Although it may not be a household name like Netflix or Hulu, Sling TV has played an important role in the streaming wars as it became the first service to offer live TV when it was unveiled back in 2015. Since then, it's positioned itself as a great low-cost alternative to a traditional cable subscription that offers its subscribers dozens of popular channels, a DVR service, and the ability to watch at home or on the go on up to three devices. Check out the full rundown below to learn more about Sling TV including which channels it includes, available sports (like MLB games), and how much it will run you per month.
What Is Sling TV?
Sling TV is a subscription-based live TV service that offers a number of popular channels, live sports, news, and more, with no long-term commitment. It's a popular first choice for cord cutters since it's more affordable than some of the bigger names in live TV streaming such as YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, and features different plans that cater to specific interests instead of a one-size-fits-all approach to its content lineup. All plans include 50 hours of DVR, which allows you to record live TV and your favorite shows and movies to watch later.
One notable difference (and much of the reason Sling TV is a less expensive option) is that it doesn't include local channels such as ABC, CBS, and NBC. Instead, Sling recommends you pair your subscription with an HD antenna (sold separately) to receive your local channels.
Sling TV is available on just about every device including Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV devices, PS5, PS4, Xbox consoles, select Samsung, LG, and Vizio smart TVs, Google TV, Xfinity devices, TiVo, and more.
Does Sling TV Have a Free Trial?
Unlike other live TV streaming services, like Fubo, Sling TV does not offer a free trial for new subscribers. That being said, there is a related free streaming service that Sling does offer. Sling Freestream offers tons of free channels and ad-supported content that doesn't cost you anything.
What Channels Does Sling TV Include?
Sling TV has two primary plans to choose from: Orange or Blue. Both plans will run you the same $45.99 per month, but offer vastly different selections of channels depending on your interests. If you want it all, you can combine Sling's Orange and Blue plans to receive the entire 46 channel lineup (including all 22 exclusive channels) for a combined rate of $60.99 per month.
Sling describes its Orange plan as being best for sports fans and families as it includes channels such as ESPN, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, HGTV, Food Network, Lifetime, Nick Jr., Comedy Central, TBS, and more. In total, the Orange plan includes 35 channels (eight are exclusive to this plan) as part of the subscription and allows you to watch on one device at a time, although more can be added if you desire.
Sling's Blue plan is tailored towards pro football fans and avid news watchers. It includes a total of 43 channels (16 of which are exclusive news and entertainment channels) with some highlights being CNN, Bloomberg TV, Fox (in select markets), FS1, Fox News, MSNBC, NFL Network, and more. The Blue plan also allows you to watch on up to three devices simultaneously.
Can You Watch Live Sports on Sling TV?
Yes, you can watch live sports on Sling TV, athough most of your local games won't be available without buying an HD antenna (sold separately). Because of Sling's channels being split between two plans (Orange and Blue), you'll need to decide which sports networks are more important to you when signing up.
Sling's Orange plan includes ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3, while Sling's Blue plan omits these in favor of NFL Network and FS1. You'll be able to catch a number of live sporting events including NFL, NBA, MLB, and more, across these channels, but if you're an avid sports fan you'll likely want to add on Sling's sports bundle to gain access to even more channels including NCAA-specific networks, NFL Redzone, MLB Network, NBA TV, NBC Golf, and the Tennis Channel, just to name a few.
This means that you can watch March Madness games with this service as well.
How Much Does Sling TV Cost?
As previously mentioned, Sling TV offers its Orange or Blue plans for $45.99 per month, or the ability to combine them to receive all channels for $60.99 per month. Sling is also running a limited-time deal where you can get 50% off your first month for whichever subscription you choose. If you're looking for even more savings, you can even prepay for three months of Sling TV for as low as $99.
Additional upgrades can be added to your Sling TV subscription to enable additional features or allow access to even more channels. If you frequently record live TV, you can upgrade to Sling's Unlimited Cloud DVR for an extra $5/month that can save all live sporting events for you for up to three days with its Auto Record feature.
For sports fans, you can add on a sports bundle for $11-15/mo (depending on your base plan) that provides access to even more live sports. If you're looking for the best way to catch NFL games across its months of coverage, here's how to watch NFL games online.
For more streaming platform guides, check out 2024 Hulu Subscriptions, Netflix Plans, ESPN+ Plans, and Disney+ Plans.
Matthew Adler is a Commerce, Features, Guides, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.
