Deciding on a streaming service can be tough when there are so many companies and plans to choose from, including Sling TV.
Sling TV is a streaming platform owned by Dish Network that has live TV, sports and on-demand shows and movies. There are no contracts, and you can cancel at any time.
You can stream for free or pay for upgraded services with a subscription.
How much is Sling Freestream per month?
It's free. You don’t even need an account to access it, though creating one will give you a more personalized experience like being able to create a favorite watch list.
While shows include ads, Freestream has over 600 live TV channels and thousands of on-demand shows and movies.
If you’re looking for a no-cost solution for streaming and you don’t mind watching ads, Freestream could be a good choice. If you want the most current live program selections, Sling TV’s paid subscriptions provide that.
If you’re looking for a no-cost solution for streaming and you don’t mind watching ads, Freestream could be a good choice. If you want the most current live program selections, Sling TV’s paid subscriptions provide that.
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How much are Sling TV's paid packages?
Sling TV has several paid subscriptions for live TV. All of the plans are ad-supported, but include 50 hours of DVR storage so you could record shows and fast-forward through commercials.
Prices vary based on location, and first-month price promotions are common. Input your ZIP code on Sling.com to see pricing and features available for each plan in your area.
Sling Essentials
Sling TV announced Sling Essentials in April 2026. It costs $19.99 and comes with more than 10 channels, including ESPN and ESPN2, Disney and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.
Sling Select
This tier, also $19.99, also gets you more than 10 channels, but different ones. You'll get sports channels including NFL Network and FS1, plus FOX News and National Geographic, among others.
Essentials & Select
You can bundle Sling Essentials with Sling Select for $34.99. You'll get more than 15 channels and the ability to add extras.
Sling Orange
Sling Orange typically costs $45.99 per month and comes with 35 channels, including seven sports and family channels like ESPN and Disney that can’t be found on Sling Blue’s plan. You’ll be able to stream on just one device at a time with the Orange plan.
Sling Blue
Sling Blue also typically costs $45.99 per month, and features 43 channels, depending on your location. With Sling Blue, you won’t get all the family and sports channels available on Sling Orange, but you will get other channels that Orange doesn't have, such as Bravo and FX. You can stream on up to three devices at one time on this plan.
Sling Orange & Blue
Deciding between Sling Orange and Blue may not be a straightforward choice as each includes popular channels that the other doesn't.
If you want access to all channels, you can get Sling Orange & Blue, which typically costs $60.99 per month. This plan combines the Orange and Blue channel packages into one subscription. While you’ll pay more, you won’t have to worry about missing a game on ESPN, or not catching the latest reality shows on Bravo because you’ll have access to the full channel lineup.
MORE: How much do Hulu, Peacock and Paramount+ cost?
Sling TV extras
One of the distinct features of Sling TV is the ability to create your own add-ons, or Extras as Sling refers to them, to customize your viewing experience. Extras are mini-channel collections that can be added to your subscription.
There are specific offerings available for each plan, so check Sling’s website to see which channel collections are available for your subscription type.
For subscribers seeking premium channels, such as Showtime or Starz, those can be added for an additional monthly fee. Depending on where you live, the premium channels range in monthly price from $3 to $10.
Is Sling TV worth it?
The free version is worth it if you don't mind watching ads. Whether the paid services are worth it depend on your budget, what you want to stream, and which other streaming services you may already be paying for.
A helpful budgeting framework is the 50/30/20 budget, where you allocate 50% of your income to needs and minimum debt payments, 30% to wants, and 20% to savings and debt repayment beyond those minimums.
Sling TV usually falls into the 30% wants category, meaning it would be nice to have, but isn’t essential. If you already have a streaming service, do you need another one? Could you cancel one to save money?
For instance, if you don’t want to commit to a paid subscription but Freestream doesn’t quite fit your needs, you could purchase standalone channels. You don’t need a Sling base service to add on Showtime or Starz. Standalone channels start at $3 per month.
You can also take advantage of Sling TV’s promotions, which we’ve seen with $10 to $25 off the first month.
If you need a streaming device, Sling TV currently gives new subscribers an AirTV Mini — a device optimized specifically for Sling — for free when you prepay two months.
» Next steps: What's the best streaming service for you?
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