Sling TV vs. YouTube TV

Price: how much cheaper is Sling?

Sling TV is much cheaper. Its two smallest plans each cost $19.99 a month: Sling Essentials for ESPN, ESPN2, Disney Channel and about 10 more channels, and Sling Select for FOX News, FS1, NFL Network and about 10 more. Both together start at $34.99. The classic Sling Orange and Sling Blue plans cost $45.99 each, and Orange and Blue together start at $60.99 for 50+ channels.

YouTube TV’s main plan lists at $82.99 a month for 100+ channels. In 2026 it added smaller genre plans, starting with Entertainment at $54.99, Sports at $64.99 and Sports + News at $71.99. New users can get the main plan for $59.99 a month for 2 months through Nov 16, 2026.

Sling’s “from” prices can be higher in markets where it includes local channels, and Extras add to the bill: News Extra is $6, Sports Extra is $11 and Unlimited DVR is $5 a month. Even so, a Sling Orange and Blue household with Unlimited DVR pays about $66 a month, still below YouTube TV’s main plan.

The price gap pays for real differences: local channels, unlimited DVR and more streams on the ESPN plans. The next sections cover what you give up with Sling.

Local channels: the biggest difference

YouTube TV carries ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC in most markets, so local news, prime-time network shows and most NFL Sunday afternoon games come with the plan.

Sling TV says ABC, FOX and NBC are available only in select markets, and CBS is not listed. In many areas you get no local stations at all. That means no local CBS NFL games, no local news and no network prime time unless you add something else.

The usual fix is an indoor or attic antenna, a one-time purchase that picks up free over-the-air ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and PBS stations if you live within range of the towers. Many Sling subscribers pair the two. Check reception for your address before relying on it.

Enter your ZIP code on each service’s site before you subscribe. Sling shows which locals you get and the price for your area, and YouTube TV shows its local lineup for your ZIP code.

YouTube TV has lost channels in fee disputes, including a two-week Disney blackout that ended Nov 14, 2025 under a multi-year deal, and a roughly two-month Univision blackout that ended in November 2025. Those networks are back on the service as of October 2026.

Sports: ESPN, NFL and RedZone

For a sports fan on a budget, Sling Essentials is the cheapest way to get ESPN and ESPN2 live: $19.99 a month. The catch is one stream, so only one person can watch at a time. Sling Select adds the other side of sports, FOX’s FS1 and NFL Network, also from $19.99, and both together start at $34.99. Sports Extra ($11) adds channels such as SEC Network, ACC Network or NFL RedZone, depending on the base plan.

YouTube TV covers more in one plan. The main plan and its Sports genre plans include ESPN, FS1, NFL Network and the local broadcast networks that carry most NFL games, with 3 streams. Its Sports Plus add-on includes NFL RedZone.

For out-of-market NFL games, only YouTube TV sells NFL Sunday Ticket. For the 2026 season it costs $378 for existing members and $240 for eligible new subscribers, on top of the monthly plan. Sling does not offer it.

Neither service is strong on local NBA, NHL or MLB games, which depend on regional sports networks. If those matter most, compare Fubo or DIRECTV for your ZIP code.

DVR and streams

DVR: YouTube TV wins. Every YouTube TV plan includes unlimited cloud DVR and keeps each recording for 9 months. Sling includes 50 hours of cloud DVR on every plan; Unlimited DVR, which also adds Replays, costs $5 a month. Fifty hours fills up quickly if you record a full football season or several daily shows.

Streams: it depends on the Sling plan. Sling Essentials and Sling Orange allow 1 stream. Sling Select and Sling Blue allow 3. The bundles allow up to 4, but ESPN channels from the Orange or Essentials side still count as the one-stream part. YouTube TV allows 3 streams at once with up to 6 household accounts on one membership, and the 4K Plus add-on ($9.99 a month) lifts that to unlimited streams on your home network and adds 4K and offline viewing.

For one person or a couple who watch different things, Sling Blue or a bundle gives enough screens. For a family that wants ESPN on more than one TV, YouTube TV is the simpler choice.

Free trial, refunds and cancelling

YouTube TV lists a 10-day free trial for new users in October 2026. Its offer terms say no refunds, so if you cancel mid-month, service runs to the end of the billing period.

Sling TV says it does not offer a free trial. Instead, anyone can watch Sling Freestream, a free tier with 600+ live channels and 40,000+ on-demand titles, with no credit card. Sling bills monthly in advance and says no credits or refunds are issued for partial or prepaid months after you cancel. Day, week and weekend Sling Passes have been discontinued.

Neither service has an annual contract, and you can cancel either one online. Billing and cancellation complaints are common for Sling, so cancel a day or two before your renewal date and keep the confirmation email.

A low-risk way to choose: start YouTube TV’s 10-day trial during a week with the shows or games you care about, and try Freestream at the same time to see whether Sling’s app works on your devices.