At present, there are several Sling TV alternatives you may want to consider, including Philo, fuboTV, Hulu With Live TV, AT&T TV Now, Vidgo, and YouTube TV. Additionally, our free TV streaming guide gives you the run-down on what's currently playing on live TV channels.
Starting at $30 a month, Sling TV is one of the most affordable live TV streaming services available today. While the channel offerings and streaming quality are excellent, Sling's user interface leaves a lot to be desired. Sling TV comes with channels like CNN, TBS, Food Network, and BBC America.
Prepay for three months of Sling TV ($60) and you can choose between a free stick (Fire TV Stick or Roku Streaming Stick) or a $50 box (Fire TV or Roku 3).
Hulu Is Better Overall, Sling TV Offers More Add-OnsFor most people, Hulu + Live TV is a better option than Sling TV because of its superior channel lineup, technical capabilities, and on-demand library.
Best livestreaming TV services
- YouTube TV – Best overall ($64.99/mo.)
- Hulu + Live TV – Best value ($64.99–$70.99/mo.)
- Philo – Cheapest ($20.00/mo.)
- fuboTV – Best for sports ($64.99–$79.99/mo.)
- Sling TV – Best for kids ($30.00–$45.00/mo.)
- AT&T TV NOW – HBO Max included ($55.00–$80.00/mo.)
Just like the name says, Sling Free is totally free to you. On desktop Chrome, Safari or Edge browsers: Go to watch.sling.com. On Roku, Amazon or Android devices: Open the Sling TV app and click “Explore Free Content” On iOS and tvOS devices: Sling Free is under construction on iOS and tvOS devices, so check back soon.
What company owns directv?
In select cities, you can watch your local channels for free using the Locast app or by visiting locast.org. The Locast app is available for your Android or iOS smartphone or tablet, laptop, Amazon Fire device or Roku device. Visit Locast to see a list of available cities.
Sling TV tends to struggle on streaming sticksHigh-definition programming regularly slips into low-res, pixelated imagery, the connection drops, and the app itself has a bad habit of crashing.
Freezing and buffering issues are most likely caused by either Sling TV server problems or your internet and wifi connection issues. Now occasional freezing or buffering will still happen from time to time, but restarting Sling should fix temporary streaming hiccups. Close out of the Sling app and then relaunch it.
Your network connection may be the reason you're not seeing any content. Try connecting to a different service provider, such as a different WiFi network or mobile data connection (if available). For the best streaming experience while using SLING TV, you'll need a strong WiFi network and stable internet connection.
Sling TV was the first live TV streaming service to hit the market—and it's still the cheapest. You can get most (if not all) of your favorite channels for way less than your current cable bill, and Sling lets you watch anywhere on almost any streaming device.
Most of slings channels broadcast in 720p 30fps. Att tv now broadcast in either 720/1080 60fps. Even slings 60fps channels are not as rich. Compared to YTTV, Hulu, and Fubo, I found Sling's quality to be far less compressed.
Sling TV's interface isn't as slick or easy to use as some of its competitors like YouTube TV or Philo TV, but it gets the job done (and it is available on every major platform). While the channel selection is decent and the video quality is excellent, where Sling TV lags behind the competition is in its DVR storage.
Watch live and recorded television anywhere on Internet-connected tablets, smartphones and PCs at no additional charge using the Hopper's new built-in Sling capabilities and the new DISH Anywhere™ app.
Sling TV packages
| Cost | Notable Channels |
|---|
| Sling Orange | $30 per month | AMC, CNN, ESPN, Food Network, TBS |
| Sling Blue | $30 per month | USA, FX, El Rey, Viceland |
| Sling Orange + Sling Blue | $45 per month | Comedy Central, History, IFC, NFL Network |
Sling offers two branches of its streaming service — Orange and Blue — each for $30 a month. Bundle both packages and you'll get a bit of a discount at $45 a month.
AT&T's live TV streaming service hits the popular big-screen streaming platform today. Roku owners who cut the cable TV cord, you now have another live TV option to consider. Owners of Roku boxes, sticks and TVs can download the DirecTV Now app in Roku's channel store starting today.
AT&T TV was designed to replace DirecTV and traditional cable TV. It features live TV channels -- including ABC and Fox, plus cable channels such as ESPN, TNT, Nickelodeon and HGTV -- that are streamed over the internet.
Cable and satellite TV providers at a glance
- RCN—Cheapest ($29.99–$119.99/mo.)
- Suddenlink—No contracts ($54.99–$139.99/mo.)
- AT&T TV—Includes streaming device ($49.99–$174.97/mo.)
- Cox—Excellent DVR ($25.00–$69.99/mo.)
- Spectrum—Includes premium channels ($44.99–$89.99/mo.)
- Verizon Fios—Most channels ($50.00–$90.00/mo.)
DirecTV Now starts at $40 per month with its Live a Little package, which includes more than 60 live channels. DirecTV Now doesn't lock you into an annual contract but instead bills you monthly, so you can cancel whenever you like.
In its final season of coverage on FOX Sports, the Bundesliga will no longer be available on FS2 to Sling Blue subscribers. The changes at Sling TV means that subscribers who used to pay $25 per month to watch Bundesliga games on FS1 and FS2 will now have to pay $40 per month for Sling Blue + Sports Extra.
AT&T TV NOW is more like a traditional live TV streaming service than AT&T TV. You'll only have to commit to one month at a time, and it doesn't come with any equipment to install. That means you'll need to access the AT&T TV app through a separate streaming device or gaming console.
Sling TV offers a good deal for an affordable price; its add-on packages offer flexibility, and its largest plan is still cheaper than YouTube TV. If you want more channels, including locals and premiums, and unlimited DVR recording, YouTube TV is the way to go.
While streaming is generally a better deal than satellite, you'll usually get more channels at a better price if you go with cable TV.
It grew its content portfolio and was rebranded to “The 101 Network” in early 2005, and to AUDIENCE Network in 2010 when it expanded into scripted original series. AUDIENCE Network (DIRECTV ch. 239, U-Verse ch. 1114, AT&T TV NOW and WatchTV) will transition into an HBO Max Preview Channel in the Spring of 2020.
You can watch DIY Network live without cable with one of these streaming services: Philo, fuboTV, Hulu With Live TV, or Sling TV.
fuboTV offers lots of great networks in its live streaming subscription bundle. Among them is DIY Network. You can get the service for free for a week by taking advantage of its free trial offer (just click the link above to grab that). If you want to learn more about fuboTV, head over to our fuboTV review.
Can I watch Cooking Channel with Sling TV? Yes, Sling TV includes Cooking Channel as part of their Sling Orange Lifestyle Extra package for $35 a month.
Choose from a Sling Orange or Sling Blue base service for only $30 a month, or get Sling Orange + Sling Blue for only $45. You can even switch between Orange and Blue whenever you want for no extra cost.
Part of this deal to launch the VICELAND channel is allowing A&E Networks to take a 10% stake in Vice overall. Some of the shows listed on the VICELAND website are GAYCATION, Vice Lab, FLOPHOUSE, The Vice Guide to Film, noisey, and WEEDIQUETTE.
Cooking Channel and DIY Network now available on the Roku platform. Goodbye winter, hello spring! To help you check all of these off your list, I'm happy to share that the WATCH Cooking Channel and WATCH DIY Network are now available on Roku players and Roku TV models in the U.S.
You now have two different options when searching for shows in your Guide: Grid Guide or Channels Guide. The first option you will see is the Grid Guide, and the second is the Channels Guide. Check out how to use each to quickly find your favorite shows, movies, and sports.
DIY Network
| Programming |
|---|
| Dish Network | Channel 111 |
| DirecTV | Channel 230 |
| IPTV |
| Verizon FiOS | Channel 167 (SD) Channel 667 (HD) |
Now Sling TV is adding a new channel. AFRO joins BET, Cooking Channel, DIY Network, E!, FYI, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, LMN, Oxygen, truTV, VH1, and WE tv in the Lifestyle Extra add-on. The Lifestyle Extra package is $5 per month with a Sling Orange and/or Sling Blue subscription.
