Thinking about ditching your cable provider for a more cost-effective streaming service? You’re not alone. First, you’ll want to consider a few things. How many people watch television in your home at one time? Do you all watch the same programs? Do you watch the same networks? Answering these questions is an important step in deciding which streaming service is the best fit for your needs. For most families, the most popular option is Sling TV. How does Sling TV work?
It’s actually easier than you might think. Switching to Sling TV is easier for families because it mimics cable viewing to some extent.
How Does Sling TV Work
Simply put, Sling TV is an app-based TV service that offers live television streaming and on-demand content over the internet. It allows you to watch live television programming or on-demand content right on your phone, tablet, computer, or television at the click of the button. Better yet, it costs a fraction of the price of cable.
There are no contracts to sign, and right now they offer a 3-day free trial with 50+ channels to see if the service is right for you, or your family. Unlike cable providers, you won’t have to pay for local channels, so you can watch local news, sports, and other programming for free.
However, you’ll need to buy an HD antenna. You can purchase one online for a one-time fee of around $30.
Sling TV Hardware You’ll Need
The only Sling TV hardware you may need is a smart TV, Roku, Chromecast, or Fire Stick. This allows you to access the app on your television. Once you have bought a subscription, you are good to watch your favorite programs right from the Sling TV app.
How Much Is Sling TV
Sling TV offers three separate subscription plans. When you sign up you can elect to purchase the orange plan, the blue plan, or the orange and blue plan. Here is the breakdown of the individual plans, their costs, and what you’ll get for each plan.
Orange Plan
The orange plan offers 30+ channels. Some of the more popular networks available on the orange plan include ESPN, Disney Channel, A&E, TNT, AMC, and HGTV. You can purchase the orange plan for $20 for the first month and $30 for each month after that.
The orange plan offers a wide variety of news networks, sporting channels, entertainment channels, and popular networks for kids. If you’re just starting out and looking into cutting the cord, this is a good option for families.
Notable Channels: ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, Comedy Central, and Cartoon Network.
Blue Plan
Like the orange plan, the blue plan offers several networks and variety. The blue plan has a list of 50+ channels in its package. Some of the popular networks available for this package include USA, Bravo, NFL Network, TNT, AMC, and HGTV. You can purchase the blue plan for $20 for the first month and $30 for each month after that.
Like the orange plan, the blue plan offers a wide variety of news channels, sporting networks, entertainment channels, and children’s programming. If you’re looking for more variety of programming, this plan works well families.
Notable Channels: CNN, Food Network, Nick Jr., FOX1, NBC Sports, and the ID channel.
Orange and Blue Plan
While the Orange and Blue plans are good on their own, the real power comes when you combine them. You can purchase the orange and blue plan for $35 the first month and $45 every month after.
It should be noted that if you’re looking for the cable-like experience without contracts, you can have it with Sling TV for just $45 per month. This will give you everything that both plans offer.
Sling TV Extras
If you’re really looking for other cable favorites, like movie channels, no problem. They can be purchased for additional fees. These packages offer a few more channels depending on what you’re into.
Here are a few extras packages that they offer:
- Sports – 15+ sports channels for $10 per month
- Comedy – 5+ comedy channels for $5 per month
- Kids – 5+ kids channels for $5 per month
- News – 10 news channels for $5 per month
- Lifestyle – 10+ lifestyle channels for $5
Included with all Sling TV subscriptions is 10-hours of Cloud DVR. You can upgrade to 50-hours of Cloud DVR Plus for an additional $5 per month.
Costs Savings Compared to Cable
According to a PwC study, traditional TV subscriptions have dropped by 10% in the past two years alone, with one-third of users switching to streaming services. This is likely because of the overall savings of streaming services versus cable.
I know we just threw a lot of numbers at you, but let’s break it all down.
Let’s say you purchased the orange and blue plan for $45. Then you purchased every extra above for $35. Let’s do the math…
Even if you purchased everything listed above, you still would only pay a combined fee of $80 per month! That’s still less than cable!
How Many Screens
If you purchase the orange plan, you have the availability to watch one stream at a time. That means if you have any other family members that also want to watch something, they have to wait.
However, if you purchase the blue package, you can have 3 simultaneous streams at one time. That means if you are watching sports, your kids can be watching cartoons, and your wife can be watching a lifestyle show all at the same time, on separate devices.
If you purchase the orange and blue package, you get a total of 4 streams at a time! Better still, these four streams can be on different devices entirely. So long as it has the sling app, it can be streamed. This includes TV, tablet, computer, or phone.
Is Sling TV Right for You
By now, you’re no longer asking how does Sling TV work? You know what it is, how it works, and just how much you can save from cutting the cord, but keeping all of the great channels you love. If Sling TV sounds like the right choice for you or your family, get started today with a 3-day free trial.
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