Depending on location, anyone signing up to Sling’s Blue or Orange & Blue plan might end up paying more than the advertised price due to a new ABC fee. Sling had previously confirmed the new charge was on the way so it might not come as a total surprise to some. For others, however, it is worth being aware that the cost might increase while signing up to one of the base plans.
Sling offers multiple base plans to choose from and the first thing to note is that the new charge only applies to the Sling Blue and the combined Sling Orange & Blue plan. In other words, the cost of Sling Orange hasn’t changed at all, and the reason for this is the availability of local ABC stations.
The new fee has been implemented as a result of Sling now offering local ABC stations. However, local ABC channels are only provided to Blue and Orange & Blue subscribers, hence why Sling Orange subscribers are excluded from the new charge.
While choosing between the two base plans is easy enough, the problem here is that Sling currently doesn’t offer local ABC in all areas. As this also means that the ABC fee only applies in some areas, the cost advertised on Sling’s website may appear lower than it actually is for some signing up to the service.
When visiting the website, Sling Orange and Blue are priced at $40 per month each, while Sling Orange & Blue is advertised as $55 per month. After beginning the sign-up process and entering the billing ZIP code, the price will change to the higher rate if in a location where a local ABC affiliate is available.
If impacted by the fee, signing up to Sling Orange or Sling Blue will cost a minimum of $45 per month. Likewise, signing up to the combined Sling Orange & Blue plan in an affected location will result in a $60 per month subscription price.
For reference, the locations affected by the new ABC fee are:
- Chicago (WLS)
- Fresno (KFSN)
- Houston (KTRK)
- Los Angeles (KABC)
- New York (WABC)
- Philadelphia (WPVI)
- Raleigh-Durham (WTVD)
- San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose (KGO)
The good news for subscribers in these locations is that they do now have access to their local ABC station, increasing the number of local channels overall. Of course, if you already have access to the ABC affiliate, or don’t want it, then this will feel like a much harsher price increase.
Leave a Reply