Unveiled in January 2015, Sling TV has more than 250,000 subscribers and is one of the fastest-growing television service providers in America. The service provides a selection of major cable channels that can be streamed through apps, digital media players and smart TVs. Sling TV complements subscription-based online services for cord-cutters and broadcasts television in a unique and engaging way.
It is specifically designed to be a full substitute for traditional pay television providers. Its subscription costs $20 per month as opposed to other pay television services that cost much higher. Sling TV can be streamed via Android and iOS devices, Amazon Fire TV, Windows PCs, Nexus Player and Samsung smart TVs.
Sling TV provides viewers with an alternative way to watch live TV without cable. It is an American internet protocol television service owned by Dish Network. How does Sling TV operate? What are some of the benefits and drawbacks of Sling TV? Here are comprehensive Sling TV reviews.
HOW DOES SLING TV WORK?
As mentioned, the Sling TV app is a no-contract way to get television content. Ironically, it was launched by Dish TV in 2015 though they don’t have the messy contracts or high costs of the parent company.
As I’ve shared in the past, we now get all of our content through the Amazon Fire Stick and are more than happy with that as a replacement. Check out our guide on the Fire Stick channels list to see what you can expect from the dongle.
We also get our local channels with the Mohu Leaf which has worked great for our needs. Sling TV is an Internet-based TV service that offers just over 30 channels for $25 per month. They offer a premium tier that offers all base channels for $40 per month.
You simply download the app to get started. You can get a free 7-day trial straight from the Sling TV website and be watching TV in a few short minutes.
Is It Cost-Effective?
Whether or not Sling TV is cost-effective largely depends on the perspective of each consumer. But by any measure, the $20 base package is affordable, compared to most basic cable packages.
However, the costs of adding extra packages can mount quickly. For example, those looking to access all of the English-speaking channels would need to pay an extra $55, bringing the total monthly bill to $75, for a total of 51 channels.3 Meanwhile, the average cable bill is over $100 per month.
Both cable consumers and Sling TV consumers encounter the same frustration of invariably paying for packages containing channels they’ll never watch. Even Sling’s core line-up contains obscure channels such as Polaris, Maker, Freeform, and Galavision, which few consumers have even heard of.
Pros
- Extremely low cost. Most options on the market have had multiple price increases since launching. Sling TV raised its price once and has kept its service at just $30 per month.
- Must-have networks. You can find almost every must-have network available through one of Sling TV’s packages.
- It plays well with OTA antennas and equipment. Sling TV is the only service of its kind that not only plays well with over-the-air antennas and equipment but sells equipment that integrates with OTA architecture.
- HD streaming available. Sling TV provides HD streaming quality, which many subscribers count as an improvement over their traditional cable TV.
- A large app library for multiple devices. Sling TV offers a huge number of apps for streaming devices.
Cons
- Limited-space DVR. One of Sling TV’s biggest weaknesses, you’ll only get a 10-hour DVR included for the cost.
- Confusing package setup. Sling TV’s package options can be a bit confusing with a lot of channel cross-over between packages.
- Only 1 stream for Sling Blue. The Sling Blue package offers only 1 stream per account, making it a poor option for account sharing.
- Limited local broadcast network support. Sling TV has among the worst support for local broadcast networks, making an OTA antenna almost necessary.
- Inadequate customer support. Sling TV’s customer support leaves a lot to be desired, with very slow response times.