Lifetime
The latest ripped-from-the-headlines TV movie is “The Gabby Petito Story,” premiering Saturday, October 1 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Lifetime.
If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of the show on DirecTV Stream or Philo TV, which both include Lifetime and come with a free trial.
Those are the two best live stream options if you’re cutting cable, but there are also some other alternatives, so here’s a full guide on the different ways to watch “The Gabby Petito Story” online:
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DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” Lifetime is included in every one, and you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch “The Gabby Petito Story” live on the DirecTV Stream app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the DirecTV Stream website.
If you can’t watch live, DirecTV Stream also comes with 20 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to unlimited hours).
Philo TV
You can watch a live stream of Lifetime and 60-plus other TV channels on Philo TV, which comes with a seven-day free trial:
Once signed up for Philo, you can watch “The Gabby Petito Story” live on the Philo app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast (compatible on Android mobile), any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. You can also watch on your computer on the Philo website.
If you can’t watch live, Philo allows you to DVR programs and watch them up to 30 days later. And even if you forget to DVR something, Philo also comes with a 72-hour rewind feature, which lets you to watch most shows on-demand if they have aired in the last three days.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of Lifetime and 30-plus other TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” or “Sling Blue” bundle. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the second-cheapest (behind Philo) long-term streaming service with Lifetime, and you can get your first month half off:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch “The Gabby Petito Story” live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
If you can’t watch live, Sling TV comes included with 50 hours of cloud DVR.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of Lifetime and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which includes access to both ESPN+ and Disney+ at no added cost:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch “The Gabby Petito Story” live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu with Live TV comes with both its extensive on-demand library (which includes most shows after they air) and 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of Lifetime and 65+ other TV channels on Vidgo. It doesn’t come with a free trial:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch “The Gabby Petito Story” live on the Vidgo app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Vidgo website.
‘The Gabby Petito Story’ Preview
Starring and directed by actress Thora Birch, “The Gabby Petito Story” chronicles the disappearance and murder of young Gabby Petito as part of Lifetime’s “Stop Violence Against Women” public affairs initiative. A public service announcement providing resources on domestic violence, crisis help lines, and other valuable information will debut alongside the movie.
“As a trusted destination for women, Lifetime will create a new PSA to debut as part of the movie’s roll out, driving to the important work of the network’s coalition of partners to provide resources for women. Being a leader in telling powerful stories of women and providing a platform to shine a light on unheard voices, Lifetime is also in development on several movies surrounding violence against women who may not have had the same media attention as Gabby Petito,” reads the press release.
It continues:
The disappearance of Gabby Petito captured America’s attention, setting off a nationwide search for the 22-year-old travel blogger after her parents reported her missing in September 2021, when she failed to return home following her cross country “van-life” trip with her fiancé Brian Laundrie. Non-stop coverage on the news drove amateur sleuths to dissect Gabby’s social media posts for clues about what happened to her during her trip, leading to the eventual discovery of her body in Wyoming.
As the one-year anniversary of her tragic death approaches, the movie will bring to life Gabby and Brian’s doomed love story, including the warning signs that Gabby’s life was in danger, the ensuing search for her, the eventual discovery of her murder and ultimately, Brian’s suicide. “The Gabby Petito Story” will explore Gabby and her fiancé Brian Laundrie’s complicated relationship and what may have gone wrong during their cross-country trip that resulted in Gabby’s tragic murder.
Birch will make her directorial debut and also play Gabby’s mom, Nichole Schmidt. Skyler Samuels stars as Gabby and Evan Hall stars as Brian Laundrie.
Following the film, “Beyond the Headlines: Gabby Petito” will premiere at 10 p.m. “Beyond the Headlines is “a one-hour true crime documentary special that will chronicle the twists and turns of the tragic road trip through the lens of Gabby’s social media presence as told both by the people who knew her best and a community of online strangers and cyber sleuths who ended up banding together to ultimately solve this shocking homicide. Two timelines were unfolding in the Gabby Petito story – a private one and a very public one. ‘Beyond the Headlines: Gabby Petito’ will give viewers an inside look at both sides of Gabby’s life and the chasm that existed between the two.”
“The Gabby Petito Story” premieres Saturday, October 1 at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times on Lifetime, followed by “Beyond the Headlines: Gabby Petito” at 10 p.m.