Sling TV is a popular streaming service for good reason: It’s affordable, customizable, and there’s usually a free trial going. The platform has two plans available: Sling Orange and Sling Blue. The plans have differing channel lineups and lots of extras available. Which one is right for you?

Base Sling TV Channels

Regardless of whether you opt for Sling Orange or Sling Blue, there are 26 channels available in both packages. Depending on where you live, the exact channel lineups can vary a bit.

What is Sling Orange?

Sling Orange is a $40 per-month plan with a total of 32 channels. You get the 26 channels available to all customers, plus six unique channels. Those six Sling Orange exclusives are:

• ESPN
• ESPN2
• ESPN3
• Disney Channel
• Freeform
• Motortrend

Sling Orange customers can only stream on one device at a time. While this is definitely a downside for large households, the plan could still be a good fit for people who live alone or families that don’t have TVs in the bedroom.

What is Sling Blue?

Sling Blue is also $40 per month, but it has more channels than Sling Orange. With the Sling Blue plan, you’ll get 40 total channels, which includes 14 or 15 networks that are unique to this package. Sling Blue channels are:

• NBC (in select markets)
• Fox News
• MSNBC
• Bravo
• NFL Network
• Fox Sports 1
• FX
• USA
• Discovery
• TLC
• E!
• Syfy
• National Geographic
• Tru TV
• HLN

In addition to having a longer channel list, Sling Blue allows you to stream content on up to three devices at once. Obviously, this makes Sling Blue a better option for larger households, as long as you don’t need ESPN.

Combining Plans

If you can’t decide between the two plans, you can always split the difference with the Sling Orange & Blue package. This plan runs at $55 per month with a total of 46 channels.

When compared to alternatives like YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, which are both over $70 per month, Sling can be a good option for budget-conscious viewers who don’t need a ton of channels.

What Add-Ons Can I Get?

Sling TV plans are very customizable. Sling Orange and Sling Blue both have 11 extras available, providing bonuses like more DVR space and additional channels.

The names of the extras are the same between the two plans, though the channels offered in them are not always identical. Available add-ons include Sports Extra, Entertainment Extra, Kids Extra, and News Extra.

The Sling Blue plan extras tend to offer a few more channels; for instance, Sling Orange News Extra guarantees at least five additional channels, but the Sling Blue News Extra has at least 10 additional channels.

If you get Sling Orange & Blue, you can choose between all the extras when personalizing your plan.

Some channels available via Sling Extras include BBC World News, Disney Junior, MLB Network, Big Ten Network, NBA Network, and CNBC. All Sling customers can also get premium networks like Paramount Plus with SHOWTIME and STARZ at an additional price.

Which Sling TV Package is Best?

The best Sling TV package depends on the type of content you care most about. If you need ESPN, Sling Orange is easily the best option. If you’re a Real Housewives fanatic, Sling Blue is the only way to go because it has Bravo.

As a general rule, Sling Orange is best for sports fans, while Sling Blue is good for people who prioritize lifestyle channels and news. If you can’t choose, paying an extra $15 per month for Sling Orange & Blue means you don’t have to decide between college ball and “Below Deck.”

Sling TV is a good option for the casual TV viewer. While you won’t have access to Hulu’s huge on-demand library or DIRECTV STREAM’s huge channel list, you can satisfy your need for live TV without paying a lot of money. If you want local channels, unfortunately, you’ll want to look elsewhere.