Does Sling TV have local channels?
Does Sling TV have local channels?
A complete guide to everything consumers need to know about watching local channels with Sling TV.
With live TV streaming services like DIRECTV and YouTube TV now rolling out slimmed-down, genre-based channel packages, Sling TV and its smaller-sized plans are not exactly a novelty any longer. Nevertheless, Sling occupies a critical space in the streaming marketplace, allowing viewers to watch popular cable channels in plans that cost less than $50 per month.
One of the biggest reasons that viewers still seek out live TV streaming services is that they provide access to local broadcast channels like ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and others. Does Sling TV provide extensive access to locals, or is that availability more restricted? We’ll explain what you need to know here.
Everything you need to know about receiving local channels with Sling TV
Does Sling TV offer local broadcast channels?
Sling TV does offer affiliates of ABC, Fox, and NBC, but only in a small handful of markets around the country. These include some of the biggest metropolitan areas of the United States, such as Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York, so while Sling doesn’t offer locals in a large number of markets overall, a huge number of households can still get locals with Sling.
There are three key English-language broadcast channels that Sling doesn’t offer in any market: CBS, The CW, and PBS. Viewers will simply have to seek out other alternatives to watch these channels if they want them.
Which Sling TV plans offer local broadcast channels?
Sling carries ABC, Fox, and NBC in three plans. The first is its Blue plan, which has 40+ channels and costs $46 per month to start. Its lineup includes news networks like CNN, Fox News, and MS NOW, sports options like FS1 and NFL Network, and other channels like Bravo, FX, USA Network, and more.
The Sling TV Select also carries these local channels, with a much lower starting price of $20 per month. The trade-off is channel count; Sling Select has just 10+ channels, including Fox News, FS1, and National Geographic.
Finally, Sling’s Orange and Blue plan, which combines the unique channels of Sling Orange and Sling Blue with the list of 20+ channels that the two plans share, includes all local channels found in Sling Blue in applicable markets. It’s Sling’s most expensive plan, with a $61 monthly starting price, but it includes ESPN channels as well as Disney Channel for the kids.
| Sling TV package | Starting monthly price | ABC | CBS | The CW | Fox | NBC | PBS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sling Blue | $46 | Select markets | No | No | Select markets | Select markets | No |
| Sling Select | $20 | Select markets | No | No | Select markets | Select markets | No |
| Sling Orange and Blue | $61 | Select markets | No | No | Select markets | Select markets | No |
In which markets does Sling TV carry local broadcast channels?
| Market | Fox Station | NBC Station | ABC Station |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | WAGA | ||
| Austin | KTBC | ||
| Boston | WBTS | ||
| Chicago | WFLD | WMAQ | WLS |
| Dallas/Fort Worth | KDFW | KXAS | |
| Detroit | WJBK | ||
| Fresno | KFSN | ||
| Gainesville | WOGX | ||
| Hartford/New Haven | WVIT | ||
| Houston | KRIV | KTRK | |
| Los Angeles | KTTV | KNBC | KABC |
| Miami/Fort Lauderdale | WTVJ | ||
| Milwaukee | WITI | ||
| Minneapolis/St. Paul | KMSP | ||
| New York | WNYW | WNBC | WABC |
| Orlando/Daytona/Melbourne | WOFL | ||
| Philadelphia | WTXF | WCAU | WPVI |
| Phoenix | KSAZ | ||
| Raleigh-Durham | WTVD | ||
| San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose | KTVU | KNTV | KGO |
| San Diego | KNSD | ||
| Seattle | KCPQ | ||
| Tampa/St. Petersburg | WTVT | ||
| Washington, DC | WTTG | WRC |
What’s the cheapest way to watch local channels with Sling TV?
Sling Select is the cheapest plan from the service that includes local broadcast channels. Customers in markets where locals are available with Sling can all choose to watch with Sling Select instead of Sling Blue, which costs $20 per month as opposed to the $46 monthly price of Sling Blue.
Does Sling TV charge more for local channel access?
There is a surcharge for receiving local channels with a Sling Blue or Sling Select subscription. Customers who get one or two local channels in their market with a Sling plan will have to pay $5 per month more for their subscription, while customers who get all three of ABC, Fox, and NBC will owe an extra $9.
What are the best alternatives to Sling TV for watching local channels?
If you want to watch CBS, The CW, and PBS with your live TV streaming subscription, you do have several options available. DIRECTV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV all carry these channels in at least some markets, and each has a good selection of plans to choose from. If you’re looking for a specific channel in your market, make sure to check out our Service Matchmaker for more information.
DIRECTV carries local channels in all Signature channel packages, starting with the ENTERTAINMENT plan for $90 per month. The service also offers ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox in the MySports and MyNews Genre Packs, costing $65 and $45 per month, respectively. Each comes with a five-day free trial for new subscribers.
Fubo carries ABC, CBS, and Fox in its Fubo Sports genre plan at $56 per month, and is in the process of restoring NBC stations to its Pro, Elite, and Deluxe plans after a carriage dispute that ended in June 2026. This service does not include access to PBS in any market. Fubo includes a free trial of between one and seven days for new customers, the trial length depending on several factors.
Hulu + Live TV offers local channels in its core package, costing $90 per month after a three-day free trial. Hulu + Live TV plans also include the Disney Bundle.
YouTube TV’s availability of local broadcast channels is similarly wide, and it offers these networks in both its core package and numerous genre plans. including PBS and The CW. YouTube TV’s core plan starts at $83 per month and includes a free trial between two and 21 days for new subscribers.
| DIRECTV | Fubo | Hulu | Sling TV | YouTube TV | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Save with Sling | Free Trial | |||||
| $20.99 | $9.99 | $28.99 | $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $64.99 | ||
| ABC | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| CBS | + $24 | + $59 | + $61 | - | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| Fox | + $19 | + $59 | + $61 | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| NBC | + $19 | + $11 | + $61 | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| PBS | + $39 | - | + $61 | - | - | - | - | ✓ | |
| The CW | + $39 | + $59 | + $60 | - | - | - | - | ✓ | |
Can you watch local channels with an antenna?
Yes, you can! Over-the-air broadcast channels are available in most markets with an antenna, which can be purchased for around $40 and up at most retailers. Using an antenna, you can watch your region’s broadcast channels with no monthly subscription fees attached, so you won’t have to worry about whether your market is included in the list of areas where Sling TV offers locals.
Shop antennas from top retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart below:
- Shop antennas from Amazon.
- Shop antennas from Best Buy.
- Shop antennas from Target.
- Shop antennas from Walmart.
Sling TV
Sling TV is The Streamable’s choice for cord-cutters on a budget. Sling is a live TV streaming service with multiple channel packages. The $45.99/month Sling Orange plan offers about 30 channels, including Disney Channel and ESPN. The $45.99/month Sling Blue plan offers about 40 channels, including ABC, Fox, and NBC in major markets.
You can combine Orange+Blue for a total of $60.99 / month. Sling also offers many channel add-on packages starting at $6/month.