Sling TV Review

Sling TV is an affordable live TV streaming service that's especially popular for its low monthly rate. Sling offers a trimmed-down channel lineup starting $30/mo.-to-$35/mo. lower than such competitors as Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV. Even with a more limited lineup, it features some of the most popular channels, such as CNN, ESPN, and TNT,  and allows viewers to record their favorite shows. It is a great service for people looking for the most popular entertainment channels at a lower monthly cost.

Streaming service package information accurate as of 08/23/2022.

When it comes to your streaming service options, your costs come down to how many channels and extra services you get. Sling TV offers a much more affordable live TV streaming service than many of its competitors, such as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and DIRECTV STREAM. However, this low price comes with a tradeoff. Sling TV does not offer a free trial, has more limited DVR space, and features fewer channels than its competitors, especially on its two basic packages.

How much does Sling TV cost?

Sling TV offers two packages: Sling Orange and Sling Blue. Each package is individually priced at $35/mo. Although there is some channel overlap between the two plans, each features a different channel lineup. Sling Orange is aimed at families and sports lovers, while Sling Blue is tailored to those who prefer news and entertainment. You can also combine the two packages, in Sling Orange & Blue, to receive all the service's basic channels for $50/mo.

Each package comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR storage. You can upgrade this to 200 hours with the DVR Plus add-on, which is $5/mo. With the Sling Blue package, you can stream on up to three devices at the same time. However, with the Sling Orange package, you can only stream on one device. When you combine the two packages, you can stream on up to three devices simultaneously. Beyond these three packages, you can beef up your plan with numerous add-ons, which can add as much as $21/mo. to your plan.

Sling TV channels and add-ons

While Sling TV doesn't have as many channels as the other streaming services, it does carry some of the most popular, such as A&E, AMC, ESPN, FX, Lifetime, NFL Network, Nick Jr., Syfy, TBS, TNT, USA Network, and more.

Sling TV also rounds out its service offering with a large number of add-on channels, giving viewers the opportunity to customize their package. Many of Sling TV's Extra packages have different channel offerings, depending on whether someone has the Sling Orange or Sling Blue plan.

• Total TV Deal ($21/mo.): Gives subscribers the entirety of Sling TV's add-on packages, including the seven Extras listed below, along with DVR Plus.

• 4 Extras Deal ($13/mo.): Gives subscribers four Extras for just a little more than the price of two. It includes Kids Extra, News Extra, Lifestyle Extra, and Comedy Extra.

• Sports Extra ($11/mo.): Includes more than 10 sports channels, including many of the league-specific channels such as MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL RedZone, and NHL Network.

• Comedy Extra ($6/mo.): Offers more than 10 channels geared towards laughter, action, and reality favorites, including CMT, Game Show Network, and MTV.

• News Extra ($6/mo.): Provides more than 10 channels featuring breaking and in-depth news reporting, including BBC World News, CNBC, and Fox Business.

• Lifestyle Extra ($6/mo.): Focuses on reality TV and lifestyle content and includes three Hallmark channels, Cooking Channel, Oxygen, and VH1.

• Hollywood Extra ($6/mo.): Offers movie classics and indies on channels such as Grit, Heroes & Icons, and Turner Classic Movies.

• Heartland Extra ($6/mo.): Includes more than 10 channels on the American lifestyle, outdoor sporting, and America's heroes, such as American Heroes Channel, Destination America, Outdoor Channel, and Sportsman Channel.

Sling TV also offers more than 30 premium channels that range in price from $3/mo. to $10/mo. Among these are EPIX, Showtime, and Starz, along with BET+, Comedy Dynamics, Curiosity Stream, Docurama, and Hallmark Movies Now.

Sling TV top channels compared

While Sling TV has many of the popular channels, it's noticeably lacking in local channels, such as ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. If you want to watch local channels, you'll have to spend more money for an antenna set up. Below, you can compare Sling TV package lineups to one of its closest competitors, Hulu + Live TV, which has a much more comprehensive channel offering for cord-cutters.

Sling TV features

Sling Free
Rather than offering a three- or seven-day free trial, Sling TV makes a portion of its service free at all times with Sling Free. While the library of shows is limited, it includes both live and on-demand programming, which means you can always find some free content to watch. Current content includes shows including Hell's Kitchen and Heartland, as well as movies including Bernie and Flyboys.

Sling Watch Party

Sling TV offers you the ability to watch TV and chat with three friends or family members even though you're not in the same room. This is a great service for displaced families. Although it's better when everyone is a Sling TV subscriber, you can still join three watch parties without a paid Sling login.

To start a watch party, simply log in to your Sling account on an iOS device, laptop, or Chrome or Safari web browser, create your watch party, and invite friends.

Entertainment Channels
The majority of Sling TV's channels are in entertainment, as opposed to sports or news. For viewers simply looking for entertainment options, Sling TV is one of the most affordable services. Among these channels are A&E, AMC, Comedy Central, FX, Lifetime, Syfy, TBS, TNT, and USA Network.

Sling TV supported devices 

You can watch Sling TV on smart TVs, streaming sticks, mobile devices, computers, and gaming consoles. Potential subscribers should note that Sling TV is not available on Nintendo Switch or Sony PlayStation gaming consoles. Sling TV supported devices include:

• AirTV

• Amazon Echo Show

• Amazon Fire tablets

• Amazon Fire TV

• Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K 

• Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, and Apple Safari web browser

• Android TV (Google TV)

• Android smartphones and tablets

• Google Chrome web browser

• Google Chromecast and Chromebook

• LG TV (webOS)

• Oculus Go

• Facebook Portal

• Roku

• Samsung Smart TV (Tizen)

• TiVo Stream 4K

• Microsoft Windows 10, Windows 11, and Microsoft Edge web browser

• Microsoft Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One

• XFinity Flex

• Cox

• Evoca

• Google Nest Hub

• Vizio (Smartcast TV)

Is Sling TV worth it?

Sling TV is a great option for budget-conscious viewers who don't need access to premium channels and networks, but want the option to customize their package. It offers more channels than a less-expensive service like Philo, but more flexibility and cost control than a service like fuboTV. 

With a low entry point at $35/mo., you'll still have access to some of the most popular channels available across live TV streaming providers. You can choose the package that fits your preferences, from sports and family shows to news and entertainment. Then, you can customize your viewing experience by selecting the add-ons that fit best, so you're not paying for many channels you don't want.