Sling Orange vs. Blue: What's the difference between the live TV streaming plans?

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In an age of price hikes and channel blackouts, Sling TV has emerged as one of the most affordable live TV streaming services on the market. The app offers two main base plans, Sling Orange and Sling Blue, with their own perks and drawbacks.

Originally launched in 2015, Sling has spent the better part of the past decade expanding its channel offerings and incrementally increasing its prices. The month-to-month streaming service has two base plans, each offering a slate of plan-exclusive channels and 24 shared channels available on both subscriptions.

The only cheaper live TV streaming packages out there specialize in niche channel lineups instead of common cable offerings. Sling's array of top-rated sports, news, and entertainment channels makes it a true cable alternative and the cheapest of the bunch to offer what you'd find in a basic cable lineup. Even when you opt-in for the Sling Orange + Blue bundle, it's still less than all direct competitors at $55 per month ($60 in some areas). Alternatives like Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and DirecTV Stream cost anywhere from $80-$87 per month for their cheapest subscription tier.

Sling Orange and Blue both have their appeal, but one might be better for you than the other, depending on what you're hoping to get out of a live TV streaming subscription. We've broken down everything you need to know about the two Sling plans, comparing costs, content, and other specs.

Channel differences

Sling Orange, dubbed the Sports and Family plan, offers 35 channels in its base subscription. The main draw here is ESPN, which isn't offered in Sling Blue. Orange carries eight exclusive channels, including the Disney Channel, Freeform, and key offerings from the ESPN family of channels. Additionally, Sling Orange carries 24 overlapping channels with Sling Blue. The full list of exclusive channels can be found below:

• ESPN
• ESPN2
• ESPN3
• ESPN4K
• Disney Channel
• Freeform
• MotorTrend
• QVC

Sling Blue, framed as the News and Entertainment plan, has at least 40 channels in its base lineup. The plan offers at least 15 exclusive channels, including MSNBC, FX, and the NFL Network. Blue is also the Sling plan with the potential for local channels, which we'll dig into more below. Like Sling Orange, the Blue plan also offers 24 shared channels. The full roundup of guaranteed exclusive channels is listed below:

• Bravo
• E!
• Discovery

• Fox News Channel
• FS1
• FS1 4K
• FX
• HLN
• MSNBC
• National Geographic
• NFL Network
• Syfy
• TLC
• truTV
• USA

The 24 shared channels range from sports to news to general interest and lifestyle. CNN, TNT, TBS, and AMC are among some of the top networks found in both plans. The Sling website has a full breakdown of both shared and exclusive channels.

Local channels

The greatest disparity between the two plans is local channels, but this only really comes into account in select regions. Sling Orange offers no local channels, but as we mentioned above, Sling Blue carries some local networks in select areas. ABC, NBC, and FOX are among those that might be available in your region. CBS isn't included in any Sling plans. For more information, you can check out Sling's guide to local channel coverage.

Add-ons

Sling Orange and Blue have the same add-ons, although the exact channels in the lineups occasionally vary. Some of the top add-ons include the Sports Extra and Entertainment Extra. The Entertainment Extra includes MTV, TV Land, and Paramount Network, among other channels.

The Sports Extra varies significantly by plan. Sling Blue's Sports Extra includes the Big Ten Network, NHL Network, and FS2, among other channels. Sling Orange's Sports Extra includes the ACC Network, SEC Network, and ESPNU, among others. Both Sports Extras have NBA TV, MLB Network, and the Tennis Channel in their lineups.

Both plans allow you to subscribe to non-Sling add-ons through your Sling account, including Discovery+, Max, Paramount+ with Showtime, STARZ, and more. Our Sling TV channels guide has the full breakdown of all networks and add-ons.

Simultaneous streaming

The stealthiest difference between the two plans is in multi-streams. Sling Blue allows users to stream on up to three devices simultaneously, while Sling Orange only permits one stream. Orange's lone stream isn't a huge deal if you live alone, but it means you might be kicking someone off (or getting kicked off yourself) if you share an Orange subscription with someone in your household.

Cost, offers, and free trials

The cost, introductory offers, and free trial information are mostly the same for the two plans. Sling Orange and Sling Blue cost $40 per month and don't offer a free trial. Sling almost always offers new users an introductory discount on the first month of service. This is usually half-off ($20) for each plan, but we've seen discounts reach as high as $25 and as low as $10 over the past year.

In select areas, Sling Blue costs $45/month. This is the case in regions like New York, where subscribers can get all three local channels: ABC, NBC, and FOX. The introductory offer is typically still half-off, making the first month $22.50.

The bottom line

If you can survive without ESPN, Sling Blue is superior as a cable replacement for the whole household due to the channel variety and count, potential for local networks, and ability to stream on multiple devices at once. That being said, Sling Orange is great, too (I subscribe to it!), and a must for most sports fans.

Our top recommendation is — if you can swing the extra $15 per month — to subscribe to Sling Orange + Blue for the complete package. Even though it's slightly more expensive than subscribing to just one of the base plans, this is still much cheaper than any of Sling's direct competitors (Fubo is the next cheapest service, but it's still $25 per month more).