History
Sling Television, or known as Sling TV, is a over-the-top-internet (OTT) television subscription service owned and operated by DISH Network. The service launched in 2015 and boasts over 2.21 million subscribers to date. Sling TV was the first live TV service launched and was designed for users who want to cut the cord, but still maintain a TV viewing experience similar to what they’re used to through a TV service provider. Sling TV offers dozens of popular cable networks and broadcast channels with no contracts or hidden fees. While Sling TV is owned by DISH Network, you do not need to be a customer of DISH to use this service.
Sling TV allows users to watch live television and on-demand TV channels just like regular TV service- just without the cable! It’s a popular option among cord cutters and its known as one of the best and cheapest ways to cut the cord.
Content
Sling TV doesn’t produce original content like Netflix or Hulu, but instead truly acts as a TV service, just over the internet. Sling TV has three different packages, with a different channel lineup in each. There are three tiers available, Orange, Blue and Orange & Blue. Sling TV offers “a la carte” TV so it gives users the freedom to pick and choose their channels, giving them the ultimate customized TV viewing experience. We’ll cover content under the pricing feature, since it varies per package.
Pricing
Depending on which package you get, will correlate with your monthly price, channel lineup, and simultaneous streaming limits.
- Sling Orange ($35 per month)
- 33 channels including ESPN and Disney but not FOX or NBC channels.
- Users are limited to one screen at a time.
- Sling Blue ($35 per month)
- 48 channels including FOX and NBC, but not ESPN or Disney.
- Users are limited to three screens at a time.
- Sling Orange + Blue ($50 per month)
- 51 total channels and includes the entire channel lineup.
- Up to four simultaneous streams, but only one screen at a time on Orange channels.
Most popular channels in Sling Orange include A&E, CNN, Bravo, ESPN, Comedy Central, ESPN, Disney, Lifetime, HGTV, TBS and Viceland. The most popular channels in Sling Blue include USA Network, Travel Channel, Syfy, Fox, Fox Sports, NBC and The Discovery Channel. There’s a lot of overlap in channel selection between the two packages.
Sling TV also offers Sling Extras that allow customers to add on additional channels for a monthly fee. A few notable extra packages are:
- Sports Extra Package ($11 per month) NBA, NHL Network, additional ESPN channels (Orange only), NFL RedZone, The Golf Channel (on Blue only) and many more.
- Kids Extra Package ($6 per month) Nicktoons, Teen Nick, Boomerang, Disney Junior, and Disney XD (Orange only) and others.
- Lifestyle Extra Package ($6 per month) Cooking Channel, VH1, DIY, FYI, VH1 and Lifetime Movies plus more.
- Comedy Extra Package ($6 per month) TV Land, CMT, Logo, MTV and others.
- News Extra Package ($6 per month) HLN, MSNBC, The Blaze, CNBC (Blue Only), BBC World News and more.
Sling TV does not have a huge selection in terms of local channels, and any locals available are limited to select markets.
Features
New customers can receive 50 hours of free DVR storage! For customers wanting more, the DVR Plus option now provides 200 hours of storage for an additional $5 per month.
Capable Devices
Sling TV is compatible with all Android and iOS devices. You can also use Sling TV on Samsung, LG and VIZIO Smart TVs. The streaming devices compatible with Sling TV are Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku and Xbox.
Sling TV makes for a great option for those who are looking to cut the cord, but still enjoy the same TV experience they’ve known and loved- without the hefty price tag. It’s “a la carte” TV that can be personalized for anyone for the ultimate TV viewing experience.
