| Line on your bill | Typical amount (Oct 2026) | Who pays it |
|---|---|---|
| Base plan | $19.99 to $60.99 | Everyone |
| Local-channel uplift | ~$4 to ~$9 | Blue and Orange & Blue subscribers in markets with Sling locals |
| Sports Extra | ~$11 | College football and NHL/MLB Network fans |
| Other Extras | ~$6 each | Optional |
| Unlimited DVR | $5 | Anyone who records more than 50 hours |
| Premium channels | ~$7 to $11 each | Optional |
| Sales tax | 0% to ~10%, by state and city | Most subscribers |
Short answer: Sling TV costs $19.99 to $60.99 a month before extras, but almost nobody pays the headline price for long. Once you add the local-channel uplift that arrived in February 2026, a DVR upgrade and sales tax, a typical Blue or Orange & Blue bill in a big city lands between $60 and $85. The cheapest real bill is Essentials at about $21 with tax.
At a glance
What Sling really costs
| Cheapest paid | Essentials or Select, $19.99 |
| Most popular | Orange or Blue, $45.99 (Blue up to ~$54.99 with locals) |
| Everything | Orange & Blue, $60.99 to ~$69.99 |
| Hidden extras | Local uplift, DVR $5, tax |
| First month | Often discounted, commonly 50% off Orange/Blue |
| Contract | None; cancel online any time |
Base prices, and why yours may differ
These are the prices on Sling's plan page in early October 2026. For channel-by-channel detail on each plan, see our Sling TV packages guide; this article is about the bill.
| Plan | List price | In markets with Sling locals |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $19.99 | $19.99 (no locals) |
| Select | $19.99 | Up to ~$29.99 |
| Essentials & Select | $34.99 | Check at checkout |
| Orange | $45.99 | $45.99 (no locals) |
| Blue | $45.99 | ~$49.99 (1-2 stations) or ~$54.99 (ABC, FOX and NBC) |
| Orange & Blue | $60.99 | ~$64.99 or ~$69.99 |
The right-hand column is the part that surprises people. Sling raised prices on plans with local stations for new customers straight away and for existing customers on their first bill after 20 February 2026, citing what broadcasters charge it. Sling hasn't published a national table, and contemporary reports differ by about a dollar, so we've marked those figures as approximate. Your exact price appears once you enter a ZIP code at sign-up.
If you live somewhere Sling doesn't carry any locals, you pay the list price. That's also the case where Sling looks cheapest next to rivals, because YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV charge everyone for locals whether they want them or not.
Four real monthly bills
These are worked examples using October 2026 prices. We've used a 7% sales tax as an illustration; check your own state's rate, which can be zero.
1. The ESPN-only viewer
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Sling Essentials | $19.99 |
| Tax at 7% | $1.40 |
| Monthly total | $21.39 |
This is Sling at its best. For comparison, ESPN's own Unlimited plan is $31.99 a month. It carries more (ESPN+ events, SEC Network, ACC Network), but if you only want the main ESPN channels, Essentials is about $12 cheaper. Our ESPN streaming guide sets out the differences.
2. NFL Sundays in a big city
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Sling Blue (ABC, FOX and NBC market) | ~$54.99 |
| Unlimited DVR | $5.00 |
| Tax at 7% | ~$4.20 |
| Monthly total | ~$64.19 |
Blue gets you FOX's Sunday afternoon games, Sunday Night Football on NBC and NFL Network. It doesn't get CBS, ESPN's Monday game or Prime Video's Thursday game. Add Orange to cover Monday nights and the bill jumps to the next example.
3. The family that wants everything
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Orange & Blue (1-2 local stations) | ~$64.99 |
| Sports Extra | ~$11.00 |
| Kids Extra | ~$6.00 |
| Unlimited DVR | $5.00 |
| Tax at 7% | ~$6.09 |
| Monthly total | ~$93.08 |
At over $90 a month, Sling has lost its price edge. YouTube TV's base plan is in the same range and includes CBS, unlimited DVR and more locals. Sling makes sense here only if you specifically want its cheaper channel mix or dislike the other apps.
4. The one-month sports binge
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Sling Orange, first month at 50% off (if offered) | ~$23.00 |
| Tax at 7% | ~$1.61 |
| First month | ~$24.61 |
| Second month if you forget to cancel | ~$49.21 |
With Sling's day and week passes gone since early October 2026, a discounted first month is now the cheapest way to cover a short burst of ESPN and TNT. Set a reminder to cancel a few days before the renewal date.
Add-ons that quietly raise the bill
Sling's pitch is that you only pay for what you want. The flip side is that most households end up adding something. These are the most recent published add-on prices; Sling's homepage now says Sports Extra and News Extra prices "vary by base plan", so confirm at checkout.
| Add-on | Price | Worth it? |
|---|---|---|
| Sports Extra | ~$11/mo | Yes, if you watch SEC or ACC football; otherwise skip |
| News Extra | ~$6/mo | Rarely; most news channels are free on Freestream or apps |
| Kids, Lifestyle, Hollywood, Heartland, Entertainment Extras | ~$6/mo each | Only for a specific channel you'd miss |
| Unlimited DVR | $5/mo | Yes if you record sports; 50 hours fills in about a week of games |
| Paramount+ with Showtime, STARZ, AMC+, MGM+ | ~$7 to $11/mo | Same or similar price as subscribing direct; buy through Sling only for one bill |
| Sling Latino / International packs | ~$10 to $20/mo | Good value for Spanish or language channels |
Fifty hours of DVR sounds like a lot until you record a season of college football: one Saturday of three games is around ten hours. If you record sports, the $5 upgrade is the add-on most likely to pay for itself.
Taxes and fees
Sling doesn't add a broadcast fee or regional sports fee as a separate line, which is one of its genuine advantages. The local-channel cost is built into the plan price instead. You will see sales tax in most states, though: streaming TV is taxed in many states and some cities add their own levy (Chicago's amusement tax is the best-known example). There's no equipment rental and no installation charge.
One thing that isn't a fee but behaves like one: if you sign up through a TV platform's in-app purchase, the price is the same but cancellation happens through that store rather than sling.com.
Promos, prepay and discounts
| Offer | Typical terms | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| First-month discount | Commonly 50% off Orange, Blue or Orange & Blue | Renews at full price; not always available |
| Three-month prepay | ~$114.99 Orange or Blue; ~$159.99 Orange & Blue; from ~$49.99 Select | Paid up front; no refund if you leave early |
| Student discount | $10 off a month for six months via Student Beans | Needs student verification |
| Refer a friend | Account credit when a referral subscribes (reported at $20) | Terms change |
| Premium channel intro | $5 first month on some premiums | Full price from month two |
| Discounted gift cards | Retailers sometimes sell Sling gift cards below face value | Only worth it if you're staying |
The prepay deals save less than they look. Three months of Orange at $45.99 is $137.97, so $114.99 saves about $23, roughly half of one month. That's worth it only if you were going to stay three months anyway.
What Sling costs over a year
| Setup | Monthly | 12 months (before tax) |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $19.99 | $239.88 |
| Orange | $45.99 | $551.88 |
| Blue, all three locals, plus DVR | ~$59.99 | ~$719.88 |
| Orange & Blue, all three locals, Sports Extra and DVR | ~$85.99 | ~$1,031.88 |
| Orange September to January only, then nothing | $45.99 x 5 | $229.95 |
The last row is the one most people should consider. Sling has no contract, so dropping it between seasons is a real saving rather than a theoretical one. For how Sling stacks up against every other live TV service on a monthly basis, see our cost per month breakdown.
How to see your exact price before paying
Because the local uplift and add-on prices depend on where you live and which base plan you pick, the only reliable number is the one Sling shows at checkout. A quick way to get it without committing:
- Go to sling.com on a computer rather than a TV app, so you can see the full order summary.
- Enter your ZIP code when asked. This is what decides whether Blue or Select carries locals and what they cost.
- Pick the base plan, then open the add-on screen and tick the Extras and DVR you actually want. Watch how the running total changes; Sports Extra is priced differently on Orange and on Blue.
- Stop at the payment page. The summary there shows the monthly price, any first-month discount and when full price starts. Sales tax is usually calculated once your billing address is entered.
- Write down the renewal date. If you're only taking a promotional month, that date matters more than the price.
If the total at that point is above $70, it's worth running the same check on one competitor before you pay. The comparison below gives the rough picture.
Sling vs rivals at the same budget
Sling is the cheapest mainstream live TV bundle at the bottom of the market and an average one at the top. Here's where each budget lands in October 2026, using list prices before tax.
| Monthly budget | Best Sling option | What else that money buys |
|---|---|---|
| Under $25 | Essentials or Select | Philo (entertainment, no sports), ESPN Select, or a free antenna plus FAST apps |
| $30 to $35 | Essentials & Select ($34.99) | ESPN Unlimited ($31.99) on its own |
| $45 to $55 | Orange or Blue | Fubo Latino, or a mix of ESPN Unlimited and Peacock Premium ($12.99) |
| $60 to $70 | Orange & Blue | Getting close to the full bundles; most need $80 or more |
| $80 and up | Orange & Blue with Extras and DVR | YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream, Fubo, all with CBS |
The pattern holds across most households: Sling wins when you're willing to give something up. If you aren't, the bigger bundles cost a little more and leave fewer gaps. For the unlicensed alternatives people sometimes weigh against Sling, and why they're a false economy, see IPTV vs Sling TV.
How Sling's price has climbed
Sling launched in 2015 with a single $20 package. Orange was about $40 by 2023 and reached $45.99 by 2025, when Blue was also aligned at $45.99. The $19.99 Select and Essentials tiers arrived later, partly to recapture the original "cheap ESPN" pitch, and the February 2026 local-channel uplift added up to around $9 on Blue in large markets. The direction is clear: like every live TV service, Sling gets more expensive most years, and the cheap entry tiers are where the value now sits.
When Sling is worth it, and when it isn't
Worth it if you want one narrow set of channels (ESPN, or FOX News and NFL Network), if you live outside Sling's local-channel markets and already use an antenna, or if you plan to subscribe for a few months a year.
Not worth it if you're building a full cable replacement with locals, DVR and sports extras. By the time the bill reaches $80 or more, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV or DirecTV Stream usually offer more for similar money, CBS included. And if you only need local channels, an antenna costs nothing per month; see local channels without cable.
Quick answers
How much is Sling TV per month?
Sling costs $19.99 a month for Essentials or Select, $45.99 for Orange or Blue, and $60.99 for Orange & Blue, before add-ons and tax. Blue and Orange & Blue cost roughly $4 to $9 more in markets where Sling carries local stations.
Why is my Sling bill higher than the advertised price?
Usually one of three things: the local-channel uplift added in February 2026, add-ons such as Sports Extra or Unlimited DVR, or sales tax in your state or city.
Does Sling charge a regional sports fee or broadcast fee?
No separate fee. Sling builds local-channel costs into the plan price and doesn't carry regional sports networks.
How much is Sling DVR?
50 hours are included free. Unlimited DVR costs $5 a month.
Is Sling cheaper than YouTube TV?
At the base level, yes, by a wide margin. Once you add Orange & Blue, locals, Sports Extra and DVR, the gap mostly disappears, and YouTube TV includes CBS.
Can I get Sling cheaper?
Look for a first-month discount, the student discount of $10 off for six months, or a three-month prepay if you'd stay anyway. Choosing Essentials or Select instead of Orange or Blue saves the most.
Does Sling have a contract or cancellation fee?
No. You can cancel online at any time, and service continues until the end of the period you've paid for.
Sling adjusts prices and promotions often, and local-channel pricing depends on your ZIP code. Plan prices here are from Sling's website in early October 2026; add-on, prepay and local-uplift figures are the most recent published numbers and should be confirmed at checkout. Tax examples are illustrations only. Checked October 2026.