Is Sling TV any good? Is Sling TV worth getting? Is Sling TV better than cable? These are just some of the questions you might want an answer to before signing up to Sling TV. In this guide, we’ll attempt to answer as many of those questions as possible, and by highlighting our five top reasons why you should give Sling TV a try.
For background, Sling TV is one of the oldest live TV streaming services around. The live TV service first launched in early 2015 and is now one of the most popular live TV streaming services in the U.S., along with Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV. With more than 2 million paying subscribers, the short answer to whether Sling TV is any good is that more than 2 million people seem to think so.
One of the reasons why Sling TV has continually proved to be a popular option for live TV is the price, and that seems like a good place to start here. For those familiar with the price advantage of Sling, here’s a summary of the other reasons in this article.
5 reasons why Sling TV is worth trying:
- Price
- Choice
- Device support
- Sling TV On Demand
- Free content
Reason 1 – the price
What is arguably the best reason to give Sling TV a try is the price. Sling has always positioned itself as an affordable service, and in spite of the various price increases the service has encountered over the years, its price advantage still applies today.
Sling TV offers two main plans and both of them are priced at $40 per month each. Both the Sling Orange and Sling Blue plans have their own advantages, and it is also possible to sign up to a combined Sling Orange & Blue plan for $55 per month.
Even though the number and selection of channels varies between the two main plans, Sling has priced them exactly the same, leaving the choice in the hands of the subscriber. Essentially, subscribers don’t have to worry about paying more than another subscriber just because the Sling Blue lineup happens to suit their needs more than Sling Orange.
While Sling TV has been the subject of multiple price increases over the years, so has pretty much every other live TV streaming service. Likewise even though there are live TV services that are even cheaper than Sling TV, these tend to come with their own compromises in either the channels of features departments. All things considered, Sling TV offers good value overall and the price is one of the best reasons to give this live TV service a try.
For reference, Sling TV is often running various promotions which can reduce the cost even more during the first month. In the past, for example, Sling TV has routinely offered a 50% discount on the first month, a free streaming player when signing up, and access to free premium subscriptions for a limited time to new subscribers.
Reason 2 – an a la carte service
One of the ways that Sling TV is able to offer lower prices is by providing the subscriber with less to begin with. This can be best seen in the channel lineup as Sling TV tends to offer fewer channels than more expensive live TV plans offered by other providers.
Although that can be seen as a negative, it could actually be a major selling point for some homes. After all, subscribers won’t be paying a higher rate for channels they don’t want. Not to mention, Sling TV does offer subscribers the ability to add more channels if they want to.
In comparison to Sling TV’s a la carte approach, most other live TV streaming services tend to try and bundle as much as they can for the one price. Hulu Live TV is a great example here as the main live TV plan not only unlocks access to a wider variety of live TV channels, but it also includes basic Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus subscriptions as well.
Even though these extra channels and subscriptions might be worth it to homes that want as much content as possible, some homes just want access to certain channels. Sling TV not only makes that possible, but also offers enough ways to further customize a live TV package to suit the needs of an individual home.
Reason 3 – device support
In fairness, device support is not a massive selling point and especially considering most live TV services offer a very similar level of support in general. However, it is still something that’s important and worth pointing out. In spite of Sling TV’s lower monthly price, device support is not an area where subscribers get a reduced product. Sling TV has been around for a real long time now, and that has resulted in the service building out a very good level of device support.
This could be particularly important for anyone who is switching to a live TV streaming service for the first time as the number of devices they might have available could be more limited. Not only does Sling TV support most of the major streaming platforms including Apple TV, Android/Google TV, Fire TV, and Roku, but the streaming service also has apps available for various smart TVs, game consoles, and more.
Again, while most of the other live TV streaming services also offer a similar level of device support, that might not always be the case. If having issues with watching another live TV streaming service on a particular device, it might be worth giving Sling TV a try.
Reason 4 – more than just live TV
In addition to a selection of live TV channels, most live TV streaming services also provide access to on-demand content, making it possible to find something to watch when there’s nothing interesting on live. Sling TV not only offers access to live TV and on-demand content, but it is also possible to rent videos and watch pay-per-view events directly within the Sling TV ecosystem as well.
Even though some might not see this as a massively beneficial feature, considering there’s plenty of other apps and services that users can rent through, having the option available within the same app makes for a simpler and smoother user experience.
Subscribers don’t have to switch between apps, and if they don’t find anything worth renting, they can just as quickly check the live TV guide again.
Reason 5 – free movies and shows
If you want the best experience that Sling TV has to offer then a subscription will be required. However, Sling TV does also offer a selection of movies and shows that consumers can watch for free. In fact, you don’t even need to create an account to watch any of the free content that’s available on Sling TV.
Obviously, the amount of content that is available to watch for free is fairly limited. Not to mention, there are plenty of other apps and services that offer free content as well. However, this is yet another example of Sling’s one-stop approach. With the free content also available to paid subscribers, those with a live TV plan have access to additional movies and shows that they might have to download an additional app for.
For those individuals and homes that are still unsure of whether Sling TV is right for them, the Sling Free experience can be a good way to see the inner workings of the service. This includes checking how well the app works on their devices, the picture quality, and so on.
Why Sling TV is worth it – summary
One of the main takeaways with Sling TV is choice. Whether in terms of the price, the channels, or additional subscriptions, Sling TV provides users with plenty of options to find or create the best live TV package for their needs. In truth, customizing a package enough will result in a price that’s similar to more expensive live TV services, but that’s sort of the point.
With Sling TV, homes can choose the level of TV and on-demand experience they want. If they just want the basics with access to a few live TV channels, no problem. If they want a much richer experience with plenty of add-ons, no problem. All of which does mean that Sling TV is not only a service that appeals to those new to streaming, but also experienced streamers as well.
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