What is Sling TV?
Sling TV lets you ditch cable TV and still watch live channels from ESPN, CNN, Fox and more. At $30 a month, it's our favorite budget cord cutter live TV service.
Sling TV ($30 at Sling TV) was the first live TV streaming service -- appearing in February 2015 -- and while it spawned a number of competitors it's one of the cheapest, and the best, ways to cut the cable TV cord. In fact we awarded it our Editors' Choice among budget live TV streaming services, surpassing cheaper competitors and undercutting everyone else. If your main priority is saving money over cable, it should be the first such service to check out.
Wait a minute, you say. What the heck is Sling TV? It's a service that allows subscribers to watch a collection of live and on-demand TV channels on their TVs, computers, tablets or phones. This is live TV, just like a cable or satellite TV service, except it's streamed over the internet. Instead of a cable box, you connect a media streamer (like Roku or Apple TV) or game console, or just use the Slingtv.com/login app on your smart TV (or phone, tablet or computer) to watch.
Sling offers two tiers, Blue and Orange, and if you're a sports fan then Sling Orange remains the cheapest way to watch live ESPN shows like SportsCenter. You can pay more to get additional channels or add extra storage to the cloud DVR, and if you care more about Fox Sports and NBC than ESPN, you can subscribe to Blue. Here's everything you need to know.
How is Sling TV different from my cable or satellite provider?
Sling TV is a live TV streaming service that's operated by Dish Network, but it is an entirely separate entity. You do not need a Dish subscription (or a satellite dish) to get Sling TV. It's available on a number of different platforms including iOS, Android, Apple TV and Roku. In addition:
Sling TV is available everywhere in the United States.
It's probably cheaper and has fewer channels. Plans start at $30 and include around 30 live TV channels.
Local channels (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) are limited or nonexistent on Sling TV.
10 hours of cloud DVR storage are included.
It requires a broadband home internet connection of at least 5.0 megabits per second (25 Mbps or higher is recommended).
Instead of a cable box, you'll watch on a TV-connected device, like a streaming stick or box, Smart TV or game console that runs the free Sling TV app. It's also available on mobile
There are no contracts, and you can cancel or resume service anytime, with no penalties.
You can only watch one stream at a time with the Sling Orange package, or three streams with Sling Blue.
Why is it so cheap?
One of the biggest "gotchas" with Sling TV, and one of the reasons it's cheaper than cable, is the single-stream restriction on the Sling Orange package (the one that includes ESPN). Meanwhile, the Fox and NBC-inclusive Sling Blue does offers up to three simultaneous streams.
If you're an Orange subscriber, you cannot watch Slingtv.com/login on more than one device -- TV or mobile -- at the same time. This restriction can be a real hassle for families who want to watch different shows in different rooms, for example.
How does it work? If you're watching Sling TV on one device and then someone else begins watching Sling TV on another device, the service makes you choose which single device to continue streaming. The other device is blocked from streaming Sling TV until the first device stops.
How are Orange and Blue different?
Despite Sling TV's advertising itself as "a la carte TV," you can't pick and choose individual channels. As with cable, there's a set fee for a certain package.
Sling calls its packages Orange and Blue, and differentiates them by channel selection and simultaneous stream limit.
Sling Orange: $30 per month. 33 channels, including ESPN and Disney (but not Fox or NBC channels). Limited to one simultaneous stream at a time.
Sling Blue: $30 per month. 48 channels, including Fox and NBC channels (but not ESPN or Disney channels). Up to three simultaneous streams.
Sling Orange + Blue: $45 per month. Includes all channels from both (total of 51). Up to four simultaneous streams, but only one at a time of Orange channels.
How can I watch Sling TV?
You'll need to subscribe at Slingtv.com/login and set up an account, then install the app on a supported device.
Once you have the device and app installed, you'll be able to sign in and start watching anywhere in the US that has stable internet connection, whether wired, Wi-Fi or cellular data.
Sling TV is currently available (or not) on the following devices.
SLING TV DEVICES
TV devices: Roku (TVs, boxes and streaming sticks), Apple TV (2015 and newer only), Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Xbox One, Android TV, Channel Master, LG TV (Web OS 3.0+), Samsung Smart TV
Mobile devices: Android phones and tablets, iOS phones and tablets (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch), PC and Mac computers
Not available PlayStation (3 or 4), Xbox 360, Apple TV (pre-2015 versions)
Does Sling TV have commercials?
Yes. It has the same commercial breaks and national ads as the standard TV channels delivered via cable or satellite TV service. There are also un-skippable and un-pausable ads on some on-demand content.