Sling TV: Channel Lineup, Packages & Pricing

With millions of people expected to cut the cord from cable TV in the coming years, Sling TV is positioning itself as the budget-friendly alternative.

As of 2024, Sling TV has only 1.92 million subscribers nationwide. However, it’s base channel plan can get you cable networks such as ESPN and TNT for $40 per month. Nearly two dozen TV markets can get local channels such as NBC, FOX and CBS.

For the first time, perhaps ever, Sling TV is offering select sporting events in 4K without an extra fee or add-on bundle.

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, Fubo, Frndly, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, Philo, and others.

But the starting price for services similar to Sling TV starts between $72.99 and $79.99. The exceptions are Frndly and Philo, which do not carry sports or local channels.

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. 

	Price	Channels	Key Channels
Sling Orange	$40 per month	31	AMC, ESPN & History
Sling Blue	$40 per month	41	NFL Network and local NBC/Fox*
Sling Orange + Sling Blue	$55 per month	47	A&E, CNN and TNT

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 Orange ($40/month)

Sling Blue ($40/month)

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

What’s happening with Sling TV in 4K?

Sling TV began offering 4K streams for specific sporting events on local FOX stations earlier this year. Only 4K supported Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices can stream Sling TV feeds in 4K.

The company announced a slate of college football games on FOX and ESPN will be in 4K this fall. And baseball fans can expect the MLB Postseason and World Season to get the 4K treatment.

Sling TV does not charge extra for 4K streaming. However, it may be limited in some areas. FOX, for example, is not available in every TV market that Sling TV serves.

Does Sling TV have local channels?

Local NBC, ABC, and FOX stations are available on the Sling Blue bundle in a limited number of markets. There are no local CBS stations on Sling TV. NBC is available in 11 TV markets across the U.S. FOX is available in 18 markets, and ABC is in 8 total.

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

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
• ACC Network
• ACC Network Extra
• 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 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?

There are no regional 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.

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. 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.