Sling TV Review
Sling TV is the least expensive major live TV service in the U.S.; this review explains what the lower price gives up.
Quick verdict. Sling TV is the right choice when price matters more than completeness. You give up CBS, most locals, and multi-stream support on Orange, but you pay far less than any other live TV bundle on this list.
Score follows our published ranking methodology. We have not performed hands-on lab testing; the evaluation is based on provider-published plan details and publicly documented features, verified Oct 12, 2026.
We may earn commissions from providers featured here. Compensation can affect placement. Affiliate Disclosure
At a glance
- Live TV
- Sports
- DVR
- No Contract
- Orange or Blue from $45.99/mo; combined plan costs more
- No standard trial; first month usually discounted
- 1 stream on Orange, 3 on Blue, 4 combined
- No CBS; ABC, FOX, NBC only on Blue in select cities
- 50-hour DVR included; paid upgrade available
- Drawback: no regional sports networks; local surcharge on Blue
Current pricing and plans
Sling Orange
$45.99/mo- ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, TNT, TBS, Disney Channel
- 1 stream only
- 50 hours DVR
Sling Blue
$45.99/mo- FS1, FX, USA, NFL Network, Bravo
- ABC, FOX, and NBC locals in select markets only (no CBS)
- 3 streams
- 50 hours DVR
A local-channel surcharge applies in some Blue markets; confirm with your ZIP code on the provider's site.
Sling Orange & Blue
$60.99/mo- Everything in both plans
- Up to 4 streams (1 for Orange channels)
- 50 hours DVR
Prices are recurring monthly rates for new subscribers as shown on the provider's website on Oct 12, 2026, before taxes and fees. Promotional pricing, where offered, is noted separately. Check current pricing on the provider's site.
- Prices moved in early 2026 to the figures above, all recurring rates. Instead of a free trial, Sling usually discounts the first month; the regular rate applies from month two. Prepaid multi-month packages are sold at a modest discount; see the provider for terms.
- The local-channel surcharge on Blue: in markets with ABC, FOX, or NBC affiliates, Blue costs more than the base rate, shown once you enter a ZIP code. Our registry records the amount as unverified; confirm for your address.
- No regional sports fee, because Sling carries no RSNs. Taxes added at checkout.
- Add-ons: Sports Extra (ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network on Orange; FS2, NFL RedZone, Golf Channel, and league networks on Blue), a DVR upgrade, and entertainment, kids, news, lifestyle, comedy, Spanish-language, international, and premium packs, each sold separately. See the provider for add-on pricing.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
- Lowest monthly price of any major live TV service
- Pick the channel set you need: Orange for ESPN and TNT, Blue for FS1, NFL Network, and locals
- Many inexpensive add-on packs, plus a Day Pass for one-off events
- No contract and a free ad-supported Freestream tier
- Strong Spanish-language and international packages
Limitations
- Sling Orange allows only one stream at a time
- No CBS at all; ABC, FOX, and NBC only on Blue in select markets
- Only 50 hours of DVR included
Every advantage comes back to price and choice; every disadvantage to what the low price excludes. Sling is a good deal only if your channels sit in one plan and you can live with its stream limit; it becomes mediocre once you add the combined plan, Sports Extra, and a DVR upgrade to approximate a full bundle.
Comparison with competing providers
| Service | Starting price | Streams | Free trial | DVR | Locals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sling TV | $45.99/mo | 1 (Orange), 3 (Blue), 4 (both) | No standard trial | 50 hours included | ABC, FOX, NBC in select markets (Blue); no CBS |
| YouTube TV | $82.99/mo | 3 | Varies | Unlimited, 9 months | Most markets |
| Hulu + Live TV | $99.99/mo | 2 | Varies | Unlimited, 9 months | Most markets |
| Fubo | $55.99/mo | Up to 10 at home | Usually | Unlimited | Select markets |
Starting prices are the lowest recurring monthly rate for each service's cheapest live plan as verified on Oct 12, 2026; Sling Blue costs more in markets with local channels, and Fubo adds a regional sports fee on some plans.
The gap between Sling and the full bundles is the whole story. YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV cost far more but include all four locals in most markets, ESPN and FS1 together, and unlimited DVR. Fubo sits between on its Sports plan and is the choice for regional sports. Sling is for viewers who have decided they do not need all of that. The comparison table covers all ten services, and the cheapest TV streaming guide ranks every low-cost option.
Ready to try Sling TV?
From $45.99/mo. No standard free trial. No contract. Verified Oct 12, 2026.
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Provider overview
Provider overview
- Owned by DISH Network's parent, EchoStar; launched 2015 as the first mainstream "skinny bundle" and still follows that idea: two mid-sized plans, Orange and Blue, plus many small add-on packs.
- Orange is built around Disney-owned networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, Disney Channel) plus TNT and TBS. Blue is built around FOX and NBCUniversal networks (FS1, FX, USA, Bravo, NFL Network) plus ABC, FOX, and NBC affiliates in limited markets. The plans overlap on entertainment but not sports; a combined Orange & Blue plan exists. CBS is not carried on any plan.
- Also operates Freestream, a free ad-supported tier, and sells a Day Pass for short-term access.
- Reputation rests on price and flexibility rather than completeness, and our scoring reflects that split.
Editor's evaluation
Editor's evaluation
- Weakest: quality 5. One concurrent stream on Orange means a second viewer interrupts the first unless you buy Blue or the combined plan; the included DVR holds fifty hours; live 4K is limited to select sports events. No hands-on bitrate testing; the score reflects published limits.
- Content 6: no single plan has both ESPN and FS1, and no plan has CBS.
- Strongest: flexibility 9. Assemble a lineup from two plans, dozens of add-ons, a Day Pass, and a free tier, with no contract and month-to-month add-ons.
- Value 8: Orange or Blue is well below any other live TV plan on our list, and even the combined plan undercuts YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV base plans by a wide margin.
- Devices 9 (no PlayStation app); interface 7 and support 6 for a functional but dated app and published support channels.
Main features
Main features
- Stream limits. Orange: one. Blue: three. Orange & Blue: up to four, but only one on an Orange-only channel such as ESPN at any time. Two TVs on ESPN at once is not possible.
- DVR. Fifty hours included; a paid upgrade raises capacity to two hundred hours per our provider data, though a secondary source describes it as unlimited, so check the provider. Recordings do not expire on a fixed schedule, but the small allowance means managing space manually. Pause and rewind live on most channels.
- Guide and profiles. Favorites list and profile support.
- Picture. HD on all plans; 4K limited to select sports events on ESPN and FOX channels with a compatible device.
- Freestream. The free tier is in the same app without signing in, a useful fallback between paid months.
Channel lineup and content categories
Channel lineup and content categories
- Orange: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, TNT, TBS, Disney Channel, and general entertainment and news. Per our sports availability research (verified Oct 12, 2026, re-check by Jan 10, 2027), that makes Orange the plan for Monday Night Football, ESPN's NBA and college football, and NHL and MLB on TNT and TBS. ESPNU, ESPNews, SEC Network, and ACC Network need Sports Extra.
- Blue: FS1, FX, USA Network, Bravo, NFL Network, truTV, TNT, and TBS, plus local ABC, FOX, and NBC in select metros such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. Outside those markets Blue has no locals; CBS is never carried. FS2, NFL RedZone, Golf Channel, NBA TV, MLB Network, NHL Network, Tennis Channel, and Big Ten Network come via Sports Extra on Blue or the combined plan.
- No plan carries regional sports networks, so local MLB, NBA, and NHL broadcasts are unavailable.
- Strong Spanish-language and international programming, with Latino plans and country-specific packs rivals do not match.
- See our ESPN page, TNT page, Sling TV alternatives, and Sling TV plans explained.
Supported devices
Supported devices
| Service type | Live TV (skinny bundle) |
|---|---|
| Starting price | $45.99/mo (Orange or Blue; $60.99 for both) |
| Plans | Sling Orange $45.99/mo, Sling Blue $45.99/mo, Sling Orange & Blue $60.99/mo |
| Free trial | No standard free trial. Sling usually offers a discounted first month instead; the free Sling Freestream tier needs no subscription. |
| Contract | No contract |
| Simultaneous streams | 1 (Orange), 3 (Blue), 4 (both) |
| 4K | Select events only |
| Cloud DVR | 50 hours included; 200-hour upgrade available |
| Ad-supported plan | Yes |
| Supported devices | Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV and Google TV, Chromecast, Samsung and LG smart TVs, Xbox, iOS, Android, web browsers (no PlayStation app) |
| Availability | United States |
| Last verified | Oct 12, 2026 |
- Runs on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV and Google TV, Chromecast, Samsung and LG smart TVs, Xbox, iOS, Android, and web browsers.
- The gap is PlayStation: no app for PS4 or PS5, so a PlayStation-only bedroom TV needs an inexpensive streaming stick. Xbox is supported.
- Device list compiled from provider documentation and general knowledge, not hands-on testing; PlayStation support is flagged in our registry as worth confirming with the provider. See the device compatibility guide.
Subscription requirements
Subscription requirements
- Email, U.S. billing address, and a credit or debit card; PayPal and some prepaid cards accepted; sign-up through certain app stores and partners possible.
- ZIP code required at checkout, since local availability and the Blue surcharge depend on it.
- Home-location rules are lighter than YouTube TV's or Hulu's, given few locals and no RSNs, but local affiliates are restricted to your home market and the service is U.S.-only.
- Stream limits apply across all devices regardless of location; the terms limit sharing to one household.
Cancellation considerations
Cancellation considerations
- No contract; cancel from the account page any time. Service runs to the end of the paid month; remaining days are not refunded.
- Add-ons can be removed individually; plan switches take effect on the next billing date. Prepaid multi-month packages are not refundable once started.
- No standard trial, so no auto-conversion, but the first-month discount steps up on the second bill.
- App store sign-ups cancel through that store. The Day Pass is a single, non-renewing charge; Freestream needs no cancellation.
- Our cancellation and billing guide covers each route.
Ideal customer profile
Ideal customer profile
Subscribe if:
- You want the lowest recurring price for live cable channels.
- Your must-have networks fall clearly into Orange (ESPN, TNT) or Blue (FS1, NFL Network, USA).
- You already get locals from an antenna and watch one screen at a time.
- You want Spanish-language or international packages others do not offer, or a seasonal subscription for a single sport.
Look elsewhere if:
- You need CBS, or locals outside the handful of Blue markets.
- Two people want ESPN at the same time.
- You record heavily and do not want to pay for a DVR upgrade.
- You need regional sports networks. YouTube TV covers locals and DVR, Fubo covers RSNs; the live TV streaming guide compares all five.
Frequently asked questions
Should I choose Sling Orange or Sling Blue?
Orange for ESPN, ESPN2, Disney Channel, or a single viewer; Blue for FS1, NFL Network, USA, Bravo, local ABC, FOX, and NBC in supported markets, and three streams. The combined plan covers both.
Does Sling TV have CBS?
No, on any plan in any market. An antenna or Paramount+ Premium's live CBS feed are the usual workarounds.
Does Sling TV have local channels?
Only on Blue in select metros, where ABC, FOX, and NBC are included at a surcharge; Orange has none. Enter your ZIP on the provider's site.
Is there a free trial?
Not as a standard offer; Sling usually discounts the first month instead, and Freestream can be watched free without a subscription.
How many devices can stream at once?
One on Orange, three on Blue, up to four on Orange & Blue, with only one stream on Orange-only channels at a time.
Does Sling work on PlayStation?
No PlayStation app as of Oct 12, 2026. Xbox, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Google TV, smart TVs, phones, and browsers are supported.
Editorial methodology and sources
Editorial methodology and sources
- Scores follow the weighted rubric in How We Rank.
- Sling's site blocked automated fetching on Oct 12, 2026, so prices come from dated third-party price checks listed below and carry medium confidence in our registry.
- No hands-on lab testing of stream quality or support response times. Our editorial policy explains corrections and how often prices are rechecked.
- https://www.sling.com/deals
- https://www.androidcentral.com/sling-orange-vs-sling-blue
- https://macmyths.com/sling-tv-prices-and-plans-full-2026-comparison/
Accessed Oct 12, 2026. See the editorial policy for how we verify facts.
Affiliate disclosure
Affiliate disclosure
Top10StreamingServices.com may receive compensation when you click a link to Sling TV or another provider on this page and subscribe. This does not affect the price you pay, and the score and ranking above follow our published methodology regardless of compensation. We are an independent publisher and are not affiliated with Sling TV, DISH, or EchoStar. Read the full disclosure.