It’s never been easier to stream live TV. While there are many options, Sling TV or DIRECTV STREAM are our top contenders. The services are quite different, but each has pros and cons. Which is right for you? It depends on your priorities. Of course, channel availability is one of your most important factors, so before you sign up, be sure to check out The Streamable’s Service Matchmaker. Let’s dig in to compare your options.
Overview
| Feature | DIRECTV STREAM | Sling TV |
|---|---|---|
| Base Price | $79.99 | $40 |
| Base Channels | 184 | 49 |
| Max Channels | 247 | 143 |
| Local Channels | Yes | In select markets |
| Sports Channels | Yes | Yes |
| Regional Sports Networks | 37 | 0 |
| DVR | Unlimited | 50 Hours (upgradable) |
| 4K | No | Yes |
| Free channels | No | Yes |
| Free Trial | 5 Days | No |
Winner on Price: Sling TV
DIRECTV STREAM starts at $79.99 / month and goes up from there.
Sling TV has a unique cost structure because it allows you to choose from two limited (but inexpensive) channel groups. A slightly more expensive subscription offers a combo package with a bigger channel lineup.
If don’t mind a narrower channel selection, you can go with either the Sling Orange lineup or the Sling Blue lineup for $40 / month. If you want a wider selection of channels, you’ll need Sling Orange+Blue for $55 / month. That’s still less expensive than DIRECTV STREAM, but your channel lineup isn’t as broad.
As most live TV streamers dramatically hike their prices, Sling is doing a great job at keeping costs low. It’s probably the best bang for your buck.
Winner on Overall Channels: DIRECTV STREAM
The competition isn’t even close here.
DIRECTV STREAM’s most basic package includes 25 of the top 35 cable channels, while Sling TV only carries 27 from the same group.
DIRECTV STREAM carries all the top cable channels available on Sling TV, and it will be your choice if you like to watch Hallmark Channel, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, VH1, and WE tv.
Overall, Sling TV offers 49 channels without add-ons, while DIRECTV STREAM offers as many as 184.
Channel Upgrade Bundles
In line with its a la carte efforts, Sling TV gives users a staggering menu of channel upgrades starting at $6/month. The channels available will vary, depending on whether your base is Sling Orange, Sling Blue, or the Sling Orange+Blue combo.
For example, Sling TV offers mini packages with titles like Sports Extra, Hollywood Extra, Lifestyle Extra, Entertainment Extra, News Extra, Kids Extra, and Heartland Extra. You could choose them individually or include all 74 add-on channels for $27/ month. See what each bundle offers here.
Since Sling TV’s channel options are split into so many different packages, The Streamable’s Service Matchmaker is your best tool to identify what package works best for you.
DIRECTV STREAM offers a whopping four different tiers of services.
- Entertainment: 82 channels for $79.99 / month
- Choice: 153 channels for $108.99 / month
- Ultimate: 179 channels for $119.99 / month
- Premier: 184 channels for $164.99 / month
| DIRECTV STREAM | Sling TV | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| “Entertain.” | “Choice” | “Ultimate” | “Premier” | “Orange” | “Blue” | “Combo” | ||
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Get 50% OFF | Get 50% OFF | Get 50% OFF | ||
| $79.99 | $108.99 | $119.99 | $164.99 | $40 | $40 | $55 | ||
| 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 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| History | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Investigation Discovery | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Lifetime | - | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| MSNBC | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | ✓ | |
| 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 | |
International Packages
Sling TV offers many packages beyond the standard English lineup. If you speak another language or want to keep up with TV from countries outside the U.S., these are a great choice. You don’t need an English package to select these.
| Group | Package | Channel Count | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latino | Sling Caribe | 9 | $10 |
| Latino | Sling Centroamérica | 3 | $10 |
| Latino | Sling España | 4 | $10 |
| Latino | Sling México | 9 | $10 |
| Latino | Sling Sudamérica | 11 | $10 |
| Latino | Sling Latino | 22 | $10 |
| Arabic | Al Ostoura | 90 | $25 |
| Arabic | Ala Keifak | 74 | $15 |
| Arabic | Shahid | 6 | $11.49 |
| Arabic | MySatGo | 1 | $8 |
| Arabic | Istikana | 1 | $8 |
| Bangla | Bangla Super | 12 | $15 |
| Brazilian | Globo + Globoplay | 2 | $14 |
| Brazilian | Brasil Especial + Globoplay | 6 | $20 |
| Brazilian | Brasil Maximo + Globoplay | 8 | $30 |
| Brazilian | Brasil Demais + Globoplay | 3 | $25 |
| Brazilian | Record TV A La Carte | 2 | $15 |
| Cantonese | Jadeworld | 9 | $30 |
| French | French Bouquet | 6 | $15 |
| Greek | Greek Mosaic | 4 | $25 |
| Hindi | Desi Binge | 6 | $10 |
| Hindi | Hindi | 24 | $30 |
| Hindi | Desi Binge Plus | 8 | $15 |
| Hindi | Hindi Mega | 36 | $45 |
| Hindi | Hindi Sony | 8 | $15 |
| Hindi | Punjabi-Hindi | 22 | $30 |
| Italian | Panorama Italiano | 3 | $5 |
| Mandarin | Great Wall TV | 21 | $15 |
| Marathi | Marathi | 10 | $18 |
| Polish | Dakshin | 43 | $20 |
| Polish | Dakshin Mega | 57 | $25 |
| Punjabi | Punjabi | 3 | $15 |
| Punjabi | Punjabi Super | 18 | $25 |
| Tamil | Dakshin | 43 | $20 |
| Tamil | Dakshin Mega | 57 | $25 |
| Taiwanese | Taiwanese Mega | 16 | $25 |
| Urdu | Urdu Pack | 17 | $15 |
| Urdu | Urdu-Hindi | 19 | $30 |
Winner on Local Channels: DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM gives you all your local channels: CBS, Fox, NBC, Telemundo, The CW, and Univision
Sling TV does not offer CBS, Telemundo, The CW, and Univision. But you can get ABC, Fox, and NBC in select markets.
Sling TV Local Channel Availability
| 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 | KNSD | KGO |
| Seattle | KCPQ | ||
| Tampa/St. Petersburg | WTVT | ||
| Washington, DC | WTTG | WRC |
If you need CBS, and you still want Sling, you can grab Paramount+, which offers your live local CBS channel on the premium tier. If your market doesn’t offer NBC on Sling, you can get your local affiliate on Peacock.
Sling pairs very well with an over-the-air antenna. It’s a great cost-saving combo.
Winner on Sports Channels: DIRECTV STREAM
Pro Sports Networks
DIRECTV STREAM offers MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL Network, and NHL Network starting at the “Choice” package for $108.99 / month. If you want NFL RedZone, you need to tack on the Sports Pack for $15.
Sling TV allows users to bolster their sports coverage with the Sports Extra package ($11-$15/month) with channels like beIN Sports, ESPNEWS, Fox Sports 2, Golf Channel, MLB Network, MLB Network Strike Zone, NBA TV, NFL RedZone, NHL Network, SEC Network+, and Tennis Channel. The channels you receive in this add-on depend on whether you subscribe to Sling Orange, Sling Blue, or the combo.
| DTV STREAM | Sling TV | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Get 50% OFF | |||
| $79.99 | $40 | $40 | ||
| MLB Network | + $15 | + $11 | + $11 | |
| NBA TV | + $15 | + $11 | + $11 | |
| NFL Network | + $15 | - | ✓ | |
| NFL RedZone | + $15 | - | + $11 | |
| NHL Network | + $15 | + $11 | + $11 | |
Regional Sports Networks
This is one of the biggest benefits if you choose DIRECTV STREAM. It offers the widest access to RSNs of any live streaming service, though your price can escalate quickly to get them.
Choose DIRECTV STREAM if you want to watch Altitude, SportsNet Pittsburgh, Bally Sports Detroit, Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports Great Lakes, Bally Sports Indiana, Bally Sports Kansas City, Bally Sports Midwest, Bally Sports New Orleans, Bally Sports North, Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports Oklahoma, Bally Sports SoCal, Bally Sports South, Bally Sports Southeast, Bally Sports Southwest, Bally Sports Sun, Bally Sports West, Bally Sports Wisconsin, Marquee Sports Network, MASN, MASN2, Monumental Sports Network, MSG, MSG Sportsnet, NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Boston, NBC Sports California, NBC Sports Chicago, NESN, Rockies.TV Channel, Root Sports Northwest, Space City Home Network, Spectrum SportsNet, Spectrum SportsNet LA, SportsNet NY, and YES Network.
Sling TV does not offer Regional Sports Networks.
College Sports Networks
Both services offer Big Ten Network.
However, DIRECTV STREAM offers those channels, plus CBS Sports Network and truTV in its most basic channel package.
To get college sports channels through Sling TV, you need Sports Extra ($11-$15/month), which also gives you ACC Network, ACC Network Extra, ESPNU, and SEC Network.
Winner on Included Features: DIRECTV STREAM
DVR
DIRECTV STREAM includes an unlimited DVR that keeps your recordings up to nine months.
Sling TV includes 50 hours of recording space with each subscription, but it will automatically delete the oldest watched shows, so it can continue to record the latest shows.
For $5/month, you can add a Sling TV cloud DVR with 200 hours of recording space.
Sling TV has the most full-featured DVR of any of the streaming services. You can record individual episodes, all episodes of a series, or only new episodes of a series. You can also protect recordings to keep them indefinitely. If you cancel your service, Sling will keep your recording for up to 30 days in case you decide to return to the service.
4K
Sling TV now includes 4K broadcasts at no additional cost. In most cases, 4K is only available with certain sports on FOX or NBC.
Freestream
Whether you pay for Sling TV or not, you can access Sling Freestream, a free service with 500+ free live TV channels and over 40,000 on demand shows and movies, such as “Hell’s Kitchen,” “The Walking Dead,” and more. Everyone can access this service, but if you have the paid version of Sling TV, those channels are included in the paid channel interface.
What About the Competition?
Hulu Live TV is a great value, since it includes most of the top cable channels, a few regional sports networks, and free Hulu on-demand, Disney+, and ESPN+.
We don’t normally recommend Fubo because it lacks so many important channels. However, Fubo is your only other option besides DIRECTV STREAM if you want the Bally regional sports networks. It is more expensive than we’d like.
Philo is another great money-saver, but you won’t get local channels or sports.
YouTube TV is a nice overall service, but it can’t compete with the free streamers you’d get with Hulu Live TV and it’s not a good option for regional sports networks.
Summary
Sling TV is your best bet for live TV if you want to save money. It offers more channel combinations than any other streamer. If you need local channels, your zip code will determine what’s available. We recommend an antenna or Peacock for NBC and Paramount+ for CBS.
If you think Sling TV is right for you, be sure to run your favorite channels through The Streamable’s Service Matchmaker. Enjoy 50% off your first month and you’ll likely stick around.
If you want the most straightforward switch if you’re coming from cable, DIRECTV STREAM should be your choice. Its overall channel lineup is unbeatable among streaming services. With a huge collection of regional sports networks, it’s a great choice for fans. If you need local channels, DIRECTV STREAM is also the service to choose. You should also choose DIRECTV STREAM if you need Hallmark Channel, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, VH1, and WE tv.