'Does Sling TV have local channels?': Here's what you need to know about Dish Network's internet TV service
- Sling TV does not offer subscribers most local channels like CBS, PBS, or ABC
- In larger market areas like New York, Los Angeles, and Washington DC, you may be able to get Fox or NBC with your Sling TV package.
- Sling TV, Dish Networks' over-the-top internet television service, offers digital television channel packages starting at $30 per month.
Sling TV is yet another option for the growing community of cord cutters, or people opting to drop cable TV in favor of streaming or internet-based TV subscriptions.
Unlike platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video whose primary service grants next-day or delayed viewing of shows and movies, Sling TV acts as a cable package. The over-the-top media provider, or a company that delivers programming directly to viewers via the internet, gives you access to live television through your TV, computer, and smartphone.
But is Sling TV the same as having a cable subscription or even watching the free channels with your antenna? There are a few differences in Sling TV's live viewing, and one big one is access to local channels.
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Sling TV features a select number of local broadcast channels, depending on your regional market
Sling TV offers two packages at $30 monthly, the Blue Package and Orange Package; the latter Orange Package arguably offers more popular channels, but it can only be streamed to one device at a time. The Blue Package offers three simultaneous streams. Bundling them costs $45 monthly and gives you access to more than 50 channels and that multi-stream capability.
Within those packages, Sling TV does not offer subscribers access to all the channels you enjoyed with cable. Absent are the networks you never actually needed a cable package for in the first place: local broadcast stations.
Presently, Sling TV does not offer either CBS or ABC stations in any market, though ABC News Live is available as part of Sling's free option. Viewers in just over two dozen areas can access FOX live, and only 10 receive their local NBC affiliate. Only seven markets, including New York, Philadelphia, Dallas, Chicago, and Los Angeles, can watch both FOX and NBC through their Sling TV subscription. You can, however, get access to local channels by using your own or purchasing a Sling TV digital antenna.
If you decide to pass on an antenna, but still want a complete list of cities to determine whether your Sling TV subscription will come with any local channel access, you can visit Sling TV's website.
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