Is Sling TV worth it?
Is Sling TV worth it?
We’ll explain the ways Sling TV helps you save money, the drawbacks of the streamer, and more.
Moving from cable to live TV streaming can be freeing, but it can also feel quite daunting if you’re accustomed to the longstanding attributes of most cable plans: high prices, hidden fees, and long, inflexible contracts that cost hundreds of dollars to get out of early.
Live TV streamers like Sling TV can make those problems a thing of the past, but if you’re not sure whether Sling TV will offer the same value as an old-school cable plan, read on. We’ll explain what you need to know to decide for yourself whether Sling TV is worth it, breaking down the value of the service and giving our expert opinion, as well.
Is Sling TV worth it? What you need to know
What is Sling TV?
Sling TV is a live TV streaming service that allows viewers to watch cable channels with their home Wi-Fi connection. Its channel packages are notably smaller than those of many other live TV services; Sling’s largest package has 50+ channels, as compared to services like DIRECTV and YouTube TV, which provide plans with hundreds of channels each.
In exchange for smaller channel counts, Sling TV’s plans cost significantly less than the bigger bundles out there. Most plans cost less than $50 per month, and audiences can still build more channels into their plan with Sling’s various add-on packs.
How much are Sling TV’s plans?
Sling has a large number of international channel plans, but we’ll focus on its main English-language plans. See the base price of each channel package in the table below, with no taxes or fees included:
| Sling TV plan | Monthly price | Channel count | Content focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sling Orange | $46 | 30+ | Sports, kids, and family |
| Sling Blue | $46 | 40+ | News, reality, and entertainment |
| Sling Orange and Blue | $61 | 50+ | All-in-one package |
| Sling Select | $20 | 10+ | Budget news, general entertainment, and locals where available |
| Sling Essentials | $20 | 10+ | Entry-level sports and family |
Which top cable channels does Sling TV have?
Sling splits popular cable channels between packages to keep its base prices lower. That can lead to a more dispersed experience for subscribers; for example, ESPN is in the Sling Orange plan, but NFL Network is in Sling Blue. Other channels are available in both plans, and buying Sling Orange and Blue combines all available channels from both plans in your area. See a comparison of which Sling TV plans have which premium cable channels in the table below:
| “Essentials” | “Select” | “Orange” | “Blue” | “Combo” | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Save with Sling | Save with Sling | Save with Sling | Save with Sling | Save with Sling | ||
| $19.99 | $29.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 | $60.99 | ||
| A&E | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| AMC | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| BET | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Bravo | - | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Cartoon Network | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| CNN | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Comedy Central | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Discovery | - | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Disney Channel | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| Disney Junior | - | - | + $6 | - | + $6 | |
| E! | - | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| ESPN | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| Food Network | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Fox News | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Freeform | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| FX | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| FXX | - | - | - | + $6 | + $6 | |
| Hallmark Channel | - | - | + $6 | + $6 | + $6 | |
| HGTV | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| The History Channel | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Investigation Discovery | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Lifetime | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| MS NOW | - | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| MTV | - | - | + $6 | + $6 | + $6 | |
| Nickelodeon | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Paramount Network | - | - | + $6 | + $6 | + $6 | |
| SYFY | - | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| TBS | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| TLC | - | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| TNT | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Travel Channel | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| truTV | - | - | + $6 | ✓ | ✓ | |
| USA Network | - | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| VH1 | - | - | + $6 | + $6 | + $6 | |
| WE tv | - | - | + $6 | + $6 | + $6 |
Does Sling TV have local channels?
This is one drawback of Sling TV — a relative lack of local broadcast channels as compared to other streamers. Sling only has local channels in a small number of American markets, and it only offers three: ABC, Fox, and NBC. CBS, The CW, and PBS are not found on Sling TV in any American markets.
Having local channels in your area with Sling TV also comes with a surcharge of around $5 to $10 per month, depending on how many local channels you receive and which plan you have. The good news for those hoping to watch locals on Sling is that the markets they are found in are some of the largest in the country, including Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York City. See which markets get local channels with Sling TV in the chart below.
| 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 |
So, is Sling TV worth it?
Unless you’re an absolutely voracious TV watcher, Sling TV is definitely worth the price. Even if the streamer still only sold its three base channel packages, it would still be a good value. With starting prices of $46 per month, no other live TV streaming service can match the low cost of the Sling Orange and Sling Blue plans — certainly not with channel packages that include more than one genre.
And new package options have enhanced Sling’s value even more. The Select and Essentials plans starting at $20 per month each give audiences a way to access channels like ESPN and NFL Network at prices no other distributor comes close to offering. There’s an argument to be made that these plans allow viewers to get closer to à la carte channel selection than any pay-TV company ever has.
Giving viewers the option to sign up for Sling Orange for as little as one day with Passes may have angered programmers, but it’s a revelation for sports fans who want to watch a single event on ESPN without having to pay for a monthlong subscription to a service that carries it.
The lack of local broadcast channels in many markets is an undeniable knock against Sling TV, but this is at least a problem that can be solved without having to pay for another subscription. Just purchase an over-the-air antenna, and you’ll have access to all your area’s local channels in addition to the channels found in your Sling package.
If you value a channel package that has hundreds of selections, Sling TV isn’t the right service for you. But if you’re looking for a streamer that samples the best that cable has to offer without a ridiculous price, Sling TV will definitely be worth it for you.
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.