Sling TV Reviews 2021

Live TV streaming services were introduced to substitute cable TV by allowing you to stream live channels over the web. That is appreciable, but not all services are designed parallel. For example, while names like YouTube TV provide a great deal of channels, they cost almost twice as much as a cost-effective cord-cutter like Sling TV.

What is Sling TV?

Sling TV is a subscription service to live stream a line-up of TV channels — same as offered by satellite and cable TV. However, Sling only offers a few of them without costing an arm and a leg every month. You can watch Sling TV via Sling TV app on smart TV systems, gaming consoles, media streamers, as well as on tablets, computers, and phone without any cable box.  

Sling TV Plans and Pricing

If you like watching live local programming from broadcast networks, Sling TV brings at your disposal two primary plans: Sling Orange and Sling Blue and both of them cost $35. Channel offerings of both plans largely overlap, albeit each plan features exclusive networks.  

Sling TV Orange essentially comes with Disney and ESPN option, while Sling Blue has NBC and Fox. If unfortunately, you are not in one of those areas where Sling TV offers these channels or you wish to have other channels like ABC and CBS, Sling offers packages that come with an HD antenna and AirTV, but you have to pay in advance for 3 months to take benefit from Sling service.

Which Sling TV Package is the Best?

We recommend Sling Blue if you are more interested in sports and news, and you will like Sling Orange if are more into lifestyle and kids related content. You can also subscribe to Sling Orange and Sling Blue at the same time for $50. It gives you at least 10 more channels than Sling Blue TV and also includes EPIX with other popular sports channels.

Sling TV Plan	Price per month	TV channel count
Sling Orange	$35	30
Sling Blue	$35	45
Sling Orange Sling Blue	$50	50

 

Sling TV: Channel Lineup & Extras

Sling channel lineup is up to scratch, which means it is not as rich as its higher-priced competitors Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV, but it is definitely a cut above than the lower-tier live streaming services, such as Philo. To simplify it for you, here is a list of some of the channels you can find in each Sling TV plan:

Sling Orange	Sling Blue	Sling Orange Blue
A&E AMC BBC America Cartoon Network CNN Comedy Central Disney Channel ESPN ESPN2 ESPN3 Food Network Freeform HGTV HISTORY Investigation Discovery Lifetime Stadium TBS TNT	BBC America Bravo Cartoon Network CNN Food Network FOX Fox News FS1 HGTV HISTORY Investigation Discovery Lifetime Channel MSNBC NBC NBC Sports NBC Sports Network NFL Network Nick Jr. Paramount Network Stadium TBS TLC TNT USA	AMC Cartoon Network CNN Comedy Central Discovery Channel Disney Channel EPIX EPIX 2 EPIX Drive-In EPIX Hits ESPN ESPN2 ESPN3 Food Network Fox News FS1 FS2 FX Golf Channel HGTV HISTORY MSNBC National Geographic NBC Sports NBC Sports Network NFL Network Olympic Channel Stadium TBS TNT Univision USA

 

Add-on Packages

Sling TV also offers a variety of add-on packages, making it easy for subscribers to hand pick only those channels that they really love to watch on a regular basis. Here is a glimpse of Sling TV premium channels and extras that you can include in your existing subscription plan.

Premium Channels & Extras	Price per month
FlixLatino	$3
EPIX	$5
Deportes	$5
Espanol	$5
Comedy Extra	$5
International	$5
International	$5
Acorn	$6
Kids Extra	$6
News Extra	$6
Lifestyle Extra	$6
Hollywood Extra	$6
Heartland Extra	$6
Hallmark Movies Now	$6
Pantaya	$6
STARZ	$9
SHOWTIME	$10
Sports Extra	$15
Total TV Deal	$27
NBA LEAGUE PASS	$28.99
NHL CENTER ICE	$29

 

Video Quality

Most content available on Sling TV is in 720p, which is pretty much the standard among almost all live streaming services. Only YouTube TV and Fubo TV have some channels at 1080p.

Sling TV: Subscription Accounts & DVR

Sadly, Sling does not let users create several accounts under a single subscription. Sling Orange subscribers get to stream only one screen at a time, while Sling Blue subscribers can watch on three screens simultaneously. For Sling Orange Blue users, streaming limit is set to four screens at a time.

Just a heads up, the biggest downside of Sling TV is that it offers you only 50 hours of free DVR storage with each subscription. However, it does give you an option to upgrade to 200 hours of storage, but for that you must pay $5 extra every month.

Which Devices Are Compatible With Sling TV?

Sling TV lets you stream on a range of devices besides its own AirTV Mini. Here is an almost complete list:  

Sling TV: Interface

Sling TV has a pretty easy and simple interface—no-brainer for most users to find what they want. The interface is quite similar to that Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV.

The home page displays a list of Hit Movies, Continue Watching, Recordings, Recommended for You, Popular Shows, Trending Live, and similar options. Sling TV not only includes live channels, but also On Demand movies and TV shows. So, you can tune into Shrek 2 or House Hunters International after a long tiring day, or watch She’s the Man on your phone while curled up in the blanket on a Christmas eve. 

You can also navigate to the Rentals section and rent any movie available for $3.99 – $6.99.

Sling TV: Specifications

Starting Price	$35/mo. & $50/mo.
DVR Storage	50 (free) or 200 hours ($5/mo.)
Simultaneous Streams	1, 2, or 4
Sports Coverage	Regional, National, and International
TV Shows & On-Demand Movies	Yes
4K Live Streams	No

 

Sling TV Reviews: Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
A relatively inexpensive streaming service	Interface demands improvement.
Offers flexible subscription options — you can take a pick from three available packages based on your needs.	Only includes limited local channels — nothing beyond Fox and NBC in some cities.
Includes top networks like ESPN	Limited free DVR storage — only 50 hours.
You can get lots of add-ons as well as numerous customization options.	Confusing channels distribution — difficult for most people to choose a package.
Good range of channels for the price.	Premium channel add-ons lack HBO
Allows movie rentals.	Limited regional sports networks.
Reliable streaming performance.

 

Final Verdict

Sling TV is the perfect choice for cord-cutters, who wish to replace their cable TV plan with a streaming service. The cost effective attribute of the Sling Blue and Sling Orange plans make them super appealing — as long as you are convinced with the included channel lineups.

The only downside is the meager DVR storage, but if you want a relatively inexpensive live TV, we would recommend Sling TV as a perfect path to cutting the cord for good. So, Good Luck!

 

FAQs

Is Sling TV any good?

Sling TV is a perfect budget-friendly live TV streaming service, which has been popular for years now. You can watch most of your favorite networks for much less than your current monthly cable. Plus, Sling TV even enables you to watch anywhere on almost any device.

Which is better Hulu or sling?

Although Sling TV is better than Hulu in terms of price and gives better channels add-on options, the additional charge of those extras is a lot and takes away Sling TV pricing advantage.

Which is better Philo or sling?

Philo includes unlimited DVR option, while Sling standard packages offer a cloud DVR with only 50 hours of storage. So, in terms of DVR Philo is clearly a winner.

Are there any hidden fees with Sling TV?

With prices starting from $35 a month, Sling TV has a range of popular broadcast and cable channels without any rental equipment, long-term contracts, or hidden fees.