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How to Watch ‘General Hospital’ Live Online: Stream Latest Season & Binge Older Seasons

Last updated October 30, 2023
Written by:
Gabriela Vatu
via ABC

It's impossible to not have heard about General Hospital until now, especially since it's a show that's been running since 1963 and has been "crowned" the "longest-running American soap opera" and the "second longest-running drama in television" by the Guinness World Records. So, if you want to watch General Hospital live online from now won, we are here to help you out.

The show first aired back on April 1st, 1963, and currently competes for its ratings against other behemoths - The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, and Days of our Lives. The seasons seem endless, and they really are since they officially start at the start of the year and end with the year too, before starting back up again.

The show airs on weekdays 2:00 PM on ABC, so you can enjoy it anytime. Let's learn more about how you can watch General Hospital live online.

How to Watch General Hospital Online in the US Without Cable

For many years now, people have chosen to cut the cord and head over to online TV platforms for many reasons. One of these reasons is how expensive cable has become, but also the fact that you can't customize the plans you're paying for, which is something that people have become accustomed on given all the online services we all use. Also, cable contracts are impossible to get out of, which is the total opposite of live TV platforms where you can cancel in two minutes flat. By choosing an online platform you also have the advantage of being able to watch your shows even if you're not home, as long as you have an Internet connection and a compatible device to stream on. Let's see what options you have.

Hulu - At the top of our list we have Hulu, which is a great service that has been giving people a way to binge on TV shows for a long time. For a while, however, live TV has also been an option. For $44.99 per month, users can enjoy dozens of TV channels, including ABC, as well as the full VOD library. You can customize the service by adding channel packs and premium networks. You can read our Hulu review to find out more about the service.

YouTube TV - We're also looking into YouTube TV, which is a great service that comes with a single bundle of channels that features ABC. You can watch General Hospital by paying the $40 per month subscription fee, as well as hundreds of other shows from all the networks they have available. You can't add any channel packs on YouTube TV, but you can add some premium networks. Make sure to check out our YouTube TV review to find out more about the service.

DirecTV Now - DirecTV Now is next on our list, a service that features seven bundles now. Two of them are brand new - Plus and Max - and they come with a slim package of channels and high prices. Then, there are the other five bundles that DirecTV Now used to have - those got rebranded and now have a price that's double than it used to be. All seven bundles feature ABC, so you're good to go no matter what your pick is. If you still need more, there are three international packages, two Spanish-language channel packs, and several premium networks. Read up on it all in our DirecTV Now review.

How to Watch General Hospital Online from Anywhere?

Many channels across the United States work for anyone, everywhere, but not ABC. This one is part of a short list of channels that only work via local stations, so not everyone can enjoy it. The same situation applies to those who use online TV platforms like the ones we just discussed, which is quite annoying. Thankfully, live TV platforms work like any other website so they know where you are by looking at your IP address. So, if you live in some Alaskan city where ABC isn't a part of the deal, you can change your IP address to make it seem like you're in Manhattan, for instance. All you need is a VPN. Here's what you need to do.

Note: Live TV platforms, much like any other streaming service in the US, are geoblocked. This means that you can only access the platforms from within the United States. So, if you ever travel abroad and try to access the subscriptions you pay for, you'll find that you're unable to. As annoying as this is, it's due to licensing deals. Thankfully, a simple VPN can help solve your problem, so simply follow the above-mentioned steps and you'll be good to go even when on vacation.

Can You Watch General Hospital Live on ABC's Website?

Well, yes, that's possible. You will need to log into an account, however, and you'll need credentials from a TV provider to do that, whether we're talking about cable or an online platform, it doesn't really matter - you just have to pay for ABC somewhere. You can, of course, sign up for a live TV platform directly and skip the intermediary.

Can You Enjoy General Hospital With a TV Antenna?

Absolutely! TV antennas have been a valid option for many cord cutters for years. They prefer to simply ditch cable, buy an antenna, and watch TV over the air. There are many advantages, but also disadvantages to this move. First of all, you get to only pay for the antenna and then watch TV for free, which is awesome. But, you can also only watch about a dozen or two TV channels, depending on where you live, which isn't that great. You can't complain about it, however, since it's free.

We do recommend you visit a site like NoCable before moving forward. There, you'll see if ABC is broadcast over the air in your region and what other channels are available, as well as how strong their broadcast signal is. You should get all the info you need to make a decision in this way, including whether or not the switch is worth it and what range to look for in an antenna. If it's all ok with you, go ahead and find yourself an antenna. We kickstarted your research by suggesting a really appreciated device.

How Can You Watch Older Episodes of General Hospital?

General Hospital has been airing for over 50 years, so there are a lot of episodes to watch if you want to binge on any of the seasons. Since the shows air on every weekday, those are hundreds of episodes each year. In fact, there are over 14,000 episodes already. You can watch some episodes straight over on ABC's website, where they're filed by month. Since August 2013, they have every month filed, as well as a few other months from previous years.

You can also just go ahead and purchase full seasons or specific episodes from various platforms like YouTube, Google Play, Amazon Prime, iTunes, or Microsoft Store. We're warning you from the get-go - you won't find all seasons to enjoy, but you should check all these platforms because they each have some other seasons available.

We'd love to hear what platform you're going to watch General Hospital going forward, so let us know by dropping a note in the comments section below. Please share the article online so others can find it too and follow TechNadu on our socials - Facebook and Twitter - for more tech news, guides, reviews, and interviews.



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