While Sling TV may not be as widely recognized as Netflix or Hulu, it has been a key player in the streaming landscape since its 2015 launch as the first service to deliver live television. It has established itself as a budget-friendly alternative to cable, providing dozens of popular channels, a DVR service, and the flexibility to watch on up to three devices at home or on the move. Read on for a complete overview of Sling TV, including its channel lineup, available sports like MLB, and monthly pricing.
What Is Sling TV?
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Sling TV is a live TV streaming service with a subscription model, offering a variety of popular channels, live sports, news, and more—all without a long-term contract. It's often the top pick for cord-cutters because it's more affordable than leading services like YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV. Sling TV provides tailored plans for distinct interests rather than a one-size-fits-all channel package. Every plan comes with 50 hours of DVR storage, letting you record live TV and favorite shows to watch later.
A key difference that helps keep Sling TV's costs down is that it doesn't include local channels like ABC, CBS, and NBC. To fill that gap, Sling suggests pairing your subscription with an HD antenna (sold separately) to pick up local broadcasts.
Sling TV works on nearly all streaming devices, including Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation and Xbox consoles, select Samsung, LG, and Vizio smart TVs, Google TV, Xfinity devices, TiVo, and more.
Does Sling TV Have a Free Trial?
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Sling TV does not provide a traditional free trial like some competitors, such as Fubo. However, Sling offers a separate, free streaming service called Sling Freestream. This service gives you access to numerous free channels and ad-supported content at no cost.
What Channels Does Sling TV Include?
Sling TV features two main plans: Orange and Blue. Both are priced at $45.99 per month but include different channel selections. If you want everything, you can combine Orange and Blue for access to all 46 channels (including 22 exclusives) for a bundled price of $60.99 per month.
The Orange plan is described as ideal for sports fans and families, with channels like ESPN, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, HGTV, Food Network, Lifetime, Nick Jr., Comedy Central, and TBS. It includes 35 channels total (eight are exclusive) and supports streaming on one device at a time, although you can add more.
The Blue plan is geared toward pro football fans and news enthusiasts. It offers 43 channels (including 16 exclusive news and entertainment channels), such as CNN, Bloomberg TV, Fox (in select markets), FS1, Fox News, MSNBC, and NFL Network. The Blue plan also allows streaming on up to three devices simultaneously.
Can You Watch Live Sports on Sling TV?
Yes, you can watch live sports on Sling TV, although most local games will require an HD antenna (sold separately) for access. Since sports networks are split between the Orange and Blue plans, you'll need to choose the plan with the networks that matter most to you.
The Orange plan includes ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3, while the Blue plan replaces those with NFL Network and FS1. You can watch many live sporting events, including NFL, NBA, and MLB games, on these channels. For avid sports fans, adding Sling's Sports Extra bundle unlocks additional channels like NCAA networks, NFL RedZone, MLB Network, NBA TV, NBC Golf, and the Tennis Channel.
This also means you can watch March Madness games with the service.
How Much Does Sling TV Cost?
As noted, Sling TV's Orange and Blue plans are each $45.99 per month, or you can combine them for all channels at $60.99 per month. Sling frequently runs limited-time promotions, such as 50% off your first month. For even more savings, you can prepay for three months starting at $99.
You can enhance your Sling TV subscription with optional add-ons. For frequent recording, the Unlimited Cloud DVR upgrade ($5/month) includes an Auto Record feature that saves live sports for up to three days.
For sports fans, a Sports Extra bundle runs $11 to $15 per month (depending on your base plan), offering more live sports channels. For comprehensive NFL coverage throughout the season, learn how to watch NFL games online.
For further streaming service insights, explore our guides to 2024 Hulu, Netflix, ESPN+, and Disney+ plans.
