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Sling TV Does What Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV Don’t
Sling TV gives you the ultimate customized experience with a-la-carte options
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Sling TV is the most inexpensive live TV streaming service on the market.
And we’re talking $20–$115 less than its competitors.
Not only can you save a lot of money with Sling TV, but Sling actually does something Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV don't:
Sling offers inexpensive a-la-carte options.
With Sling TV's add-ons, you can add extra movies, sports, and kids’ channels to customize your package offering and improve your entertainment for whenever you stream on your TV or on the go.
Think of it this way:
You could start with the basic $40 Sling Orange plan and add News Extra (9 channels), LifeStyle Extra (9 channels), and Hollywood Extra (9 channels) and still save money compared to Hulu + Live TV ($58 vs. $75) while having more control over the channels you do and don't get.
That's just one example of how cutting the cord with Sling TV can save you money versus its competitors.
Let's dive into why Sling TV is the better choice than Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV for cord-cutters and money-savers while guiding you through which package and add-ons might be best for you.
Sling Orange + Blue gets you the channels you want but costs less than Hulu + Live TV or YouTube TV
The bottom line up front:
Sling Orange + Blue costs $55 a month, which is $18 to $21 cheaper than YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV.
To get many of the exact same channels as Sling Orange + Blue with Hulu + Live TV, you'll have to pay $75–$90 per month.
To get the same channels as Sling Orange + Blue with YouTube TV, it will cost you $73 per month.
We'd rather get Sling and throw that money in our savings or buy ourselves some movie snacks for family movie night.
The Sling Orange and Sling Blue packages have many similar channels in their lineups, but the variety makes all the difference.
Both plans have Cartoon Network and Nick Jr., but only Sling Orange has the Disney Channel and Freeform for your kiddos. But if you want more news and entertainment channels, like MSNBC and Bravo, Sling Blue will be more up your alley.
If you want all of the channels Sling TV offers because you can't decide between a plan with the ESPN channels or NFL Network, you'll be happy with Sling Orange + Blue.
Popular channels included in Sling Orange's 31-channel lineup:
- A&E
- AMC
- BBC America
- CNN
- Cartoon Network
- Comedy Central
- Disney Channel
- MGM+ Drive-In
- ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3
- Food Network
- Freeform
- HGTV
- HISTORY
- Investigation Discovery (ID)
- Lifetime Channel
- Nick Jr.
- TBS
- TNT
Popular channels included in Sling Blue's 41-channel lineup:
- BBC America
- Cartoon Network
- CNN
- Food Network
- FOX
- Fox Sports (FS1)
- Fox News
- HGTV
- HISTORY
- Investigation Discovery (ID)
- Lifetime Channel
- MSNBC
- NBC
- NFL Network
- Nick Jr.
- TBS
- TNT
- USA
Sling TV has more add-ons than Hulu + Live TV or YouTube TV
The bottom line up front:
Sling's a-la-carte options offer you a more customizable channel lineup without driving up costs.
YouTube TV offers only two add-ons similar to Sling TV: Sports Plus and Spanish Plus.
Hulu + Live TV has only three add-ons similar to Sling: Sports, Español, and Entertainment.
You won't be able to customize your entertainment with these two services like you can with Sling TV.
This is where the a-la-carte magic happens! Take advantage of Sling's add-ons to customize your programming in a way no other cord-cutting service provides.
Sling TV’s add-ons range from $5 to $27 per month. And keep in mind that depending on which Sling TV plan you subscribe to, the add-ons available are different.
For example, when you order the Sling Orange plan and the Sports Extra, you’ll get 14 sports channels, including ACC Network and SEC Network. But when you get the Sports Extra with the Sling Blue plan, you’ll get 12 channels, including the NFL RedZone Channel and Golf Channel.
Below the table, we break down which channels you’ll find with each Sling TV add-on.
Sling TV's Total TV Deal gets you all the best channels for less money than Hulu + Live TV or YouTube TV
The bottom line up front:
We recommend getting Sling TV's Total TV Deal add-on with whatever Sling TV package you choose, as long as you can budget for a monthly bill of $61–$82.
If you get the Sling Orange or Sling Blue package, this add-on is $21. If you choose the Orange + Blue plan, it's $27.
The Sling TV Total Deal gives you 50+ extra channels on top of the plan you choose. That makes each channel only 55 cents!
But if you'd like a cheaper monthly payment because you're saving for a car or a wedding or some other big purchase, we have answered questions in the FAQ below about which add-ons are a must.
Frequently asked questions about customizing Sling TV with a-la-carte options
If you still have questions about specific a-la-carte options, here's more information about specific Sling TV add-ons.
Which add-ons should you get with the Sling Orange package?
So you likely ordered Sling Orange because you wanted Disney Channel for the kids and ESPN for you.
We would suggest ordering the following extras with your Sling Orange package:
- Kids Extra (Disney Jr., Nicktoons, etc.)
- Sports Extra (MLB Network, NBA TV, PAC-12 Network, etc.)
- Lifestyle Extra (Hallmark Channel, Lifetime Movie Network, etc.)
Which add-ons should you get with the Sling Blue or Sling Orange + Blue packages?
Sling Blue probably caught your eye because you need Bravo to watch The Real Housewives and you need the NFL Network for, well, the NFL. Or you chose Sling Orange + Blue because you wanted all the channels Sling offers.
With either package, we would suggest ordering the following extras:
- Lifestyle Extra (Hallmark Channel, Lifetime Movie Network, etc.)
- Sports Extra (MLB Network, NBA TV, PAC-12 Network, etc.)
- Hollywood Extra (FX Movie Channel, Turner Classic Movies, etc.)
What is Sling TV’s Total TV Deal add-on?
Sling TV’s Total TV Deal is worth the $21 if you want 200 DVR storage hours and at least two add-ons.
For half the price, you can get all of Sling TV’s add-ons shown in the table with the Total TV Deal! (That’s a $45 value right there.)
What is Sling TV’s 4 Extras Deal add-on?
This add-on comes with Sling TV’s Comedy, Kids, News, and Lifestyle extras.
What is Sling TV’s DVR PLUS?
This add-on expands your DVR storage space to 200 hours from the included 50.
Which channels are in Sling TV’s Sports Extra add-on?
With Sling Orange, you already get the three ESPN channels, so why not add 14 more sports channels for $11 per month?
With YouTube TV, you get 13 total sports channels for $73, while with Sling, you could get 17 for $51 total. Unlike YouTube TV, you’ll get PAC-12 Network, Longhorn Network, MLB Network, NHL Network, and the Tennis Channel.
If you order the Sling Orange plan, the Sports Extra add-on includes the following channels:
- ACC Network (ACCN)
- ACCNX
- beIN SPORTS
- ESPNews
- ESPNU
- Longhorn Network
- MLB Network
- MLB Network Strike Zone
- NBA TV
- NHL Network
- PAC-12 Network
- SEC Network
- SEC Network+
- Tennis Channel
Get 17 sports channels, including the ESPN and FOX Sports channels, for $71 per month. NFL fans will seriously want this deal for the NFL Network and NFL RedZone Channel. But keep in mind that there are some ups and downs for the college sports fans.
If you're OK without watching Skip & Shannon on the ESPN channels, Sling Blue with the Sports add-on will be sufficient at $51 total per month.
If you order the Sling Blue or Sling Orange + Blue plan, the Sports Extra add-on includes the following channels:
- ACC Network
- ACC Network Extra
- beIN SPORTS
- Big Ten Network
- ESPNEWS
- ESPNU
- FOX Sports 2 (FS2)
- Golf Channel
- MLB Network
- MLB Network Strike Zone
- NBA TV
- NFL RedZone Channel
- NHL Network
- PAC-12 Network
- SEC Network
- SEC+
- Tennis Channel
- The Longhorn Network
Which channels are in Sling TV’s Comedy Extra add-on?
When you order Sling Orange, the Comedy Extra add-on channels include the following:
- CMT
- FETV
- Game Show Network
- Laff
- Logo
- MTV
- MTV2
- Paramount Network
- Revolt
- truTV
- TV Land
Which channels are in Sling TV’s Kids Extra add-on?
With Sling Orange, the Kids Extra add-on includes the following channels:
- BabyTV
- Boomerang
- Disney Jr.
- Disney XD
- Duck TV
- Nicktoons
- TeenNick
With Sling Blue and Sling Orange + Blue, the Kids Extra add-on includes the following channels:
- BabyTV
- Boomerang
- Duck TV
- Nicktoons
- TeenNick
Which channels are in Sling TV’s News Extra add-on?
When you get the Sling Orange plan, the News Extra add-on includes the following channels:
- BBC World News
- CGTN
- CNN-News18
- HLN
- Law & Crime
- NewsNation
- Newsmax
- Science Channel
- Weather Nation
When you get the Sling Blue or Sling Orange + Blue plan, the News Extra add-on includes the following channels:
- BBC World News
- CGTN
- CNBC
- CNN-News18
- Fox Business
- Law & Crime
- NDTV 24x7
- NewsNation
- Newsmax
- Science Channel
- Weather Nation
Which channels are in Sling TV’s Lifestyle Extra add-on?
If you order the Sling Orange plan, the Lifestyle Extra add-on includes the following channels:
- Cooking Channel
- FYI
- Hallmark Channel
- Hallmark Drama
- Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
- Lifetime Movie Network
- Magnolia Network
- WE TV
- VH1
If you order the Sling Blue or Sling Orange + Blue plans, the Lifestyle Extra add-on includes the following channels:
- Cooking Channel
- FYI
- Hallmark Channel
- Hallmark Drama
- Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
- Lifetime Movie Network
- Magnolia Network
- Oxygen
- WE TV
- VH1
Which channels are in Sling TV’s Hollywood Extra add-on?
With the Sling Orange plan, the Hollywood Extra add-on includes the following channels:
- Bounce TV
- Cinémoi
- Grit TV
- HDNet Movies
- Heroes & Icons (H&I)
- REELZ
- Start TV
- Sundance TV
- Turner Classic Movies (TCM)
With the Sling Blue or Sling Orange + Blue plans, the Hollywood Extra add-on includes the following channels:
- Bounce TV
- Cinémoi
- FX Movie Channel (FXM)
- FXX
- Grit TV
- HDNet Movies
- Heroes & Icons (H&I)
- REELZ
- Start TV
- Sundance TV
- Turner Classic Movies (TCM)
Which channels are in Sling TV’s Heartland Extra add-on?
When you order Sling Orange, the Heartland Extra add-on includes the following channels:
- American Heroes Channel
- Cowboy Channel
- Destination America
- Great American Family
- Great American Living
- INSP TV
- Outdoor Channel
- PixL
- Pursuit Channel
- RFD-TV
- Sportsman Channel
- World Fishing Network
When you order Sling Blue or Sling Orange + Blue, the Heartland Extra add-on includes the following channels:
- American Heroes Channel
- Cowboy Channel
- Destination America
- Great American Family
- Great American Living
- INSP TV
- Nat Geo Wild
- Outdoor Channel
- PixL
- Pursuit Channel
- RFD-TV
- Sportsman Channel
- World Fishing Network