The Sling Select plan is the latest addition to the Sling TV lineup, offering subscribers a way to sign up to a skinnier package at a cheaper price. While Sling Select will be a good option for some homes, other might find it too limiting.
To help you make a decision on whether it’s the right option for you, here’s a closer look at what you get with Sling Select, as well as how it compares to the Sling Orange and Sling Blue packages.
What You Get With Sling Select
Sling Select costs a minimum of $19.99 a month and subscribers get access to the following 10+ live TV channels.
- FOX News
- FS1
- FX
- National Geographic
- NFL Network
- LMN (Lifetime Movie Network)
- GSN (Game Show Network)
- GRIT
- H&I
- MeTV
- Vice
In addition to the channels listed above, Sling Select subscribers also get access to ABC, Fox, and NBC, as long as they are in markets where Sling offers these local channels.
While local channels are included in the Sling Select plan, they do come at an additional cost. In areas where one or two local channels are available, Sling Select subscribers pay an additional $5 a month, increasing the minimum cost to $24.99 a month.
In areas where all three local channels are available, subscribers pay an additional $10 each month, increasing the minimum cost to $29.99 a month.
| Local Channels | Cost p/m | |
|---|---|---|
| Select + | 0 | $19.99 |
| Select + | 1 or 2 | $24.99 |
| Select + | 3 | $29.99 |
Additional features included with Sling Select
- 50-hour DVD
- Ability to stream on up to 3 devices at the same time
- Ability to add ‘Extras’
What You Don’t Get With Sling Select
As Sling Select is designed to be a more affordable option, it is also a lesser product when compared to the more expensive Sling Orange and Sling Blue packages.
With this in mind, Sling Select won’t be a good option for any homes looking for access to many popular networks, including AMC, Bravo, CNN, Comedy Central, ESPN, MSNBC, SYFY and USA, among others.
Sling Select subscribers also don’t have the option to sign up for a Day, Week, or Weekend Pass. These are new paid options which allow consumers to access the Sling Blue plan on a very short-term basis.
Day, Week and Weekend Pass
Sling’s short-term subscriptions explained.
With no option to subscribe to Sling Select on a day, week, or weekend basis, subscribers will need to sign up and pay for a full month in advance.
Lastly, Sling Select doesn’t come with the option to prepay and save. While the Orange and Blue plans come with the ability to pay upfront for five months, Sling Select subscribers only have the option to sign up on a rolling monthly basis, and at full price.
How Select Compares To Orange and Blue
With Sling Select priced at less than half the price of the Sling Orange and Sling Blue packages, it should come as no surprise that Sling Select is not as rich as those other plans.
This is most noticeable at the channel level. While Sling Orange provides access to more than 30 live TV channels, and Sling Blue more than 45 channels, the Sling Select package only unlocks to more than 10 channels.
Sling Select, Orange, and Blue channel lineups compared
| Select | Blue | Orange | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A&E | ✔ | ✔ | |
| AMC | ✔ | ✔ | |
| AXS TV | ✔ | ✔ | |
| BBC America | ✔ | ✔ | |
| BET | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Bloomberg Television | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Bravo | ✔ | ||
| Cartoon Network & Adult Swim | ✔ | ||
| CHARGE! | ✔ | ✔ | |
| CNN | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Comedy Central | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Comet | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Discovery Channel | ✔ | ||
| Disney Channel | ✔ | ||
| E! | ✔ | ||
| ESPN | ✔ | ||
| ESPN2 | ✔ | ||
| ESPN3 | ✔ | ||
| ESPN 4K | ✔ | ||
| Food Network | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Fox News | ✔ | ✔ | |
| FOX Sports 1 | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Freeform | ✔ | ||
| Fuse | ✔ | ✔ | |
| FX | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Game Show Network | ✔ | ||
| Grit | ✔ | ||
| Heroes & Icons | ✔ | ||
| HGTV | ✔ | ✔ | |
| History Channel | ✔ | ✔ | |
| HLN | ✔ | ||
| IFC | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Investigation Discovery | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Lifetime | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Lifetime Movie Network | ✔ | ||
| Local Now | ✔ | ✔ | |
| MGM+ Drive-In | ✔ | ✔ | |
| MeTV | ✔ | ✔ | |
| MSNBC | ✔ | ||
| National Geographic | ✔ | ✔ | |
| NBC | ✔ | ||
| NFL Network | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Nick Jr. | ✔ | ✔ | |
| QVC | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Sling scapes | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Sling scapes 2 | ✔ | ✔ | |
| SYFY | ✔ | ||
| TBS | ✔ | ✔ | |
| TNT | ✔ | ✔ | |
| TLC | ✔ | ||
| Travel Channel | ✔ | ✔ | |
| truTV | ✔ | ||
| USA | ✔ | ||
| Vice | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Interestingly, while Sling Select doesn’t offer as many channels as the other packages, it does include Game Show Network, Grit, Heroes & Icons, and Lifetime Movie Network.
These networks are only available with Sling Blue and Sling Orange by bundling paid add-ons and paying an additional monthly fee.
Is Sling Select The Best Option For You?
Sling Select is a nice alternative to the main base packages but it is a very limiting plan. Due to this, it won’t be the right option for many homes.
| Sling | Select | Blue | Orange |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price p/m | $19.99 | $45.99 | $45.99 |
| Channels | 10+ | 30+ | 40+ |
| Streams | 3 | 3 | 1 |
The main issue with the Sling Select package is the channel lineup, so this is the aspect to primarily focus on when deciding if it is the right plan for you.
As long as the channel lineup suits your needs then there’s no reason to pay more each month for one of the other packages, or for a different live TV service.
For those that feel Sling Select doesn’t meet their channel needs, it might be worth considering subscribing to the Sling Orange or Sling Blue plan instead. While more expensive packages, they both come with a much richer channel lineup.
In general, the Sling Orange plan is best suited to homes primarily looking for sports and family channels. The Sling Blue package is best suited to homes looking for news and entertainment channels and programming.
The Sling Select plan is best suited to those looking for an affordable package that includes access to some entertainment, news and sports.
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