Short answer: it depends on the dialect, and that's the part most "best Chinese TV" lists skip. For Mandarin live channels, Sling TV's Great Wall TV pack carries around 22 channels including CCTV, Hunan TV and Zhejiang TV. For Cantonese, TVB's own TVBAnywhere+ North America is the fullest option but costs $29.99 a month, so Sling's cheaper Jadeworld pack wins for most households. For C-dramas on demand, skip live TV entirely: the iQIYI international app has the deepest catalog of new mainland dramas with English subtitles, and a yearly VIP plan has dropped to around $70 in sales.
At a glance
Pick by dialect and habit
| Mandarin, live | Sling Great Wall TV |
| Cantonese, live | Sling Jadeworld, or TVBAnywhere+ ($29.99) |
| Taiwanese | Sling Taiwanese Mega (16 channels) |
| C-dramas on demand | iQIYI, then WeTV or Viki |
| Payment needed | A US card or PayPal for Sling |
The options in one table
| Service | Language | Price (Sep 2026) | Live / on demand | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sling Great Wall TV | Mandarin | Check current; standalone pack | Live, with some on demand | CCTV, Hunan TV, Zhejiang TV, ~22 channels |
| Sling Jadeworld | Cantonese | Check current; standalone pack | Live | 9 Cantonese channels, TVB content |
| Sling Taiwanese Mega | Mandarin/Taiwanese | Check current; standalone pack | Live | 16 Taiwanese channels |
| TVBAnywhere+ North America | Cantonese | $29.99/mo or $249.99/yr | Both, 24/7 live channel | Full TVB drama archive |
| iQIYI (iq.com) | Mandarin, subtitled | Free tier; VIP yearly seen around $70 on sale | On demand | New mainland dramas |
| WeTV / Youku apps | Mandarin, subtitled | Free tier plus VIP | On demand | Tencent and Alibaba originals |
| Netflix, Viki | Mixed | From $8.99 / free tier | On demand | Smaller Chinese catalogs |
All three Sling packs can be bought on their own, without an English base plan, and new subscribers have had 7-day free trials. Prices change, so confirm on Sling's site.
Mandarin households
Great Wall TV is the go-to. It started as a satellite package on DISH and moved into Sling, and it's the only mainstream US product with the big provincial satellite channels that mainland viewers actually watch: Hunan TV for variety, Zhejiang and Jiangsu for dramas, plus CCTV channels for news.
Suits: families who want the TV on in the evening with the same channels as back home.
Skip if: you mainly watch two or three dramas a year. iQIYI is cheaper for that, and subtitled.
A note on news: CCTV and other state channels are carried legally by Sling. Some viewers also want independent Chinese-language news; Phoenix TV channels have been carried in some line-ups, and several US-based Chinese-language outlets stream free online.
Cantonese households
You're choosing between price and depth.
Sling Jadeworld gives you nine live Cantonese channels with TVB programming for much less than TVB's own app. For older relatives who want Cantonese TV playing, that's enough.
TVBAnywhere+ North America is TVB's official US service. At $29.99 a month or $249.99 a year it's expensive for a single-network app, and App Store reviewers regularly complain about re-activation problems and limited English subtitles. But its archive of classic and new TVB dramas is unmatched. If your family re-watches old TVB series, it earns the price. If not, Jadeworld is the smarter buy.
Taiwanese households
Sling's Taiwanese Mega pack carries 16 channels of Taiwanese news, variety and drama. It's the only packaged live option at scale in the US. For on-demand Taiwanese dramas, Netflix and Viki both carry a fair number, and the GagaOOLala service specializes in Asian LGBTQ+ film and drama, much of it from Taiwan.
If you only watch dramas
You don't need live TV. The Chinese streaming platforms all have international apps available in US app stores, with English subtitles on most major titles:
- iQIYI has the biggest international catalog and usually the fastest subtitled releases of new mainland dramas. Its free tier shows older episodes with ads; VIP unlocks new episodes early. Annual VIP has been discounted to about $69.99 in its November 11 sale, which is the time to buy.
- WeTV is Tencent's international app, with its own originals and many xianxia and romance titles.
- Youku has Alibaba's originals and a strong period-drama lineup.
- Viki has a broad pan-Asian mix with community subtitles. It's especially good if you also watch Korean and Thai shows. What changed for Korean content on Viki.
Pick one based on where your current drama is streaming, subscribe for the months you're watching, and switch. None of them needs a long commitment.
Boxes and apps to avoid
"Chinese TV boxes" sold in Asian supermarkets and online, often with a one-time price and "lifetime" access to hundreds of Chinese channels, are the most common unlicensed product in this niche. They carry channels without licenses, they stop working when the backend is shut down, and some have been found to ship with malware. Warning signs before paying, and what US law says about it.
If you want a box, buy a mainstream one. What to look for in a certified Android TV box covers why Google certification matters, and all the services above run on Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV and Google TV. The device guide compares them.
Quick answers
What is the best Chinese TV streaming service in the USA? Sling's Great Wall TV for Mandarin live channels, Sling Jadeworld or TVBAnywhere+ for Cantonese, and iQIYI for dramas on demand.
Can I watch CCTV in the US? Yes, legally, through Sling's Great Wall TV pack.
How much is TVBAnywhere+ in the US? $29.99 a month or $249.99 a year for the North America service.
Is iQIYI available in the US? Yes, through its international app and iq.com, with a free tier and VIP plans.
Do I need the Sling base plan for Chinese packs? No. Great Wall TV, Jadeworld and Taiwanese Mega can be bought standalone.
Are Chinese TV boxes from supermarkets legal? Most carry channels without a license. They're risky to buy and often stop working.
Where can I watch C-dramas with English subtitles? iQIYI, WeTV, Youku, Viki and Netflix all offer English subtitles on major titles.
Channel counts and prices from each service's published US information; Sling pack pricing changes and should be checked at sign-up. The iQIYI price is a past sale price, not a guaranteed offer. Checked September 2026.