One of the most common complaints about traditional cable and satellite services is the exorbitant costs. This is one of the primary reasons that live TV streaming has gained popularity in recent years. Sling TV has made a name for itself in the live TV streaming space as one of the most affordable services available. There are three Sling TV plans to choose from, and while the channel selection isn’t extensive, there are options for even the pickiest viewer. With several add-ons to help customize your preferred package, Sling TV is worth considering.
Orange
Good for NCAA fans & family
- $40 per month
- 31+ Channels
- 50 hours of DVR
- 1 Devices
Blue
Good for Pro Football and News
- $40 per month
- 42+ Channels
- 50 hours of DVR
- 3 Devices
Orange & Blue
All Sports and Entertainment
- $55 per month
- 48+ Channels
- 50 hours of DVR
- 1-3 Devices
Sling TV complete channels list
| Channels | Sling Orange | Sling Blue | Sling Orange & Blue |
|---|---|---|---|
| A&E | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| ABC | ✔* | ✔* | |
| AMC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| AXS TV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| BBC America | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| BET | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Bloomberg Television | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Bravo | ✔ | ✔ | |
| CHARGE! | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| CNN | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cartoon Network | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Comedy Central | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Comet | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Discovery Channel | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Disney Channel | ✔ | ✔ | |
| E! | ✔ | ✔ | |
| ESPN | ✔ | ✔ | |
| ESPN2 | ✔ | ✔ | |
| ESPN3 | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Fox | ✔* | ✔* | |
| FS1 | ✔ | ✔ | |
| FX | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Food Network | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Fox News | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Fuse | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Freeform | ✔ | ✔ | |
| HGTV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| HLN | ✔ | ✔ | |
| History Channel | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Investigation Discovery | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| IFC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Lifetime | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Local Now | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| MSNBC | ✔ | ✔ | |
| MGM+ Drive-IN | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Motortrend | ✔ | ✔ | |
| NBC | ✔* | ✔* | |
| NFL Network | ✔ | ✔ | |
| National Geographic | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Nick Jr. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| QVC | ✔ | ✔ | |
| SyFy | ✔ | ✔ | |
| TBS | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| TLC | ✔ | ✔ | |
| TNT | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Travel Channel | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| TruTV | ✔ | ✔ | |
| USA | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Vice | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
How much does Sling TV cost?
| Plan | Cost per Month | Channels | Free Trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange | $40 | 31+ | No |
| Blue | $40 | 41+ | No |
| Orange & Blue | $55 | 47+ | No |
What add-on channels does Sling TV offer?
With Sling TV, you can add eight channels to your package and forty-four “premium” channels, such as SHOWTIME, STARZ, or Discovery Plus. You can also add more DVR storage.
| Add-on Channel or Package Name | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| Total TV Deal | $21 |
| Sports Extra | $11 |
| Entertainment Extra | $6 |
| Kids Extra | $6 |
| News Extra | $6 |
| Lifestyle Extra | $6 |
| Hollywood Extra | $6 |
| Heartland Extra | $6 |
Channels Included with Sling TV Add-Ons
With the view above, it’s easy to see that there are many options for adding channels to your Sling TV plan. Below, we’ve broken it down so you can see what’s included with each of the available add-ons.
Total TV Deal
- Sports Extra
- Comedy Extra
- Kids Extra
- News Extra
- Lifestyle Extra
- Hollywood Extra
- Heartland Extra
- DVR Plus (200 hrs. storage)
Sling Orange Sports Extra
- NBA TV
- MLB Network
- MLB Network Strike Zone
- NHL Network
- ESPNEWS
- ESPNU
- beIN SPORTS
- Tennis Channel
- ACC Network
- ACC Network Extra
- Pac-12 Network
- SEC Network
- SEC Network+
- Longhorn Network
Sling Blue Sports Extra
- FS2
- NFL RedZone
- NBA TV
- MLB Network
- MLB Network Strike Zone
- NHL Network
- beIN SPORTS
- Golf Channel
- Tennis Channel
- Big Ten Network
- Pac-12 Network
Comedy Extra
- Paramount Network
- TV Land
- truTV
- MTV
- MTV2
- CMT
- LOGO
- REVOLT TV
- Laff TV
- FETV
Sling Orange Kids Extra
- Disney XD
- Disney Junior
- Boomerang
- Nicktoons
- TeenNick
- BabyTV
Sling Blue Kids Extra
- Boomerang
- Nicktoons
- TeenNick
- BabyTV
Sling Orange News Extra
- BBC World News
- HLN
- Science Channel
- Law & Crime
- NewsNation
- Newsmax TV
- News18
- CGTN
Sling Blue News Extra
- CNBC
- Fox Business Network
- BBC World News
- Science Channel
- Law & Crime
- NewsNation
- Newsmax TV
- NDTV 24×7
- News18
- CGTN
Lifestyle Extra
- Hallmark Channel
- Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
- Hallmark Drama
- Lifetime Movie Network
- Magnolia Network
- VH1
- FYI
- WE tv
- Cooking Channel
Sling Orange Hollywood Extra
- SundanceTV
- Turner Classic Movies
- HDNET MOVIES
- REELZ
- Heroes & Icons
- Start TV
- Grit
- Bounce
Sling Blue Hollywood Extra
- FXX
- FXM
- SundanceTV
- Turner Classic Movies
- HDNET MOVIES
- REELZ
- Heroes & Icons
- Start TV
- Grit
- Bounce
Sling Orange Heartland Extra
- Outdoor Channel
- Destination America
- Pursuit Channel
- Sportsman Channel
- American Heroes Channel
- Great American Family
- Great American Living
- INSP
- RFD-TV
- PixL
- The Cowboy Channel
Sling Blue Heartland Extra
- Nat Geo Wild
- Outdoor Channel
- Destination America
- Pursuit Channel
- Sportsman Channel
- American Heroes Channel
- Great American Family
- Great American Living
- World Fishing Network
- INSP
- RFD-TV
- PixL
- The Cowboy Channel
Sports channels on Sling TV
Sling TV’s base plans include the sports basics: ESPN, ESPN 2, FS1, TNT, and NFL Network. But to follow your favorite sport, you’ll need to choose your plan wisely. NFL fans will get the most mileage out of Sling Blue, while NBA fans can keep up with the season with a Sling Orange package. Baseball devotees will need to invest in the Orange & Blue plan to get the most useful mix of channels.
If that’s not enough to satisfy your appetite, there are Sports Extra add-ons for an extra monthly fee. The packages include channels like NFL RedZone, the Big Ten Network, the Pac-12 Network, FS2, Golf Channel, NHL Network, NBA TV, MLB Network, Tennis Channel, beIN Sports, and MLB Strikezone.
When compared to the more robust lineups of streamers like DIRECTV STREAM, which offers regional sports networks at no extra cost, and Hulu + Live TV, which has ESPN Plus built-in, Sling TV appears limited. But if budget is your primary concern, Sling TV’s base plan plus sports add-ons are still cheaper than any other live TV streaming service and will give you access to many nationally aired games.
Local channels on Sling TV
Fox and NBC are the two local channels available on Sling TV. However, its availability depends on your location. Enter your zip code on the Sling TV website for a list of the channels you’ll get in your area. Sling TV’s regional sports network coverage is another area where it falls short, unfortunately. Right now, the only RSNs that users can access are NBC Sports Washington, NBC Sports California, and NBC Sports Bay Area, in select areas.
How does Sling TV’s channel list compare to other streaming services?
Sling TV shines among the other live TV streaming services because of its affordability, but its channel lineup is not as comprehensive as its counterparts.
| Monthly Cost | Number of Channels | Free Trial | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sling TV | $40+ | 32+ | No |
| Hulu + Live TV | $76.99+ | 95+ | Yes |
| DIRECTV STREAM | $79.99+ | 75+ | Yes |
| YouTube TV | $72.99 | 100+ | Yes |
| Fubo | $79.99+ | 194+ | Yes |
Is Sling TV the best service for sports fans?
Sling TV is not the most comprehensive live TV streaming service for sports fans. However, there are enough staples to keep fans engaged. This includes ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, Fox, FS1, TBS, TNT, and NFL Network. Purchasing a sports add-on will introduce NFL RedZone, the Big Ten Network, the Pac-12 Network, FS2, Golf Channel, NHL Network, NBA TV, MLB Network, Tennis Channel, beIN Sports, MLB Strikezone, and more. DIRECTV STREAM and Fubo have the advantage of RSNs, which means fans can enjoy local coverage of their favorite teams. Hulu + Live TV offers value by combining three streamers into one, including Disney Plus and ESPN Plus. This triple threat features wall-to-wall UFC coverage and the celebrated “30 for 30” documentary series.
Is Sling TV the best service for kids?
Sling TV offers channels like Nick Jr. to keep the kids occupied, and the Disney Channel is a fixture of the Sling Orange package. However, parents can bolster their plans with a Kids add-on, which tacks on an extra monthly fee for access to Disney XD, Disney Junior, Boomerang, Nicktoons, TeenNick, and BabyTV. Please note that the availability of Disney XD and Disney Junior depends on your chosen base plan.
FAQ
What channels are missing from Sling TV?
Sling TV is budget-friendly but somewhat limited in its channel selection. Channels like ABC, CBS, PBS, Animal Planet, Hallmark, and Nickelodeon are unavailable.
Which is better Hulu or Sling?
Choosing between Hulu and Sling TV depends on your viewing needs and budget. Hulu + Live TV offers 95-plus channels, the Hulu on-demand streaming library, Disney Plus, and ESPN Plus. Sling offers fewer channels, but its lineup includes the essentials, and prices are much lower than Hulu.
What is the difference between Sling Orange and Sling Blue?
Sling Orange and Blue differ primarily in their channel selection. The Orange plan features 32 channels, including ESPN and the Disney Channel, while the Orange Blue plan offers Fox, FS1, and the NFL Network.
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