Short answer: Sling now sells six packages, not three. The two you've heard of, Orange (ESPN, Disney, TNT) and Blue (FOX, NBC, FS1, NFL Network, USA, Bravo), cost $45.99 a month each, or $60.99 together. Below them sit two $19.99 "skinny" tiers, Essentials and Select, that carve the same channels into smaller pieces. The catch most guides miss: since February 2026, Blue and Orange & Blue cost more in cities where Sling carries local ABC, FOX or NBC stations, so the price on the homepage isn't always the price you'll pay.
At a glance
Sling TV packages, October 2026
| Cheapest paid plan | Essentials or Select, $19.99/mo |
| Classic plans | Orange or Blue, $45.99/mo each |
| Everything | Orange & Blue, from $60.99/mo |
| ESPN lives in | Essentials and Orange (not Blue or Select) |
| Local channels | Blue and Select only, some markets, extra cost |
| Free option | Sling Freestream, 600+ ad-supported channels |
The six packages side by side
Sling's own plan page lists six base packages as of early October 2026. Here's what each one actually is, with the details Sling buries in the fine print.
| Package | Price/mo | Approx. channels | Streams | Built around |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sling Essentials | $19.99 | ~12 | Not stated (assume 1, like Orange) | ESPN, ESPN2, Disney Channel, Freeform |
| Sling Select | $19.99 (more with locals) | ~10 | 3 | FOX News, NFL Network, FS1, FX |
| Essentials & Select | $34.99 | ~20 | Mixed | Both of the above |
| Sling Orange | $45.99 | 30+ | 1 | ESPN, TNT, TBS, CNN, Disney |
| Sling Blue | $45.99 to ~$54.99 | 40+ | 3 | FOX/NBC locals, FS1, NFL Network, USA, Bravo |
| Orange & Blue | $60.99 to ~$69.99 | 50+ | 4 (1 Orange + 3 Blue) | Everything in both |
Every paid package includes 50 hours of cloud DVR and runs on the same app. There's no contract and no equipment to rent. Prices are before sales tax, which Sling charges where states require it.
The single most useful thing to know is that Sling splits the Disney-owned channels and the FOX/NBCUniversal-owned channels into separate packages. That's why ESPN and FS1 never sit together on one cheap plan. If you want both, you're paying for Orange & Blue or for Essentials & Select.
Orange vs Blue, channel by channel
Orange and Blue share roughly 25 channels: CNN, TNT, TBS, HGTV, Food Network, History, AMC, A&E, Comedy Central, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, BBC America, Travel Channel, IFC, BET and a few smaller ones. So the real decision comes down to the channels that sit on only one side.
| Only on Orange | Only on Blue |
|---|---|
| ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 | FOX and NBC locals (select markets; ABC in some) |
| Disney Channel, Freeform | FS1, NFL Network |
| ESPN4K (for selected events) | USA Network, Bravo, SYFY, E! |
| FOX News, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) | |
| FX, National Geographic, Discovery, TLC |
Two differences matter more than the channel counts suggest:
- Streams. Orange allows one stream at a time. Blue allows three. A household where two people watch different things at once will hit Orange's limit on day one.
- Sports split. Orange has ESPN's college football, Monday Night Football and NBA games. Blue has NFL Network, FS1 and, where available, FOX and NBC for Sunday NFL and Sunday Night Football. Neither has CBS, so neither gets the AFC Sunday afternoon package or the SEC on CBS.
Channel lineups do shift. Sling's Blue page currently lists Fox One app access as included, a perk that arrived after FOX launched its own service in 2025. Check the live channel list for your ZIP before you subscribe rather than trusting any third-party chart, including this one.
Essentials and Select: the $19.99 tiers
These two are the newer, cheaper packages, and they're the part of Sling that most ranking guides haven't caught up with.
Sling Essentials ($19.99) is the ESPN package. Sling lists ESPN, ESPN2, Disney Channel, Freeform, Grit, Hallmark Mystery, MeTV, Game Show Network, Heroes & Icons, LMN, Start TV and Bounce. That's about a dozen channels. You lose TNT, TBS and CNN compared with Orange. For a college football fan who mainly wants ESPN, it's the cheapest licensed way in through a live TV bundle. ESPN's own Select tier is cheaper still, but it doesn't carry the full linear channel.
Sling Select ($19.99 and up) is the FOX/NFL package: FOX News, NFL Network, FX, National Geographic, FS1, Grit, Game Show Network, Heroes & Icons, LMN and Vice, with 3 streams and 50 hours of DVR. In some markets Select also carries local stations, and reports from January 2026 put the price as high as $29.99 there.
Essentials & Select ($34.99) puts both together. It's $26 less than Orange & Blue, and you give up CNN, TNT, TBS, USA, Bravo, HGTV, Food Network and most of the entertainment cable channels. For a sports-first household that watches its general entertainment on Netflix or Hulu, that's a good trade.
Local channels and the 2026 price split
Sling has never been a strong local-channel service. Blue carries FOX and NBC in a list of larger markets, and ABC in some. CBS isn't available on any Sling plan.
In February 2026 Sling began charging more where it does carry locals. Current subscribers saw it on their first bill after 20 February 2026. The figures reported at the time:
| Where you live | Sling Blue | Orange & Blue |
|---|---|---|
| No local stations on Sling | $45.99 | $60.99 |
| 1 to 2 local stations | ~$49.99 | ~$64.99 |
| ABC, FOX and NBC all carried | ~$54.99 | ~$69.99 |
Sling hasn't published one national table, and reports differ by a dollar or so, so treat the middle and bottom rows as approximate. The checkout page shows the exact price after you enter your ZIP code. Orange isn't affected because it has no locals.
If you get decent over-the-air reception, an antenna is the cheaper route to locals, and it adds CBS and PBS. Our guide to local channels without cable compares every option.
Which sports each package covers
Most people shopping Sling packages are really shopping for sports. This is how the 2026-27 schedules line up against the base packages, before any Extras. "Locals" means the game is on a broadcast station that Sling only carries in some markets.
| Sport or event | Essentials | Select | Orange | Blue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday Night Football (ESPN) | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Sunday NFL on FOX | No | Locals only | No | Locals only |
| Sunday Night Football (NBC) | No | No | No | Locals only |
| Thursday Night Football (Prime Video) | No | No | No | No |
| NFL Network games | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| NBA on ESPN/ABC | ESPN only | No | ESPN only | No |
| NBA on NBC/Peacock | No | No | No | NBC games, locals only |
| NHL on TNT | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| College football on ESPN/ESPN2 | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| College football on FS1/FOX | No | FS1 (+ FOX locals) | No | FS1 + FOX locals |
| SEC Network, ACC Network | Sports Extra | No | Sports Extra | No |
Two points stand out. First, the NBA is awkward on Sling after the 2025 rights reset: ESPN and ABC sit on the Orange side, NBC's games need a Blue market with an NBC station, and Prime Video and Peacock games aren't on Sling at all. Second, Sling has no regional sports networks. If you follow a local MLB, NBA or NHL team, Sling won't show its games; our regional sports network streaming guide covers where they went.
Extras, premiums and DVR
Sling's add-ons fall into three groups. Prices below are the most recent published figures; Sling's homepage now says Sports Extra and News Extra pricing "varies by base plan", so confirm at checkout.
| Add-on | Typical price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Sports Extra | ~$11/mo | SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPNU, NHL Network, MLB Network and more (lineup differs by base plan) |
| News Extra | ~$6/mo | Extra news channels (HLN, Newsmax and others) |
| Entertainment, Kids, Lifestyle, Hollywood, Heartland Extras | ~$6/mo each | Themed cable channel packs |
| Unlimited DVR | $5/mo | Replaces the 50-hour cap |
| Premiums (Paramount+ with Showtime, STARZ, AMC+, MGM+) | ~$7 to $11/mo | Often $5 for the first month |
| Spanish and international packs | ~$10 to $20/mo | Sling Latino, Sling International, language packs |
The one add-on most people end up wanting is Sports Extra, because the SEC Network and ACC Network aren't in any base package. If you watch a lot of college football, budget for it from the start.
Switching and stacking packages
Sling lets you change packages from your account on the web, and the change usually applies from the next billing date rather than mid-cycle. A few practical points that trip people up:
- Combos are cheaper than two separate plans. Orange plus Blue bought separately would be $91.98; the combined package is $60.99 before any local surcharge. Essentials plus Select is $34.99 rather than $39.98.
- You can't mix tiers freely. Essentials & Select and Orange & Blue are the only combinations on Sling's plan page. Essentials plus Blue, for example, isn't offered as a package.
- Extras follow the base plan. Sports Extra on Orange and on Blue aren't identical, because some channels in it belong to Disney and some to FOX. If you switch base plans, check what your Extra now includes.
- Seasonal switching works. A common pattern is to run Orange from September to January for college football and the NBA tip-off, then drop to Essentials or Freestream in the summer. Sling has no contract and no cancellation fee, so the only cost is losing anything in your DVR when the plan ends.
- Prepay locks you in. Sling sells three-month prepaid deals (around $114.99 for Orange or Blue and $159.99 for Orange & Blue in recent offers). They save a little, but you can't switch down until they run out.
Over a full year the gap between tiers is bigger than the monthly figures make it look. Essentials all year is about $240. Orange is about $552. Orange & Blue in a city with all three locals is roughly $840, which is within reach of what YouTube TV costs, and YouTube TV includes CBS and unlimited DVR. Sling's value case is strongest when you pick one narrow package and stay on it.
Freestream and what happened to Passes
Sling Freestream is free and doesn't need a paid plan. It's a FAST service: 600+ ad-supported live channels (mostly themed channels, news and reruns), on-demand titles and a small free DVR. It doesn't carry ESPN, TNT, FOX or NBC.
Sling Passes are gone. The 1-, 3- and 7-day passes that launched in August 2025 at $4.99, $9.99 and $14.99 disappeared in early October 2026, and sling.com now says "Sling Passes are no longer available". Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery had both sued over them. Older guides still list passes as a package; they aren't one any more.
Which package to pick
| If you mostly watch… | Pick | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| ESPN and college football, little else | Essentials (+ Sports Extra in season) | $19.99 to ~$31 |
| NFL on FOX/NBC, Sunday nights, FOX News | Blue, if your market has locals | ~$46 to ~$55 |
| ESPN, NHL and college sports on TNT, kids' Disney | Orange | $45.99 |
| ESPN and NFL Network, cheap | Essentials & Select | $34.99 |
| Everything, several screens | Orange & Blue | ~$61 to ~$70 |
| Background TV, no sports | Freestream | Free |
Our honest read: Orange & Blue at up to $70 a month in a big market is no longer the bargain Sling built its name on. At that price, compare it with the other bundles in our cheapest way to watch live TV ranking. Sling still wins at the bottom end, where Essentials, Select and their $34.99 combination have no real equivalent elsewhere. For how Sling compares with unlicensed IPTV offers, see IPTV vs Sling TV.
Quick answers
What is the difference between Sling Orange and Sling Blue?
Orange has ESPN, Disney Channel and Freeform and allows one stream. Blue has FOX and NBC locals in some markets, FS1, NFL Network, USA, Bravo, FX and FOX News, and allows three streams. They share around 25 channels including CNN, TNT and TBS.
What is the cheapest Sling TV package?
Sling Essentials and Sling Select are both $19.99 a month. Essentials is built around ESPN and Disney Channel; Select around FOX News, NFL Network and FS1. Sling Freestream is free but has no major cable or sports networks.
Does any Sling package have CBS?
No. Sling doesn't carry CBS on any plan. Use an antenna or Paramount+ for CBS.
Which Sling package has ESPN?
Sling Essentials, Sling Orange and Orange & Blue. Sling Blue and Sling Select don't include ESPN.
Why does Sling Blue cost more in my area?
Since February 2026 Sling charges more for Blue and Orange & Blue in markets where it carries local ABC, FOX or NBC stations, roughly $4 to $9 a month depending on how many.
Can I still buy a Sling Day Pass?
No. Sling discontinued its 1-, 3- and 7-day passes in early October 2026.
How many devices can watch Sling at once?
Orange allows 1 stream, Blue and Select 3, and Orange & Blue 4 (one on Orange channels plus three on Blue).
Sling changes packages and prices often, and the local-channel surcharge depends on your ZIP code. Channel lists here come from Sling's plan pages in early October 2026, and add-on prices from the most recent published figures. Checked October 2026.