My Sling Orange vs. Sling Blue Review: I Got a Better Deal From Blue, Even Without ESPN

Sling Orange and Sling Blue both cost the same amount of money per month, but they differ considerably in channel lineup and their value really depends on what you want to actually watch on your TV set. Ultimately, I lean towards Blue being the best deal between the two. Not just because I’m more into news than I am into sports, but also because you can still get access to ESPN (yay Monday Night Football!) and other sports networks via Sling’s no-commitment Day Pass.

Sling Blue includes more channels, including the major news networks and channels like Bravo that have must-see programming like The Real Housewives and Vanderpump Rules. Weirdly, it also includes the NFL Network for Thursday Night Football while Orange doesn’t, even though Orange is supposed to be the “sports” package.

Orange has major sports channels, namely ESPN and its various offshoots, plus HGTV for all the home-makeover goodness and Disney for kids and Disney adults. But since many sports (or even single leagues, like the NFL) are often broadcast on multiple networks, you may end up finding that your needs aren’t met by Orange alone and you may still want to pay for Orange & Blue and/or the Sports Extra add-on.

The Day Pass allows you access to the Orange plan without a monthly subscription, which is perfect if you want to watch a specific game or games without committing to the price of a full package. Prices start at just $4.99 and you don’t have to worry about auto-renewal because the service automatically shuts off at the end of the selected pass period.

Here are the prices for a Day Pass:

• $4.99 for a 1 Day Pass
• $9.99 for a 3 Day Pass
• $14.99 for a 7 Day Pass

Of course, if you really can’t decide, Sling offers an Orange & Blue package that gives you a solid mix of sports, news, and lifestyle programming for a price that is still considerably lower than YouTube TV.

Need to know what channels you can get on each package? No problem, I added all the channels to the table below. Use Ctrl+F to search for specific channels you’re looking for, and follow the check-mark and “X” symbols to confirm whether the channel is available or not.

Sling’s Blue, Select, and Orange & Blue packages offer live streaming access to some local channels, including major network affiliates. However, availability varies depending on the ZIP code you’re in and what you can get in your local market.

You can look up or update your location in your Sling app to see which local channels appear in your ZIP code. Also, you can get local channels for free using an over-the-air (OTA) antenna.

Sling Blue’s price is higher in markets where local channels are included as part of your package. Although Sling doesn’t widely advertise the higher regional rates, I saw that a Sling Blue plan cost $10/mo. more than the standard rate when I typed in a New York City area code where ABC, FOX, and NBC affiliates were available.

You can sign on for more channels and premium content with one of Sling’s numerous bundles and add-ons.