Sling TV Review 2025: Plans, Channels, Pricing (Real Use)

We first wrote about Sling in 2019. This is our 2025 Sling TV review. We used Sling again this month. We checked prices and key features today. The goal is clear: show real use, keep facts right, and help you pick the best plan.

As you know, Sling TV is a subsidiary of Dish Network.

Sling is still about paying less for live TV. You start small and add only what you need. You skip the rest. That idea still works in 2025. But rivals are moving fast. Some sell new light bundles. Some plan new sports apps. Sling stays steady. For many homes, that is good enough. For others, it feels slow. Below is the full picture with details from real viewing.

Plans and Prices

Sling has two base plans. Orange and Blue. You can also get Orange + Blue together. Here is what we saw while testing in 2025.

Notes on billing:

• Prices can move a few dollars in cities where locals are carried. That is normal with Sling.
• Deals show up often. For example, half off your first month, or prepaid sports offers.
• Sling now sells short passes. Day, Weekend, and Week. These are great for a big game or a short trip. Pay, watch, and you are done.

Channels You Get

There is overlap between Orange and Blue. Then each plan has a few key exclusives.

Orange highlights

• ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3
• Disney Channel
• HGTV, History
• Freeform

Blue highlights

• NFL Network and some Fox‑side sports
• Bravo, TNT, TBS
• FOX and NBC in many cities; ABC in some cities (adds about $5 and you cannot opt out)

Orange + Blue

• Over 50 channels when you combine them. This is the easy way to cover ESPN and the Blue‑side mix in one bill.

Extras (add‑on packs)

Premiums

• You can add Max, Paramount+ with Showtime, Starz, and more.
• Billing stays inside Sling. You usually watch these in their own apps.

Add only what you will watch. That is how you keep the price low.

Streams and DVR

Orange lets you watch on one screen at a time. Blue lets you watch on three screens at a time. If you buy Orange + Blue, you get four streams at once in total. But only one of those can be an Orange channel at the same time. This is due to rights on a few Orange‑only channels. It is not a bug. Plan around it on busy nights.

Every paid plan has 50 hours of cloud DVR. If you need more, Unlimited DVR is $5/month. You can record as much as you want. Recordings stay for about nine months. We turned on Auto Record for sports. Big college and pro games landed in the library on their own. The games stayed for three days. It saved us when we forgot to set a recording.

On‑demand is fine for catch‑up. Lookback and Replay let you watch many shows up to 72 hours after they air, even if you did not hit record. That covers late starts.

What It Feels Like To Use

The app is on almost every platform. The layout is simple. Home shows the guide and your DVR within one tap. Search is quick. Filters help when you want one genre.

Three touches stood out while we used Sling this month:

1. Channel Surfing. A strip of channels slides out on the left while the video keeps playing. Linger on a channel and it tunes in. No need to jump back to the full guide.
2. Start From Beginning. If you show up late, many shows let you start from the top.
3. Sports Scores. A right side panel shows live scores with tabs for leagues. Tap a score to go to that game if it is on a channel in your plan.

There is one thing we do not like. If you pause live TV or a recording for five to ten seconds, a large ad can cover most of the screen. It pushes the Unlimited DVR upgrade and breaks the mood in the room. It is common now across apps, but it still feels harsh.

4K is included at no extra cost. There are not many 4K channels. No harm in checking when a big event is in 4K.

You can switch plans any time. There are no swap fees. You can also pause your plan for up to three months. Your DVR recordings stay. This makes Sling easy to rotate by season.

Locals, AirTV, and 5G Home Internet

Local channels are the tricky part with Sling. Blue carries FOX and NBC in many cities. ABC is in some cities with a price bump that is baked in. CBS is not on Sling.

If locals matter to you, two clean paths work well:

1. Use a small indoor antenna. Free and reliable when the signal is strong.
   
2. Add a network app for a show you care about. For example, Paramount+ for CBS.

AirTV pulls free over‑the‑air channels into the Sling guide and lets you record them. We like that setup. Over the last year, we saw more hiccups than before. A missed recording here and there. A small guide glitch. It still works, but it needs more polish.

We also used Sling on 5G home internet. Cable‑style channels streamed fine. Locals were not stable. In one test, our local NBC vanished mid‑month and did not come back until the next cycle. If you rely on 5G home internet, keep an antenna as a backup.

Where Sling Fits in Now

Sling launched the skinny bundle idea in 2015. Ten years later the field is crowded. DIRECTV sells a light “MyEntertainment” plan that targets news and entertainment without sports. ESPN plans a direct‑to‑consumer app for sports fans. Fox has a project in the works too. This matters because it may pull some viewers away from big bundles.

So start with what you watch.

• If you want ESPN and a lean bundle, choose Orange.
• If you want news + entertainment with some sports and locals in many cities, choose Blue.
• If you need both sets, choose Orange + Blue.
• If you want every local and a huge lineup, Sling is not trying to be that. Pick a bigger bundle.

We switch by season. Orange for a sports month. Blue for a news month. Pause when we take a break. Sling makes that easy.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• One of the cheapest ways to get ESPN or NFL Network
• Easy plan switching and pausing
• Unlimited DVR is only $5/month
• Freestream adds a free option with a small DVR

Cons

• Orange still allows only 1 stream
• Local coverage varies; CBS is not included
• Pause‑screen ads feel intrusive
• AirTV needs more polish

Quick Chooser Table

Sling TV Review: Final Words

At the end of this review, we would like to tell you that treat Sling TV like a toolkit. Build small, add only what you will watch. Use short passes for a busy sports weekend. Keep Unlimited DVR if you record a lot. Add an antenna if locals matter. Do that, and you keep costs down while you keep the channels that matter.

What Has Changed Since 2019

Prices are now $45.99 for Orange or Blue and $60.99 for both. Every plan has 50 hours of DVR. Unlimited DVR costs $5/month and keeps recordings for about nine months. Lookback/Replay and Auto Record make it harder to miss a show or a game. Freestream is now a real free tier with lots of free channels and a small DVR. New touches include Channel Surfing, Start From Beginning, and Sports Scores inside the app.

A Quick Note on “Sling TV Box” Devices

You do not need a special box to use Sling. Any modern streaming stick or smart TV works. Some third‑party Android boxes use “Sling TV Box” in their name. Treat them like any other generic box. Install apps from trusted stores. Be careful with sideloaded apps. The remote on some of these boxes needs line‑of‑sight and can feel slow. They are optional, not required.