Sling TV Subscription Costs in 2025: What to Expect

While it may not be as widely recognized as giants like Netflix or Hulu, Sling TV has carved out a significant niche in the streaming landscape. Launched in 2015, it pioneered the concept of live TV streaming, offering a budget-friendly alternative to traditional cable subscriptions. With a variety of popular channels, a DVR service, and the flexibility to watch on up to three devices simultaneously, Sling TV caters to a wide audience. Dive into the detailed overview below to discover more about what Sling TV offers, including its channel lineup, sports coverage (such as MLB games), and monthly pricing.

What Is Sling TV?

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Sling TV is a subscription-based live TV service that provides a plethora of popular channels, live sports, and news without any long-term commitments. It's an attractive option for cord cutters seeking a more affordable alternative to services like YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV. Sling TV's unique selling point is its tailored plans, designed to match specific viewer interests rather than a generic content package. Each plan comes with 50 hours of DVR storage, allowing subscribers to record and enjoy their favorite shows and movies at their convenience.

One key distinction (and a reason for its lower cost) is that Sling TV does not include local channels like ABC, CBS, and NBC. Instead, it suggests pairing the subscription with an HD antenna (sold separately) to access these local channels.

Sling TV is compatible with a vast array of devices, including Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV devices, PS5, PS4, Xbox consoles, select Samsung, LG, and Vizio smart TVs, Google TV, Xfinity devices, TiVo, and more.

Does Sling TV Have a Free Trial?

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Unlike other live TV streaming services such as Fubo, Sling TV does not offer a free trial for new subscribers. However, it does provide a free streaming service called Sling Freestream, which offers a range of free channels and ad-supported content.

What Channels Does Sling TV Include?

Sling TV offers two main plans: Orange and Blue, both priced at $45.99 per month, but featuring different channel lineups to cater to various interests. For those who want access to all available channels, combining the Orange and Blue plans costs $60.99 per month and provides a comprehensive 46-channel lineup, including all 22 exclusive channels.

The Orange plan is ideal for sports fans and families, featuring channels like ESPN, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, HGTV, Food Network, Lifetime, Nick Jr., Comedy Central, TBS, and more. This plan includes 35 channels (with eight exclusive to Orange) and allows streaming on one device at a time, with the option to add more.

The Blue plan targets pro football fans and news enthusiasts, offering 43 channels (16 exclusive to Blue), including CNN, Bloomberg TV, Fox (in select markets), FS1, Fox News, MSNBC, NFL Network, and others. This plan allows streaming on up to three devices simultaneously.

Can You Watch Live Sports on Sling TV?

Yes, Sling TV does offer live sports, though most local games require an HD antenna (sold separately). The service splits its sports channels between the Orange and Blue plans, so subscribers need to choose based on their preferred sports networks.

The Orange plan includes ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3, while the Blue plan offers NFL Network and FS1 instead. You can enjoy live sports events like NFL, NBA, MLB, and more across these channels. For avid sports fans, adding the sports bundle for an additional $11-15/month (depending on your base plan) expands access to more channels, including NCAA-specific networks, NFL Redzone, MLB Network, NBA TV, NBC Golf, and the Tennis Channel. This also means you can watch March Madness games with this service.

How Much Does Sling TV Cost?

As mentioned, Sling TV's Orange and Blue plans are priced at $45.99 per month, with the option to combine them for $60.99 per month to access all channels. Currently, Sling is offering a limited-time deal of 50% off the first month of any subscription. For even more savings, you can prepay for three months of service for as low as $99.

Additional upgrades can enhance your Sling TV experience. For frequent DVR users, the Unlimited Cloud DVR upgrade costs an extra $5/month and includes an Auto Record feature that saves live sports events for up to three days.

Sports enthusiasts can add a sports bundle for $11-15/mo (depending on the base plan) to gain access to more live sports. For those interested in NFL games, here's how to watch NFL games online.

For more information on streaming platforms, explore guides on 2024 Hulu Subscriptions, Netflix Plans, ESPN+ Plans, and Disney+ Plans.