.

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