Sling TV provides access to local ABC, Fox, and NBC channels, but not in all cities in the United States, or with all plans. Sling TV not only offers fewer local channels than many other live TV services, but the ones it does provide access to tend to only be available in a very limited number of markets.
Due to this, whether Sling has the right local channels for an individual will depend on the locals they want access to, and their home location.
Sling TV is one of the oldest live TV streaming services around, and in spite of the increased competition, Sling has managed to maintain a healthy user base. One of the reasons for this is the service’s emphasis on value. While other services hover around the $70-75 a month mark, Sling TV’s plans start at $40 a month. However, that lower price does come with some compromises.
One of the most obvious compromises is the channel lineup. While the Sling Blue and Sling Orange base plans provide access to many popular channels, the overall number is likely to be fewer than what’s on offer with other live TV services.
More importantly, the situation is even worse with local channels, as many subscribers may find that they don’t have access to any locals at all. Even if located in a supported local market, subscribers may still find they are limited in the local channels they can access.
Local channels on Sling TV
At present, local channels through Sling TV are limited to ABC, Fox, and NBC. Those looking to access CBS, PBS, and other local channels may find an alternate live TV service, like DirecTV Stream, Hulu Live TV, or YouTube TV, is a better option for them.
In addition, Sling currently only offers access to ABC, Fox, and NBC local channels with the Sling Blue or Sling Orange & Blue packages. At present, there are no local channels included with the Sling Orange plan.
You can use the links below to jump to a specific local channel section to check support for your location.
ABC on Sling TV
Sling TV began offering access to ABC local channels in early 2023. However, ABC local stations are currently only available to Sling Blue (or Orange & Blue) subscribers.
In addition, ABC local channels are only available in the following 8 markets.
- Chicago (WLS)
- Fresno (KFSN)
- Houston (KTRK)
- Los Angeles (KABC)
- New York (WABC)
- Philadelphia (WPVI)
- Raleigh-Durham (WTVD)
- San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose (KGO)
Fox on Sling TV
Fox local stations are currently only available to Sling Blue (or Orange & Blue) subscribers.
In addition, Fox local channels are only available in the following 18 markets:
- Atlanta (WAGA)
- Austin (KTBC)
- Chicago (WFLD)
- Dallas/Fort Worth (KDFW)
- Detroit (WJBK)
- Gainesville (WOGX)
- Houston (KRIV)
- Los Angeles (KTTV)
- Milwaukee (WITI)
- Minneapolis/St. Paul (KMSP)
- New York (WNYW)
- Orlando/Daytona/Melbourne (WOFL)
- Philadelphia (WTXF)
- Phoenix (KSAZ)
- San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose (KTVU)
- Seattle (KCPQ)
- Tampa/St. Petersburg (WTVT)
- Washington, DC (WTTG)
NBC on Sling TV
NBC local stations are currently only available to Sling Blue (or Orange & Blue) subscribers.
In addition, NBC local channels are only available in the following 11 markets:
- Boston (WBTS)
- Chicago (WMAQ)
- Dallas/Fort Worth (KXAS)
- Miami/Fort Lauderdale (WTVJ)
- Hartford/New Haven (WVIT)
- Los Angeles (KNBC)
- New York (WNBC)
- Philadelphia (WCAU)
- San Diego (KNSD)
- San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose (KNTV)
- Washington, DC (WRC)
ABC, Fox, and NBC on Sling TV
For those looking to access more than one local channel in the same location, below is an overview of each of the markets Sling Blue provides access to ABC, Fox, and/or NBC channels.
| Market | ABC | Fox | NBC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | ✔ | ||
| Austin | ✔ | ||
| Boston | ✔ | ||
| Chicago | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Dallas/Fort Worth | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Detroit | ✔ | ||
| Fresno | ✔ | ||
| Gainesville | ✔ | ||
| Hartford/New Haven | ✔ | ||
| Houston | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Los Angeles | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Miami/Fort Lauderdale | ✔ | ||
| Minneapolis/St. Paul | ✔ | ||
| Milwaukee | ✔ | ||
| New York | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Orlando/Daytona/Melbourne | ✔ | ||
| Philadelphia | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Phoenix | ✔ | ||
| Raleigh-Durham | ✔ | ||
| San Diego | ✔ | ||
| San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Seattle | ✔ | ||
| Tampa/St. Petersburg | ✔ | ||
| Washington, DC | ✔ | ✔ |
Subscribers in markets other than what’s listed above will most likely find they are unable to access local channels through Sling TV in their current location.
Sling TV’s local channels workaround
Anyone that has signed up to Sling TV in the past may have noticed that Sling almost always offers a number of new subscriber deals.
Many of these deals include prepaying for two or three months of service in advance, and in return, new subscribers are offered an antenna or an additional device that can help in improving the selection of local channels they have access to.
While additional hardware is not an ideal solution, it is an example of one of the ways Sling TV tries to bridge the gap between the local channels it offers and those it doesn’t.
Even with an antenna, it should be kept in mind that the local channels a home gets access to will depend on the strength of the antenna and the local channels that are within reach of the antenna.
Another option to keep in mind is other streaming services. Paramount Plus now offers access to a subscriber’s local CBS station to those signed up to the Paramount Plus with Showtime plan.
$8 to $13/mo
- Originals
- Showtime
- Live Sports
Likewise, Peacock now offers access to a subscriber’s local NBC channel for those signed up to the Premium Plus plan.
$8-14/mo
- Live Channels
- Live Sports
- NBC & Bravo Shows
Local channels on Sling TV — recap
Sling TV only offers access to ABC, Fox, and NBC local channels, and the location of a subscriber greatly affects which local channels they get access to.
While those based in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose markets can potentially get ABC, Fox, and NBC through Sling TV, subscribers in many other areas might only get access to one or two local channels.
In some locations, subscribers may find that they don’t get access any local channels with Sling TV.
