I won't mince words: Sling TV is confusing. It has by far the most confusing set of plans and extras of any live TV streaming service I've tested. There are several basic plans, none of which cover the scale of Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV or DirecTV, and about a half-dozen add-ons to bring the channel list up to par. This modular approach is annoying when shopping, but it also means you can save a lot of money by only taking what you need.
The Sling core is blue and orange. The Blue plan focuses on news and entertainment, while the Orange plan cuts news like MSNBC and CNN in favor of a variety of ESPN channels. It's clear that Sling wants people to opt for the Orange & Blue plan, which bundles these channel lineups together. Putting them together is about 30 percent cheaper than buying them separately (and about $30 cheaper than most other suppliers).
The Orange & Blue plan I recommend for most people covers the main bases, but falls short of some of the minor channels available elsewhere. For example, you get ESPN and Fox Sports 1, but not Fox Sports 2 or the Big Ten Network. For this you will need an add-on.
Most Sling add-ons cost an extra $6 per month, except for the sports add-ons, which cost $15. Add-ons fill in the gaps depending on what interests you most. The entertainment add-on includes Cartoon Network and MTV, for example, while the movie add-on includes Grit, TCM and FXX. You can get all the extras for $27 per month with Blue & Orange or $21 per month with other plans. However, even with the full package, Sling costs a few dollars less than YouTube TV and Hulu Live TV, and there's room to lower the monthly price even further by cutting some packages.
When it comes to apps, Sling has pretty much everything you could need. Roku, Samsung, LG, Apple and Google TV are supported, as well as boxes from Cox, Xfinity and even TiVo Stream. Mobile apps are available, and there's also an app for Xbox (but not PlayStation 5).
While the app isn't as responsive as YouTube TV, I found it smooth. TKL QM8K. You can create profiles, view upcoming games and favorite channels in the guide to make them easy to find.
