When it comes to streaming live television in the U.S., viewers have several options, with Sling TV and Fubo being two prominent contenders. Although they may not lead the market in terms of total subscribers, both services offer unique features that warrant consideration.
Fubo TV provides a traditional viewing experience. Users select a specific plan that suits their preferences, pay the associated fees, and gain immediate access to a range of channels tailored for their enjoyment. However, with three different subscription tiers available, it can be somewhat challenging to determine which channels are most relevant to your viewing habits.
On the other hand, Sling TV takes a more flexible approach, offering two basic subscription plans and various add-ons allowing users to customize their viewing experience. This service starts as a highly affordable option, but it’s important to note that additional features and channels can lead to an increase in the monthly bill, making it essential for users to monitor their selections closely.
Whichever one has your eye, they still work essentially the same way. Pick a service that has the channels you want, at a price you’re willing to pay.
Thankfully, Sling TV and Fubo are available on pretty much any modern connected device. So let’s dive in.
Plans and price
Sling TV offers a variety of plans and pricing options to cater to different needs and preferences. The main base plans are Sling Orange and Sling Blue, typically priced at $46 per month each, but often available with a discount for the first month, bringing the initial cost down to around $23. Sling Orange is generally favored for sports and family content, offering channels like ESPN and Disney Channel, and allows streaming on one device at a time. Sling Blue, on the other hand, is geared towards news and entertainment, including channels like CNN, FOX News, and Bravo, and supports streaming on up to three devices simultaneously.
For those who want the best of both, Sling offers the Sling Orange + Blue package, usually priced around $61 per month (again, with potential first-month discounts). This plan combines the channels from both base plans, providing a more comprehensive lineup and allowing streaming on up to three devices.
Beyond the base plans, Sling TV provides a wide array of add-on channel packages, often called “Extras,” which are genre-based and cost extra per month, typically ranging from $6 to $11. These include options like Sports Extra, Comedy Extra, Kids Extra, News Extra, Lifestyle Extra, Hollywood Extra, and Heartland Extra, allowing subscribers to further customize their channel selection based on their interests.
Sling TV also offers premium channel add-ons such as Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, STARZ, and MGM+, each with its own monthly fee, usually ranging from $5 to $17. These can be added to any of the base plans or even purchased as standalone subscriptions in some cases.
In addition to these options, Sling TV often has promotional offers, such as discounts for prepaying for multiple months of service or bundling with hardware like the AirTV Mini. They also offer Sling Freestream, a free service with a limited selection of live channels and on-demand content, which does not require a paid subscription. Furthermore, Sling includes 50 hours of DVR storage with all paid plans, with the option to upgrade to 200 hours for an additional monthly fee.
Meanwhile, Fubo offers a range of plans and pricing options to suit different needs and preferences. The main English-language options include the Pro plan at $84.99 per month and the Elite plan at $94.99 per month. The Latino plan, aimed at Spanish-speaking audiences, is available for $14.99 per month. It’s worth mentioning that Fubo often provides promotional pricing for the first month of service, which offers a discount on the initial cost.
The Pro plan includes a significant number of channels, over 219, covering various categories such as sports, news, entertainment, and lifestyle. It also generally includes regional sports networks, though an extra fee of $12-$16 per month may apply for these. Subscribers to the Pro plan enjoy unlimited Cloud DVR storage, enabling them to record their favorite programs, and can stream on up to 10 devices at home, with an additional three streams available on the go.
The Elite plan builds on the Pro offering by providing even more channels, over 291, and includes the 4K Plus add-on without any extra cost, allowing access to select content in 4K resolution. Notably, the regional sports network fee is typically included in the Elite plan’s price. Similar to the Pro plan, it offers unlimited Cloud DVR and the capability to stream on up to 10 devices at home and three on mobile.
For Spanish-speaking households, the Latino plan offers over 50 channels, encompassing sports and entertainment in Spanish. This plan also provides unlimited Cloud DVR and allows streaming on up to two devices simultaneously. For those seeking even more Spanish-language content, the Latino Plus add-on is available for an additional monthly fee.
Beyond the base plans, Fubo provides a variety of add-on packages to further customize the viewing experience. These include options for premium channels like Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, Starz, and MGM+, as well as various sports add-ons such as NBA League Pass, MLB.TV, and Sports Plus with NFL RedZone. There are also add-ons for news, entertainment, and international channels, allowing subscribers to personalize their channel lineup according to their specific interests. Fubo does not require long-term contracts, and there are no equipment rental fees, offering flexibility for subscribers.
Channels
On paper, Fubo has more channels than Sling TV. A lot more. But sit down and look at it, and you’ll find that a lot of them are more of the sort that you’d find on a free ad-supported streaming service.
Sling TV
As noted, Sling TV offers two main base plans: Sling Orange and Sling Blue, each with a different set of channels and streaming capabilities.
Sling Orange is designed for sports and family entertainment enthusiasts. It includes channels like ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, Disney Channel, Freeform, and Food Network, among others. A key characteristic of Sling Orange is that it allows streaming on only one device at a time.
Sling Blue is geared towards news and entertainment viewers. Its channel lineup features networks such as CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, USA, Bravo, FX, and the NFL Network. Sling Blue offers the advantage of streaming on up to three devices simultaneously. In select markets, Sling Blue subscribers can also access local channels like FOX, NBC, and ABC.
For viewers who want the best of both worlds, Sling offers the Sling Orange + Blue package. This combines the channels from both individual plans and allows streaming on up to four devices at the same time.
It’s important to note that while some channels are common to both Sling Orange and Sling Blue, each plan also has exclusive channels. For example, ESPN channels are exclusive to Sling Orange, while channels like FS1 and NFL Network are exclusive to Sling Blue. Additionally, Sling TV offers various add-on “Extras” packages that allow subscribers to customize their channel lineup with options for sports, kids, news, lifestyle, and movies for an additional monthly fee. Premium channels like STARZ, SHOWTIME, and HBO are also available as add-ons. Both Sling Orange and Sling Blue include 50 hours of free DVR storage, with the option to upgrade to unlimited DVR for an extra charge.
Fubo
Fubo offers three main channel packages: Pro, Elite, and Latino. Please note that channel lineups can change and local channel availability (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CW) often depends on your location.
The Pro plan includes over 219 channels, providing a wide variety of content that spans sports, news, entertainment, and lifestyle. Key channels in the Pro plan include:
Sports: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, FS1, FS2, beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, Golf Channel, and various FanDuel Sports Networks. Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) are typically included but may incur additional monthly fees.
Entertainment & Lifestyle: ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CW, AMC, Bravo, Comedy Central, Disney Channel, E!, Freeform, FX, FXX, Hallmark Channel, HGTV (though recent reports indicate that Discovery channels like HGTV may no longer be included), Food Network (also potentially removed), MSNBC, USA Network.
News: ABC News Live, BBC World News, Bloomberg TV, CBS News, FOX News, Local Now.
Other: AccuWeather, AXS TV Now, The Bob Ross Channel, Bounce, CHARGE!, CLEO TV, COMET, Court TV, Dabl, Dove Channel, EarthxTV, FETV, FOX SOUL, Game Show Network, getTV, Grit, ION, ION Mystery, Law & Crime, MTV, Paramount Network, QVC, SYFY, TBS, Telemundo, TNT, TV Land, Univision, UniMás, VH1, WE tv.
The Elite plan expands on the Pro plan by offering over 291 channels. It includes everything in the Pro plan, plus additional channels and the 4K Plus add-on at no extra cost. Notable additions in the Elite plan include:
Sports: CC Network, ESPNews, ESPNU, MLB Network, NBA TV, NHL Network, SEC Network, Tennis Channel. The regional sports network fee is typically included in the Elite plan’s price.
Entertainment & Lifestyle: American Heroes Channel, BBC America, BET Her, BET Jams, BET Soul, CNBC World, Cooking Channel (potentially removed), DIY Network (potentially removed), Documentary+, FYI (potentially removed), Magnolia Network (potentially removed), MTV2, MTV Classic, MTV Live, Nat Geo Wild (potentially removed), Science Channel (potentially removed), Smithsonian Channel, TeenNick, TV One.
News: Africanews English, Cheddar News, CNBC World, Euronews, LX News.
Other: Alien Nation, At Home With Family Handyman, BUZZR, Chess TV, Circle Country, Classic TV, Crime and Punishment, Curiosity Channel, Curiosity Now, DangerTV, Dark Matter TV, Electric Now, Family Feud, FMC, Her Sphere by Lionsgate, Hello Inspo, i24NEWS, INFAST, InTravel, InWonder, Justice Central TV, Kitchen Nightmares, LOGO, LSN (Lacrosse TV), Maximum Effort Channel, MOTOR TREND (potentially removed), Movie Sphere by Lionsgate, Mysteria, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Nat Geo Channel (potentially removed), Reelz, RetroCrush, Revry, Recipe.TV (potentially removed), Shop LC, Story Television, Tastemade, TBN, The Design Network, The FBI Files, The First, The Pet Collective, This TV, True Crime Network, TVG, UPtv, Vice, Weather Channel, World Fishing Network, and more.
Finally, the Latino plan is a Spanish-language-focused package with over 50 channels. Key channels in the Latino plan include:
Sports: beIN SPORTS en Español, ESPN Deportes, FOX Deportes, GolTV Spanish.
Entertainment & Lifestyle: América TeVé, Cine Estelar TV, Cine Sony Television, Cine y Series TV (CYS), Cinelatino, Estrella TV, Galavisión, Pasiones, Tlnovelas, Univision, UniMás, UniNovelas.
News: Estrella News, Euronews Español, Noticias Telemundo Ahora, Univision 24/7.
Other: Always Funny Español, Canela Clásicos, Canela.TV Deportes, Canela.TV Hollywood y Más, Canela.TV Narco Drama, Canela.TV Pasión Latina, CATV, El Salvador 24 (ES24), Filmex, Filmex Acción, Filmex Clásico, Filmex Comedia, Fubo Latino Network, Fubo Radio 7, Gusto TV Español, Nuestra Tele, Telecentro, TeleFormula, TLMD Novelas, TyC Sports.
It is highly recommended to check the Sling TV and Fubo websites for the most current and complete channel lineups for each package in your specific location, as channel availability can vary.
Local channels
Both Fubo and Sling TV have local channels. You’ll want to double-check that you actually get them where you live, though. Fubo has all the main ones — ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. Sling, on the other hand, only has CBS, Fox, and NBC in a limited number of markets. And it doesn’t have CBS at all.
However, Sling TV will push something called AirTV, which is basically a branded over-the-air antenna and tuner. You’ll hook it up and scan for channels, and everything appears in the Sling TV live guide.
Fubo definitely wins here for the sake of simplicity.
Add-ons
Sling TV and Fubo each have a good number of add-ons (not counting the Extras that will bring Sling’s channel listings closer to par). And each has premiums like Showtime, STARZ, and NBA League Pass.
Fubo will also let you buy extra recording storage — $1 a month will get you unlimited DVR storage. Sling TV comes with 50 hours for free. If you need more than that, another $5 a month will get you 200 hours.
Fubo also lets you buy the ability to stream on up to 10 devices at once (and two on the road) for $10 a month. It calls that option “unlimited screens” for some reason. The “Family Share” add-on lets you share your account with up to three people at once, away from your home network, for $6 a month.
Disney buys Fubo
Back in January, The Walt Disney Company and FuboTV Inc. reached a tentative agreement to merge Disney’s Hulu + Live TV business with Fubo. This combination will establish a new virtual Multichannel Video Programming Distributor (vMVPD), with Disney holding approximately 70% ownership and existing Fubo shareholders retaining the remaining 30%.
While Fubo and Hulu + Live TV will initially remain separate services, the deal also involves a new carriage agreement that allows Fubo to create a “Sports & Broadcast” service featuring Disney’s key networks like ABC, ESPN, and ESPN+. This agreement simultaneously resolves Fubo’s prior litigation with Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery concerning Venu Sports, a streaming service that is no longer being created.
If finalized, the merger is anticipated to create a stronger competitor in the streaming TV market, potentially offering consumers more diverse programming and bolstering Fubo’s financial standing, although Disney, as the majority owner, will exert significant influence over the combined company’s future direction. The abandonment of Venu Sports is another notable consequence of this agreement. Currently, the deal is in the approval phase, with ongoing regulatory review.
