How can I watch my favorite Bravo shows without cable?

May 25, 2016 10:51 PM

I'm almost too ashamed to name which ones, but the one I watch the most is one of the more popular franchises on that network. And Top Chef. Yeah, that one. So I have Netflix and Amazon Prime already. I just signed up for the free trial of Hulu and discovered they don't stream Real Housewives unless you have a specific cable provider. I have Comcast, which they don't even accept and which I plan to cancel once I can find something to replace it.
posted by madonna of the unloved to Grab Bag (12 answers total)

A sufficiently popular show, and also Top Chef, can be acquired through p2p. Details are left as an exercise to the reader. I just looked at some sites and saw what appears to me to be a firehose of housewives and million dollar listings, which I gather are popular Bravo shows.

What sites? I'm too ashamed tpb name which ones, but a little KAT told me where to search.
posted by Sunburnt at 11:36 PM on May 25, 2016

If I were to admit to such a thing, I may have watched Top Chef directly on the Food Network site (Canada side, assuming US would also be streaming it as well). I was not required to put in cable details.

Have never looked for RHW, but would check the network site to see what they stream.
posted by MandaSayGrr at 12:32 AM on May 26, 2016

The Bravo TV website has some episodes of shows on there. Hulu has I think every old season of Real Housewives but the most recent/current season is "locked" until the next season comes out. Otherwise they seem to all be on there for the backlog. If you're looking to stay up to date then I think the website is the best bet. I personally just wait and shamefully binge the whole season of Bevery Hills while yelling "Don't you tell me to calm down!"(You MUST watch Hotwives since you have Hulu. Las Vegas & Orlando. )

There are also 12 seasons of Top Chef and 5 seasons of Top Chef Masters.
posted by Crystalinne at 2:17 AM on May 26, 2016 [1 favorite]

It costs money, but season passes through Amazon (you typically get the episode the day after it airs). This may not be cost-effective if you already have cable (but I think you don't or are going to cancel) or watch a lot of shows, but I found paying $25-30 for seasons of TV shows I watch is much more cost-effective than paying monthly for big cable packages.

(You can buy per episode but you get a decent discount if you buy the whole season upfront.)
posted by darksong at 3:36 AM on May 26, 2016 [2 favorites]

If you have Comcast (for cable), why don't you check the On-Demand listings for episodes of Real Housewives of !PLACE, Top Chef, etc.? EDIT: I just realized you said you DON'T have cable. Still, try to see what you can access on Comcast's Xfinity site.
posted by kuanes at 4:21 AM on May 26, 2016

If you drop Comcast TV channels, all of their TV apps will not let you watch shows.

Current Bravo shows are also on iTunes the day after airing.
posted by JoeZydeco at 4:42 AM on May 26, 2016

I thing I hate about Roku marketing is that it implies you can cut the cord, but it doesn't say you lose channels without subscribing. You could reach out to Sling TV and ask if they're planning on adding Bravo anytime soon. #RHOC
posted by Room 641-A at 6:39 AM on May 26, 2016 [1 favorite]

I "borrowed" my sister's Direct TV login info and watch Top Chef (and other Bravo Shows) on their site that way. Do you have any friends that have cable and would let you use their info?
posted by elvissa at 6:46 AM on May 26, 2016 [2 favorites]

I recently discovered Kodi and its many, many plugins. Some of which appear likely to meet this kind of requirement.
posted by rd45 at 7:11 AM on May 26, 2016 [1 favorite]

I ended up buying the most of the Housewives franchises through iTunes. In the end - if i did the math - it was still more cost effective to just buy the few shows that weren't available though my various subscription services rather than continue to keep my cable.
posted by rdnnyc at 7:49 AM on May 26, 2016

This doesn't work if you want to watch them as they are currently airing, but if you are interested in back seasons don't forget about physical media. You can probably find most shows you want on DVD, either through Netflix's DVD service, new or used on Amazon, or free from your public library. (I just checked and while my library doesn't have Top Chef, it does have most seasons of Project Runway...)

Any of these options (or just straight up buying a season pass from iTunes) is likely far & away cheaper than your current cable plan, regardless.
posted by CtrlAltDelete at 9:19 AM on May 26, 2016

The Amazon Fire TV app for Bravo lets you log in with any provider, I think. Similar smart-tv boxes may have similar apps for Bravo.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:32 AM on May 27, 2016