Sling TV is perhaps the most a la carte of all the streaming services. It offers two main channel suites that suit streaming needs for many varied tastes.
Deciding what your personalized channel package might be a bit of a challenge. Luckily, we’ve put together a Sling TV Channels primer to make it a little easier.
Sling TV Channels: Sling TV Channel packages and add-ons
Sling’s two main channel suites are divided into Blue and Orange channel suites. Alone, they are $35, but you can nab both together for $50.
| Orange | $35 |
| Blue | $35 |
| Orange + Blue | $50 |
Sling Orange channels
Cost: $35 per month
The Sling Orange channel lineup has a lot of basic go-tos and s a bit smaller than Sling Blue, with just 32 channels. It does, however, include three ESPN channels, AMC, Comedy Central, CNN, and the Disney Channel.
Once upon a time, Orange was less expensive than Blue, but now the key differentiator is the ESPN and Disney quartet. If keeping your sports options open and your kids happy is important to you, you’ll want to move toward either Orange or Orange + Blue. But read on to see what Blue offers for the same price as Orange.
Sling Blue channels
Cost: $35 per month
The Sling Blue channel lineup has almost everything you’re looking for in a sports package—NFL Network, FS1 and FS2, NBCSN, TNT, and TBS—with the obvious exception of those aforementioned ESPN channels. With Sling Blue, you’re getting 43 channels, including FX and SyFy. The Blue package also includes all three major news networks, MSNBC, CNN, and Fox, while the basic Orange package just has CNN. Otherwise, there’s a lot of overlap with the Sling Orange package.
Sling Blue used to be a little more expensive than Sling TV’s other basic package, Sling Orange. But you could now argue, which each at the same price, that Blue’s a better value than Orange. That’s because it offers more exclusive channels and three times as many concurrent streams. If you’re looking for the biggest number of channels for the least amount of money, Sling Blue is rivaled only by the budget-minded streaming service Philo.
Sling Orange + Blue channels
Cost: $50 per month
Sling Orange + Blue combines the two packages into one comprehensive lineup of more than 50 channels. It’s only eight more channels than Sling Blue, so whether that spend is worth it is up to you. If you can live without ESPN and the Disney Channel, you may be better served by just Sling Blue. But that could be a big if, depending on your household.
What local channels are on Sling TV?
Sling TV offers two local channels, Fox and NBC, as part of its base packages, and even those are just in select markets. You can check if Sling offers local channels in your area by going here and entering your ZIP code. If it’s just CBS you need, of course, a service like Paramount+ could fix you up.
But you can also solve the local channel quandary two ways.
One solution, available to 55 percent of U.S. viewers (and growing), is Locast — a donation-fueled service that integrates with Sling. You’ll not only get your local channels; you’ll get them integrated into Sling’s channel guide when you’re ready to watch. You won’t, however, be able to DVR Locast-delivered content, so you’ll have to plan to watch those shows live.
The other option is AirTV, which allows you to stream your local channels to your TV once you purchase an AirTV device. AirTV allows local channels to show on your Sling interface, so you can toggle between your Sling subscription and your over-the-air channels.
How to use AirTV with Sling
AirTV solves one of the Sling’s biggest problems: The inability to receive all of your local channels. By purchasing an AirTV device you can merge those local channels into your Sling TV, (or on your mobile device if you have the basic AirTV). As the Daily Dot wrote in its AirTV review, “It’s practically magic.”
AirTV—which has no monthly fee beyond buying a device—gives Sling users the ability to access all local channels to add to whichever Sling package is the best fit for them.
Sling TV add-ons
When it comes to add-on channels, Sling TV has more options than basically anyone. Most of Sling TV’s add-on packages have different channels and sometimes different pricing depending on whether you’re adding onto a Sling Orange or Sling Blue package. Here’s what you can add and what you need to know.
International
Sling TV has a robust set of international packages offering channels in a variety of language packs, featuring programming from all over the world.
Cost: Variable
Regions of the world with language-specific packages include:
- South Asian (Hindi, Bangala, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu)
- Middle Eastern (Arabic)
- European (French, German, Greek, Italian, Polish)
- South American (Brazilian)
- East Asian (Cantonese, Mandarin, Taiwanese)
There’s also an International Sports duo of packages including World Sports (BeIn Sports and BeIn Sports Connect, Nautical TV, Premier, and Willow and Willow Extra), and Cricket.
Sling Latino
There are a number of Spanish-speaking regions represented in Sling Latino. While the Best of Spanish TV package described below might have enough to satisfy the Spanish-speaking members of your household, you can also choose from one of these Extra packs for $10 a month to get region-specific or interest-specific programming:
- Caribe
- Centroamerica
- Deportes
- España
- Mexico
- Sudamerica
There are also eight premium channels en Español to enhance a subscriber’s bilingual or Spanish-only experience.
Best of Spanish TV
Cost: $10 per month
This is an awesome collection of more than 20 Spanish channels that includes NBC Universo, History en Espanol estrellaTV, Azteca, Nat Geo Mundo, two Discovery channels, BeIN Sports Ñ, and family, film and telenovela channels.
Total TV Deal
Cost: $21 or 27 per month
Sling’s got a lot of extra packages, and the Total TV deal allows you to not have to choose. For $21 if you have Orange or Blue, and $27 if you have Orange + Blue, you can get Comedy Extra, News Extra, Heartland Extra, Sports Extra, Kids Extra, Lifestyle Extra, Hollywood Extra and DVR Plus.
Four Extras Deal
Cost: $13 per month
Don’t need everything that comes with the Total TV package? The Four Extras Deal might be for you. You get Kids Extra, News Extra, Lifestyle Extra and Comedy Extra for just $13 per month. Each of those packages retails for $6 per month, so you’ll save $11 per month bundling them together. Remember there are slight differences between the channels offered in these packages, so continue reading to see what you get.
Sports Extra
Cost: $15 for Orange + Blue; $11 per month for Orange or Blue
Available with all packages:
- BeIN Sports
- NBA TV
- MLB Network
- MLB Strike Zone
- NHL Network
- Pac-12 Network
- Tennis Channel
Available with Orange:
- ACC Network
- ACC Network Extra
- ESPNU
- ESPNews
- Longhorn Network
- Pac-12 Network
- SEC Network
- SEC Network+
Available with Blue:
- Big Ten Network
- FS2
- Golf Channel
- NFL Red Zone
- Olympic Channel
Comedy
Cost: $6 per month
There’s a lot to like in this Sling TV package, though it isn’t exclusively comedy
- CMT
- fetv
- GSN
- Laff
- Logo
- MTV
- MTV2
- Paramount Network
- Revolt
- TV Land
- TruTV (Orange only)
Hollywood Extra
Cost: $6 per month
A crash course in classic movies, full of movies you probably need to see but haven’t.
- Cinémoi
- Grit
- HDNet Movies
- H&I
- Reelz
- StartTV
- Sundance TV
- TCM
- FXM (Blue only)
- FXX (Blue only)
News Extra
Cost: $6 per month
This is world news of varying quality.
- BBC World News
- CGTN
- CNBC
- Euronews
- Fox Business
- France 24
- HLN (Orange only)
- Law & Crime Trial Network
- NDTV
- News18
- NewsNation (Blue only)
- Newsmax
- RT America
- Sci
- WeatherNation
Lifestyle Extra
Cost: $6 per month
This includes three Hallmark Channels and some other staples.
- Cooking Channel
- DIY Network
- FYI
- Hallmark Channel
- Hallmark Drama
- Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
- LMN
- Oxygen (Blue only)
- VH1
- WeTV
Heartland Extra
Cost: $6 per month
Rugged programming for rural America.
- American Heroes Channel
- Cowboy Channel
- Destination America
- Great American Country
- Insp
- National Geographic Wild (Blue only)
- Outdoor
- Pixl
- Pursuit
- RFD TV
- Ride TV
- Sportsman Channel
- World Fishing Network
Kids Extra
Cost: $6 per month
- Baby TV
- Boomerang
- Duck TV
- NickToons
- TeenNick
Sling TV premium channels
Sling TV has made huge strides since launching in its addition of premium channels. While the pricing is fairly standard from what you’ll find elsewhere, it’s convenient to bundle your services together. Unfortunately, HBO and Cinemax were pulled from the service in November 2018, but there are plenty of other premium options to choose from. Here’s the complete listing of channels, including Showtime for $11 per month and Starz for $10 per month.
| Acorn | CDN | Cinefest |
| Cinémoi | Cocina | CON TV |
| Country Network Plus | Curiosity Stream | Docudrama |
| DOG TV | Dove Channel | Dox |
| Flix Latino | Gallery by Sling Scapes | Genius Brand Networks |
| Grokker | Hallmark Movies Now | Here TV |
| Hopster | Kartoon Channel | Magellan |
| Magnolia Selects | Monsters and Nightmares | Outside TV Features |
| Pantaya | Playkids | Qello Concerts by Stingray |
| ScreamFlix | Shudder | Sony LIV |
| Showtime | Starz | Stingray Karaoke |
| UP Faith & Family | VSiN | Warriors and Gangsters |
| WeTV |
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