Sling will raises its price by $6 in December
This rate hike will be the first for the streamer since March 2023.
The price of streaming continues to increase unabated, even for the most affordable services. The Streamable has learned that one of the skinnier live TV streaming bundles on the market, Sling TV, is preparing to increase the rate for its Blue and Orange base packages by $6 beginning on Tuesday, Dec. 20. At that point, each package will cost $46 per month before additional fees for local channel, extra packages, or add-ons.
Key Details
- Sling is set to increase its Blue and Orange plans by $6 next month.
- This will be the streamer’s first price increase in more than 22 months.
- Despite the increase, Sling will remain one of the cheapest live TV streamers.
The increase will be the first for Sling since March 2023, when the rate similarly rose by $5 from $35 price to its current $40. At the time, the streamer added ABC in eight markets across the country, but as of now, Sling has not announced any similar content additions that will accompany this move.
The 2023 price change also saw Sling increase the combined price of the Orange and Blue packages to $55 monthly. At this point, Sling has not confirmed what it will cost to subscribe to both base plans, however, I have reached out to the streamer’s representatives for clarification and will update this article once the new price is confirmed.
If Sling decides to keep its current pricing structure for the combined package intact, we would estimate that Orange and Blue together would cost between $63 and $64 per month. But, that has not been confirmed.
“The price we pay to provide you with the programming you enjoy continues to increase well above the pace of inflation,” Sling said in a statement. “We actively fight every day on your behalf to keep costs as low as possible.”
Sling has long been the best live TV streaming value on the market, in my opinion, especially if you live in a major media market. The service carries a large portion of the most popular cable channels and is considerably cheaper than competitors like DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV. However, the downside to Sling is that the service only offers broadcast channels in select markets which vary by channel, and it does lack some major cablers; the service also doesn’t carry CBS in any market.
At $46 per month, the streamer will remain in the middle of the price spectrum for live streamers; however, in terms of those that carry major cable channels, it is still the cheapest. Frndly TV starts at just $8 per month, but has far fewer channel options than Sling, and no local or national broadcast networks. Similarly, Philo is a cheaper option, coming in at $28 monthly, but doesn’t really match Sling’s offerings. Not only does it not carry any broadcast channels, but it does not have nearly as many cable channels as Sling. Neither Philo nor Frndly carries any cable sports or news networks either, focusing instead on general entertainment offerings.
Price increases have become a nearly annual event for streaming services, including live TV streamers. DIRECTV STREAM raised its prices by as much as $10 in October. The same month, Hulu + Live TV increased its rates by $6 monthly. It has been almost a year and a half since YouTube TV raised its prices to $73 per month, so another price hike could come at any point.
The sports-focused streamer Fubo made some changes to its plans in August following a $5 price increase in January. Even Philo raised its rates by $3 in May.
“These increases are industry wide — other leading streaming providers have had increases throughout 2024,” Sling said. “Despite this, Sling continues to be the most affordable option with offerings more than twenty dollars less per month versus other providers.”
Unfortunately for cost-conscious cord-cutters, there are not any cheaper options than Sling if you want to be able to stream the biggest shows, news, and sporting events from broadcast and cable channels. Therefore, while the additional $6 per month might be frustrating, at a base of $46 monthly, it is still the best value of its kind in the industry.
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 $40/month Sling Orange plan offers about 30 channels, including Disney Channel and ESPN. The $40/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 $55 / month. Sling also offers many channel add-on packages starting at $6/month.