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BTS’s Jung Kook Is Challenging For U.K. Crown With ‘Seven’

BTS‘s Jung Kook is enjoying a healthy start to his solo career in the U.K., where “Seven” (via BigHit Entertainment) is challenging for the chart title.

Featuring U.S. rapper Latto, “Seven” is just 2,000 chart sales behind the leader on the midweek chart, Dave and Central Cee’s “Sprinter” (Live Yours/Neighbourhood).

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“Seven” could go where no member of BTS has gone before – to the summit of the U.K. singles survey.

All seven members of the K-pop phenomenon – Jin, Jimin, Suga, Jung Kook, RM, V and J-Hope – have shared solo material, with Jimin setting the bar with a top 10 for “Like Crazy” (peaking at No. 8); he separately landed a top 40 hit with “Set Me Free Pt. 2,” hitting No. 30. Bandmate j-hope was the first member of BTS to secure a U.K. top 40 single, with his J. Cole collaboration “On The Street” peaking at No. 37.

All told, BTS has accumulated nine U.K. top 40 singles, including four top 10s (with a No. 3 best for 2020’s “Dynamite,” plus “Butter” and “My Universe” with Coldplay, both from 2021). Two BTS titles have led the national albums chart.

Dave and Central Cee’s hip-hop hit “Sprinter” has proven hard to beat. It’s reigned over the Official U.K. Singles Chart for six consecutive weeks.

Meanwhile, Billie Eilish is making a play for the top 10 with “What Was I Made For?” (Interscope), lifted from the Barbie movie soundtrack. If it holds its position, “What Was I Made For?” will give the U.S. pop star her ninth top tier appearance.

Finally, J Hus is poised to make a noise on the U.K. chart, thanks to the release of his third and latest album, Beautiful and Brutal Yard.

His current single “Who Told You” (Black Butter/OVO/Republic) with Drake is unmoved at No. 4, while album cuts “Militerian” with Naira Marley (No. 21) and “Masculine” with Burna Boy (No. 22), both via Black Butter, are set for top 40 debuts.

All will be revealed when the Official Chart is published late Friday, July 22.

Tones And I, Jessica Mauboy Among Finalists For 2023 AWMAs

Toni Watson, the chart-busting Australian singer and songwriter who, as her alias Tones And I, set records around the globe with “Dance Monkey,” is one of the finalists for the 2023 Australian Women In Music Awards (AWMAs).

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Watson is up against Tanya Batt and The Superjesus leader Sarah McLeod for the songwriter award, which recognizes an outstanding female songwriter or composer.

Other high-profile artists nominated for this year’s event include Kate Ceberano, the one-time ARIA Award winner for best female artist, who is a finalist for the AWMAs lifetime achievement award, a category that also includes Jeannie Lewis and Clare Moore.

Meanwhile, chart-topping pop artist Jessica Mauboy will face-off with Beccy Cole, and Vika & Linda for the artistic excellence award, which celebrates “exceptional creative achievement from a female artist/musician across any genre.”

Established in 2018, the AWMAs acknowledges the contributions and shines a light on the accomplishments of women across all areas of industry from on stage, including those behind the scenes, technicians, leaders, elders, performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, filmmakers and photographers, music journalists and more.

One of those awards is the inaugural ARIA executive leader game changer, which rewards the “exceptional leadership” of an executive leader who “creates significant and positive change to bring about equality for women in the Australian music industry,” and is open to a CEO, CFO, COO, CMO, MD or GM.

“I have seen the industry of music in this country change so much and the education and delivery of music through the eyes and hearts of Australian women, my peers Renée, Chrissie, Olivia, Colleen, Kylie and more,” says Ceberano in a statement.

“It has been an education and at times a baptism by fire. But we are hardy and the Australian singers that are striking notes globally, not only with their music but with their minds, is outstanding.” She continues, “I’m glad to be a part of this modern community of likeminded artists who wish to share their wisdom and prevail despite all provocation to do otherwise.”

Twenty AWMAs will be handed out at a ceremony Sept. 27 in Meanjin/Brisbane, the designated 2032 Olympic city, and broadcast later on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Each category is assessed by a 37-seat jury, with representation across a diverse range of music disciplines and cultures.

The 2023 AWMAs and conference program is supported by the Queensland government together with corporate, industry and community partners.

The event “not only celebrates the most innovative, committed, and visionary singers and songwriters in Australian music, it provides an opportunity to further promote gender equality and diversity including the voices of First Nations women,” comments Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. “The future looks bright for the music industry as our government invests in a 10-year roadmap to promote arts, culture, and creativity.’’

AWMA is an initiative of the not-for-profit Charity Cicada International Ltd, and is spearheaded by AWMA founding executive producer and program director Vicki Gordon.

“AWMA has raised the collective voice – demanding equitable access, safety and recognition for women in the Australian music industry. We support and promote women as vital, essential contributors to the future business growth of the sector and are calling on the industry to adopt gender equality as a core music industry value,” explains Gordon. “Gender equity is still a long way in the future and we all need to remain vigilant.”

For the full list of nominations visit womeninmusicawards.com.au.

‘Black Ink Crew’ Recap: Rok’s Momma Thinks His Relationship With Krystal Is Toxic, Puma Checks AMH For Overstepping

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Black Ink Crew NY Season 10

Source: Courtesy VH1 / Black Ink Crew

On this week’s episode of Black Ink Crew, Krystal makes a solid pitch to Rok, and it looks like we got a new Spyder in one of the newbies.

Rok Says Yes, His Momma Isn’t So Sure He Should Jump The Broom

After realizing she doesn’t want to be single, Krystal makes another attempt at winning back Rok after kicking him to the curb. Rok is surprised when he walks into the shop and is greeted by candles and photos of himself and Krystal.

Krystal apologizes again to Rok for giving him mixed signals and makes her pitch to give their relationship another chance. She even proposes, and Rok is blown away and says yes.

Excited to be a fiancé again, Rok speaks to his mom about the new developments with him and Krstal, and it turns out she is not as enthusiastic as he is about him marrying Krystal.

Rok’s mom thinks her son is rushing into things and accurately points to Krystal always leaving her son on a dime the minute something goes wrong. She also calls Rok’s relationship with Krystal toxic. Rok’s momma told no lies, but Rok disagrees and leaves the conversation disappointed his mother feels that way.

The Rookies Pack Their Bags To Head To Atlanta For Another Black Ink Crew Challenge

Puma and Teddy stop by a much calmer mansion after giving Trilla and Ink Drippin the boot. Jahnova is still sad they sent her boyfriend home, but she knows she has to move on to fulfill her dreams of becoming a member of the Black Ink Crew.

They round up the rookies to tell them to pack their bags because they are heading to Atlanta to do a pop-up event at Miya Bailey’s shop.

The rookies are excited, but the mood quickly shifts when Puma and Teddy tell them someone will be sent home following this next challenge.

Once they get there, things get a bit spicy when it’s time to pick out their rooms where they are staying. Santana and Miracle start beefing when they end up in the same room together, but for the sake of equanimity, Alex gives his room to Santana, shocking everyone.

Speaking of Miracle, she decides it’s time to show Puma, Teddy, and the rest of the rookies what her piercing skills look like, so while the rest of them go hang out, she finds a client to do some work on.

AMH Turns Into Spyder

Spyder’s Ceaser-loving self is not a part of what Teddy and Puma are currently cooking, but his spirit lives on through AMH. While they are hanging out at the bar, AMH calls out Liz, who she feels isn’t showing she belongs. Jahnova decides to get in on the action and trash Liz after she reveals she’s been using Bumble BFF to network and find potential clients.

AMH and Jahnova believe Liz is using a dating site to get her name out, but they sound like haters because Bumble BFF is not a dating app.

Liz leaves the bar crying.

AMH then set her sights on Miracle. Back at the mansion, Miracle brings out the person she did the piercing work on to show Puma and Teddy. The work takes everyone aback, but Puma and Teddy appreciate Miracle’s initiative to show her worth to the team, not fully understanding the piercing she did.

The rookies, mainly Jahnova and AMH, are once again hating. AMH reveals she was also a pierce and critiques Miracle’s work in front of the client. Jahnova is too busy laughing, and Miracle notices.

When the client returns to the room, Puma scolds AMH for overstepping, doing too damn much, and dissing Miracle’s work even though the client loved it.

We couldn’t agree with Puma more.

You can see more reactions to the episode in the gallery below.

Photo: Courtesy VH1 / Black Ink Crew

1. It definitely did

Nearly 1 in 4 Albums Sold Last Week Were Taylor Swift’s Re-Recorded ‘Speak Now’

Taylor Swift’s third re-recorded album, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), was a hot seller in its first week of a release in the U.S., according to the data tracking firm Luminate. In the week ending July 13, the set sold 507,000 copies across all of its physical and digital retail formats (CD, vinyl, cassette and digital download album). That sum represents nearly a quarter of all album sales in the U.S. that week (2.131 million).

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Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’s share of the album sales market is similar to when she dominated the landscape during the debut week of Midnights in 2022. That album sold 1.14 million copies in the week ending Oct. 27, 2022 – accounting for 41% of all albums sold in the U.S. that week (2.79 million).

Swift can capture a large chunk of the album sales market in a given week because she remains a solid seller at a time when yearly album sales have declined in 10 of the last 11 years, as more music fan adopt streaming services as their primary means of consuming music. Thus, Swift’s outsized album sales dwarf the rest of the industry.

In 2022, Swift was the top-selling act for the year in terms of total album sales, with 2.93 million copies sold across her entire catalog – about 3% of total album sales across all albums from all artists (100.09 million). She also had the year’s top-selling album, with Midnights selling 1.818 million copies (more than twice the sum of the year’s second biggest seller, Harry Styles’ Harry’s House, with 757,000).

In 2023 so far, through July 13, Swift’s total album sales across all of her releases stands at 2.096 million – 3.8% of all album sales this year, by all artists (54.519 million).

Swift’s selling power is further evidenced on Billboard’s latest 100-position Top Album Sales chart (dated July 22, reflecting the sales week ending July 13), where Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) debuts at No. 1 with 507,000 copies sold, the Nos. 2-100 titles – combined – sold just 381,000.

Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. The new July 22, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on July 18. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is a re-recorded version of Swift’s 2010 studio album Speak Now, which topped both the Billboard 200 and Top Album Sales chart. The 22-track re-recorded edition includes new recordings of the original album’s 14 standard tracks, along with bonus cuts and previously unreleased “From the Vault” recordings. Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) follows Swift’s re-recorded Red and Fearless albums, released in 2021.

Of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’s 507,000 copies sold, physical sales comprise 410,000 (268,000 on vinyl; 134,000 on CD and 8,000 on cassette) while digital album download purchases comprise 97,000. The album’s vinyl sales mark the second-largest week for a vinyl album since Luminate began tracking data in 1991 – only the debut week of Midnights posted a bigger vinyl week (575,000).

Swift announced the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) on May 5, the same day she began taking pre-orders for the album via her official webstore. The set sold as a digital download album, double-CD, double-cassette and in three color vinyl LP variants (orchid marbled, violet marbled and a Target-exclusive lilac marbled color). The iTunes Store also carried an exclusive edition of the album with a short video clip as a bonus feature. On the final day (July 13) of the album’s debut tracking week, Swift released a deluxe digital album download of the set exclusively sold through her official webstore, which added two bonus live tracks recorded during her ongoing The Eras Tour (“Dear John” and “Last Kiss,” both of which were originally released in their studio form on the Speak Now album in 2010).

All told, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is the 12th No. 1 on Top Album Sales for Swift.

Elsewhere on the latest Top Album Sales chart, Swift has five more titles in the top 10, as her former No. 1s Midnights (a non-mover at No. 3 with 18,000; up 49%), Folklore (8-6 with 13,000; up 45%), Lover (10-7 with 12,000; up 50%), Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (14-9 with 11,000; up 81%) and Red (Taylor’s Version) (19-10 with 10,000; up 89%). It’s the second time Swift has placed at least six titles in the top 10 concurrently. She did it previously on the July 22-dated list. No other act has charted six or more albums in the top 10 at the same time.  

As for the non-Swift titles in the top 10: Stray Kids’ former No. 1 5-STAR is a non-mover at No. 2 (27,000; up 70% after the release of a new CD edition), aespa’s MY WORLD falls 1-4 in its second week (14,000; down 65%), Lana Del Rey’s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd. jumps 33-5 (13,000; up 265% after a new vinyl edition of the album was released) and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation debuts at No. 8 (11,000).

In the week ending July 13, there were 2.131 million albums sold in the U.S. (up 22% compared to the previous week). Of that sum, physical albums (CDs, vinyl LPs, cassettes, etc.) comprised 1.729 million (up 21.8%) and digital albums comprised 402,000 (up 23.2%).

There were 705,000 CD albums sold in the week ending July 13 (up 8% week-over-week) and 1.008 million vinyl albums sold (up 33.4%). Year-to-date CD album sales stand at 18.893 million (up 4.1% compared to the same time frame a year ago) and year-to-date vinyl album sales total 25.371 million (up 21.7%).

Overall year-to-date album sales total 54.519 million (up 8.1% compared to the same year-to-date time frame a year ago). Year-to-date physical album sales stand at 44.556 million (up 13.4%) and digital album sales total 9.962 million (down 10.5%).

Will.i.am Teases New Britney Spears Collaboration ‘Mind Your Business’

We’re now rocking with Will.i.am and Britney, b—-!

The Grammy-winning producer took to social media on Monday (July 17) to tease his new collaboration with Britney Spears, the electro-tinged “Mind Your Business.” The 16-second clip features Spears proclaiming over the track, “Mind your business, b—-!”

According to the post, the song is set to arrive on Tuesday (July 18). The duo previously teamed up on 2013’s “Scream & Shout.”

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The track’s title is fitting, as Spears has previously expressed frustration with documentaries about her life and 13-year conservatorship that hit streaming services without her permission. To take back her own story, the pop superstar is unveiling her long-awaited tell-all memoir, The Woman in Me, on Oct. 24. People magazine was first to report the news on the title that’s described as a “brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith and hope.”

Spears teased the memoir last April in a lengthy Instagram post in which she wrote, “Well I’m writing a book at the moment and as it’s actually healing and therapeutic … it’s also hard bringing up past events in my life … I’ve never been able to express openly !!! I can only imagine that I do sound childish but I was extremely young when those events took place … and addressing it now … I’m sure it seems irrelevant to most and I’m completely aware of that !!!”

See the “Mind Your Business” teaser and announcement below.

Tencent Music Chief Strategy Officer Tony Yip to Step Down

Tony Yip, the chief strategy officer for Chinese audio streaming company Tencent Music Entertainment (TME), will step down on August 31, the company announced Monday (July 17). He plans to spend more time with his family overseas and pursue other personal interests, according to the press release. The company did not indicate who will replace Yip.

Yip started at Tencent Music Entertainment in 2018 when the company’s four streaming brands — QQ Music, Kugou Music, Kuwo Music and WeSing — had 20 million subscribers. He led Tencent Music Entertainment to a successful IPO on the New York Stock Exchange in 2018 and a dual listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2022. As of March 31, Tencent Music Entertainment had more than 90 million subscribers — 2.3 times more than the year Yip joined — and revenue of RMB 28.3 billion ($4.1 billion), up about 49% from 2018.

“Tony’s professional expertise was instrumental to TME’s development by continuously refining our strategic focus, providing deep insights into the global online music and entertainment industry, supporting business development, capital markets and investment strategies, and establishing confidence in our Company among the investor community,” said TME executive chairman Cussion Pang in a statement.

Shares of TME declined 2.8% to $7.38 on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday and are down 10.9% year to date. While the share price has recovered from an all-time low of $2.95 in March 2022 following restrictions placed on Tencent Music Entertainment and many other Chinese tech companies, it’s still more than 77% below the all-time high of $32.25 set in March 2021.

The company will report second-quarter earnings on August 15.

King Combs ft. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Fabolous & Jeremih “Flyest In The City,” Gunna “Ca$h $hit” & More | Daily Visuals 7.17.23

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HollyRod 2023 DesignCare Gala

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Diddy’s son, King Combs has been on his rap grizzly for some time now and though he has a long ways to go before he can fill the shoes his iconic father done left behind, he’s not intimidated in the slightest and keeps on carving out his own niche.

For his latest visuals to “Flyest In The City,” Combs links up with A Boogie, Fabolous and Jeremih after taking a few stunning young women on a shopping spree at the diamond district and rolling through the city while getting that groupie love that comes with splurging like a baller.

In the South, Gunna continues to drop off new work and in his quick clip to “Ca$h $hit,” the embattled rapper walks into a room with a gang of half-naked women counting his paper on individual currency-counting machines. Gotta wonder how much those women get paid to count his money. Just sayin.’

Check out the rest of today’s drops and some joints you might’ve missed over the weekend including work from Boot Camp Click, Ankhlejohn and Rahiem Supreme, and more.

KING COMBS FT. A BOOGIE WIT DA HOODIE, FABOLOUS & JEREMIH – “FLYEST IN THE CITY”



GUNNA – “CA$H $H*T”



BOOT CAMP CLICK – “WOTCHA CALL STRENGTH”



ANKHLEJOHN & RAHIEM SUPREME – “THE REUNION”



KEY GLOCK – “NO HOOK”



SMILEY – “LONG NIGHTS”



KING PROMISE FT. YOUNG JONN – “TERMINATOR”



RON SUNO – “FROM THE JUMP”


https://youtube.com/watch?v=rdlYTXcgk8Q&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

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Miranda Lambert Pauses Show to Call Out Fans Taking Selfies: ‘It’s Pissing Me Off’

It all begins with a song — and according to Miranda Lambert, that’s where the focus should stay.

Lambert had just begun to perform her 2018 ACM song of the year winner “Tin Man” as part of her current Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo The Las Vegas Residency on Saturday night when she noticed a few ladies near the stage who seemed more intent on taking selfies rather than listening to Lambert’s music.

“I’m gonna stop right here for a second, I’m sorry,” Lambert told the audience gathered at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino at Zappos Theater. “These girls are worried about their selfie and not listening to the song.”

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She added, “It’s pissing me off a bit. Sorry, I don’t like it. At all. We’re here to hear some country music tonight. I’m singing some country d–n music.”

After motioning for the girls to put their phones away, she asked the crowd, “Shall we start again?” She restarted the song as the audience cheered.

Prior to launching her Las Vegas residency in September 2022, Lambert said, “When you’ve been touring as long as I have, there’s something really creative about imagining a residency in a city like Las Vegas. I’ve had a lot of fun designing our sets, merchandise and clothing and boot lines – and even my place on Broadway in Nashville, Casa Rosa – so, this opportunity allows me to lean in a bit more into that side of myself and think about how to really bring country music to life in this room. I think everyone will like what we’ve dreamed up. I’m really excited about this!”

In addition to the residency, Lambert recently launched her first cookbook, Y’all Eat Yet? Welcome to the Pretty B*tchin’ Kitchen. She also performed during CMA Fest in June, welcoming Avril Lavigne, Elle King and Leon Bridges to join her at various points during her performance.

Here Are 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Kevin Gates | Billboard

Kevin Gates reveals five things you didn’t know about him.

Kevin Gates
Hey what’s happening? For those who don’t know who I am, my name is Kevin Gates. And here are five things that you may not know about me.

Kevin Gates
I like black coffee in the morning.

I eat one meal a day.

I got a crazy workout routine, like really crazy.

I’m super into yoga and animals and nature — I guess that all go in the same category.

And you can look forward to seeing me on big and small screens, no kidding. It’s a big secret. It’s a secret.

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023: How to Watch the Matches for Free

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The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 commences this week in Australia and New Zealand. This is the first year that the competition will have two host nations, which means unless you got really good travel deals to watch the teams go head-to-head live, you’ll need to rely on streaming options in order to watch soccer matches.

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This year, the tournament will begin Thursday (July 20) until August 20, when the final two teams face off. To kick off the competition, New Zealand will take on Norway starting at 3 a.m. ET, Australia will play Ireland at 6 a.m. ET and Nigeria will go up against Canada at 10:30 p.m. ET on opening day.

When does the U.S. women’s team play? You can catch them start their journey towards another World Cup trophy on Friday (July 21) at 9 p.m. ET when they play against Vietnam.

To check out the entire FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 schedule, click here.

Keep reading to learn how to watch the competition for free.

How to Watch FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023

Fox Sports is the official English-language broadcast partner in the U.S., which means you’ll need to tune in to Fox Sports or any of its affiliated channels, such as Fox and FS1. Since it’s airing live on network television, cable viewers can tune in for free. Just be sure to check with your provider’s channel guide to find out what channel Fox Sports is on. You’ll also be able to view it through FoxSports.com or the Fox Sports app (you’ll just need to log in with your provider’s info).

Don’t have cable? You might be able to watch it using an HD antenna like one of these on Amazon. If you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on cable, there are some free and affordable streaming options such as DirecTV Stream. Right now, you can take advantage of their limited-time promo giving you $10 off its plans; after that you’ll pay as low as $74.99/month.

DirecTV Stream

$From $64.99/month $74.99/month 13% off% OFF

After the three months is over you’ll have to pay $74.99/month for the Entertainment plan, which gives you 75+ channels, DVR storage and unlimited screens to stream on. If you want additional channels, the Choice plan provides everything the Entertainment plan comes with along with 105+ channels and regional sports at no additional cost for $99.99/month after the trial ends.

And for even more programs, the Premier plan gives you everything that comes with the Choice plan as well as Max, Starz, Cinemax and Showtime for no additional cost at $154.99/month after the promo ends.

Want more affordable streaming options? Fubo offers a free trial, which means you can watch the Women’s World Cup for free. SlingTV is also offering a promo right now where you can get the first month for $15 (regularly $40). The subscription includes at least 31 network channels, DVR access and an additional promo where you get 30 days free of premium channels including Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and AMC+ when you sign up. Choose between the blue package, the orange package or combine both and get access to over 60 channels, DVR and the ability to stream on up to three devices at once. With the promo, both channels combined is only $30 for the first month (regularly $55).

You can also subscribe to Hulu + Live TV, which gives you access to the entire Hulu library including Hulu Originals and FX shows as well as a ton of network TV channels. If you like bundles, you can add on ESPN+ and Disney+ to expand your program offerings.

Viewing outside of the United States? Make sure to use ExpressVPN to catch all the action.