Sling TV packages, channels, locals and pricing

By Jim Kimble / Updated November 18, 2022

If you’ve finally gotten serious about cutting the cord from cable TV, Sling TV has plenty of channel packages. It’s a cheaper way to watch ESPN or TNT, and even local channels in dozens of markets. 

How cheap? A core channel bundle costs only $40 per month. And Sling TV often has promotional offers throughout the year that can help you save money. 

What is Sling TV?

Sling TV was the first company that began live streaming cable TV channels over the Internet. It allowed cord-cutters and sports fans alike to watch ESPN or FS1 without a cable subscription.

But now, there are a number of competitors, including DIRECTV STREAM, frndly, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, fuboTV, Philo, Vidgo and others. 

But the starting price for many of these services is between $64.99 and $69.99 with the exception of frndly and Philo.

You can save quite a bit of money with Sling TV compared to a cable TV subscription, especially if you learn how to talk your way into a cheaper Internet plan

There are no contracts or hidden fees with Sling TV. So you pay for the exact channel bundle, and nothing else. 

 PriceChannelsKey Channels
Sling Orange$40 per month31AMC, ESPN & History
Sling Blue$40 per month41NFL Network and local NBC/Fox*
Sling Orange + Sling Blue$55 per month47A&E, CNN and TNT
*Local NBC and FOX stations available in select markets. See map below.

Does Sling TV have a free trial?

No. Sling TV is currently not offering a free trial. However, Sling does have a regular promotions and discounts to new and returning customers. One ongoing promotion gets you a free streaming device when you prepay for one month of service.

There are also promotions where you can pick up a TV antenna and DVR for recording free over-the-air channels.

How do you watch live TV channels on Sling TV?

To watch on a TV, your best option is use a compatible streaming device.

A Roku or Amazon Fire TV Stick will do the job. Chromecast, Apple TV, iOS and Android devices all have Sling TV apps. Some Smart TVs are supported.

How much is Sling TV?

The starting price with Sling TV is $40 per month. Sling has two main channel packages. One is Sling Orange, which has 31 channels such as A&E, Comedy Central and ESPN. You can stream on one device at a time on Sling Orange.

Sling Blue has 41 channels, including AMC, BBC America and NBC regional sports networks. You can stream on up to three devices at once with a Sling Blue plan. 

There’s an option of combining the Orange and Blue bundles for $55 per month. That would give you up to four simultaneous streams at once. 

A Sling TV subscription includes 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage for recordings. You can upgrade to 200 hours of Cloud DVR for $5 per month. 

Beyond choosing an Orange or Blue channel package, Sling TV subscribers have the option to add other small channel packages called “add-on” bundles.

Sling TV channels: The Complete List

Sling TV costs $30 per month for a base plan.

Sling Orange ($40/month)

  • A&E
  • AMC
  • AXS TV
  • BBC America
  • Bloomberg Television
  • Cartoon Network
  • Cheddar
  • Cheddar Big News
  • Comedy Central
  • CNN
  • Disney Channel
  • ESPN
  • ESPN2
  • ESPN3
  • EPIX Drive In
  • Food Network
  • Freeform
  • Fuse
  • History Channel
  • HGTV
  • IFC
  • Lifetime
  • Motortrend
  • TBS
  • TNT
  • Travel Channel
  • Tribeca Shortlist
  • Vice

Sling Blue ($40/month)

  • A&E
  • AMC
  • AXS TV
  • BBC America
  • BET
  • Bravo
  • Bloomberg Television
  • Cartoon Network
  • Charge!
  • Comet
  • Comedy Central
  • CNN
  • EPIX Drive-In

 

  • Food Network
  • FOX News
  • Fuse
  • FX
  • Golf Channel
  • History Channel
  • HGTV
  • HLN
  • IFC
  • Lifetime
  • MSNBC
  • National Geographic
  • NBC (Select Markets)
  • Newsy
  • Nick Jr.
  • NFL Network
  • SYFY
  • TBS
  • TLC
  • TNT
  • Travel Channel
  • Tribeca Shortlist
  • truTV
  • USA
  • Vice

 

Note: The Olympic Channel is no longer on Sling Blue. NBCUniversal shut down the network in September 2022

Does Sling TV have local channels?

Local NBC and FOX stations are available on the Sling Blue bundle in a limited number of markets.

There are no local ABC or CBS stations on Sling TV. (See The Cord Cutting Report’s map on Sling TV locals below.) 

Sling TV says that subscribers may want to consider using a TV antenna for local channels

ABOUT THE MAP: Click on an icon to see what local NBC or FOX stations are in your area. This map will be updated by crowdsourced info that will be double checked. So feel free to report local channels and regional NBC Sports and NBCSN channels along with your zip code in the comments below. This map is a sequel of sorts to a similar map I made on the site in 2016 for the now-defunct PlayStation Vue.

What are Sling TV add-on channels?

Once you pick either Sling Orange or Sling Blue, you have the option of picking smaller add-on channel packages. These can range in price between $6 to $11 per month.

Here are a few of examples:

Sports Extra ($11/mo)

  • NFL RedZone
  • NBA TV
  • NHL Network
  • SEC Network
  • PAC-12 Network
  • ACC Network
  • ACC Network Extra
  • Longhorn Network
  • beIN Sports
  • MLB Network
  • SEC Network Plus
  • ESPNU
  • ESPNews
  • Tennis Channel
  • MLB Strike Zone
  • Outside TV

Comedy Extra ($6/mo)

  • MTV
  • truTV
  • feTV
  • Laff
  • Paramount Network
  • MTV2
  • CMT
  • Logo
  • Revolt
  • Game Show Network
  • TV Land

Kids Extra ($6/mo)

  • Disney Junior
  • Disney XD
  • Nicktoons,
  • TeenNick,
  • Boomerang,
  • BabyTV 

Heartland Extra ($6/mo)

  • World Fishing Network
  • INSP
  • Sportsman Channel
  • Pursuit
  • Outdoor Channel
  • Great American Family
  • Great American Living
  • American Heroes Channel
  • RFD TV
  • Destination America
  • PIXL
  • Cowboy Channel

Hollywood Extra ($6/mo)

  • REELZ
  • Heroes & Icons
  • StartTV
  • GRIT
  • HDNet Movies
  • Sundance TV
  • Cinemoi
  • TCM
  • Bounce

News Extra ($6/mo)

  • BBC World News
  • News Nation
  • Newsmax
  • HLN (Sling Blue only)
  • Weather Nation
  • Science Channel
  • News 18
  • CGTN
  • Law & Crime Trial Network
  • CNBC (Sling Blue only)
  • FOX Business (Sling Blue only)

Lifestyle Extra ($6/mo)

  • Magnolia Network
  • Hallmark Channel
  • VH1
  • Cooking Channel
  • fyi
  • We TV
  • Lifetime Movie Channel
  • Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
  • Hallmark Drama

(Note: Oxygen channel is no longer part of Lifestyle Extra.)

Look over a broader list of Sling TV add-ons at Sling TV’s website.

Sling TV Premium Channels

You won’t find HBO Max as an option, but Sling TV has a number of premium channels that can be added to a subscription. 

A Showtime subscription costs $10 per month, and adds 9 live Showtime channels to an account. Starz costs $9 per month, and adds six live STARZ channels. EPIX costs $4 per month and adds 4 EPIX channels. 

Other “a la carte” or premium extras include Curiosity Stream for $3 per month and Outside TV Features for $5 per month. 

NBA League Pass on Sling TV

NBA League Pass can be added to a Sling TV subscription. There are two options to watch out-of-market games. NBA League Pass does not have coverage for local games.

To follow a single team, NBA League Pass costs $18 per month. NBA League Pass costs $29 per month if you want to watch every out-of-market team.

Are Regional Bally Sports Networks on Sling TV?

In July 2019, regional FOX Sports networks were dropped from Sling TV and its parent company DISH Network.

A contract dispute with Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. led to 21 regional networks being taken off of Sling TV and DISH Network’s channel lineup. 

FOX Sports re-branded to Bally Sports on March 31, 2021. Dish Network Corp. Chairman Charlie Ergen said earlier this year that his company was open to ending its standoff with Sinclair. 

Are Regional NBC Sports networks on Sling TV?

NBC Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) were removed from Sling TV on April 1, 2021. The change impacted customers in 10 states and Washington D.C.

SLING TV customers will no longer have access to NBC Sports Washington, NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California.

Sling TV International Channels

Among Sling TV’s huge list of add-on channel bundles, there are international channels packages for shows and sports from Brazil, China, India, Mexico and a number of others. 

Is Sling TV worth it?

Sling TV is the cheapest way to stream ESPN live without a cable TV or satellite plan. And there are a number of other popular cable TV channels. 

Sling TV lets subscribers build a customized channel bundle more than competing live TV services. 

The downside is that you might need an alternative for local channels. 

Otherwise, Sling TV can save you a bundle compared to cable TV or satellite TV service.

If you don’t care about sports channels, then you will want to explore Philo, which focuses on entertainment channels such as A&E, Discovery and Food Network.

Ready to give Sling TV a try?

See the latest Sling TV offer for new and returning customers.

Pick out a FREE or discounted streaming device in exchange for a brief subscription. 

Is Sling not your thing? You can read my guide on the best live TV streaming services, or the Philo channel lineup guide for alternatives to Sling TV.

For more news on streaming, how-to guides and reviews, head over to the main page of The Cord Cutting Report or follow the CCR on Google News

This article was published February 14, 2021, and has been updated.

Jim Kimble is a seasoned industry expert with over two decades of journalism experience. He has been at the forefront of the cord-cutting movement since 2016, testing and writing about TV-related products and services. He founded The Cord Cutting Report in 2016, and serves as the editor.

Major publications, including MarketWatch, Forbes, and South Florida Sun Sentinel, have interviewed Kimble for his years of expertise. He gives advice on the complexities consumers are navigating with streaming options, and over-the-air TV. Kimble has been a staff writer or correspondent for several award-winning, daily newspapers, including The Boston Globe.

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