YouTube TV vs Sling TV: YouTube TV and Sling TV are two names that are well-known in the domain of internet TV service providers in recent years. YouTube launched YouTube TV in 2017 and has expanded to cover a large portion of US households ever since. Over time, it has added more networks and features to its platform to provide better services to the people. Whereby, Sling TV came into existence from television service provider DishWorld, which, after 2015, came to be known as Sling TV.
Sling TV is a Domestic network known within the USA only, whereas YouTube TV has a worldwide presence, and hence it might look like a better option, but is it the better option when it comes to online TV service providers? We are going to answer this and many other questions that you might have on this YouTube TV vs Sling TV debate. So let’s get into it.
YouTube TV vs Sling TV
YouTube offers YouTube Premium, which includes an ad-free experience on YouTube, YouTube Music Premium, the ability to download videos for offline viewing, and background playback. It also allows for sharing the membership with up to 5 family members. Along with that, YouTube TV offers live TV services with 120+ channels. YouTube is a globally renowned name in online streaming, and ever since 2017, after the launch of YouTube TV, it has tried to capitalize on the online TV channel service market too.
Sling TV is a modern alternative to cable boxes or satellite dish services, which are provided over the internet. Sling TV provides 3 different packages: Sling Orange, Sling Blue, and Sling Orange + Blue. Some local TV channels are available based on their availability in your region (USA only) and are included in all plans, along with these packages. There are additional streaming and TV packages that people can add to their Orange, Blue, or Orange + Blue packages. This way, Sling lets people choose what they want to see and pay for.
| Specifications | YouTube TV | Sling TV |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Google Inc | Dish Network |
| Starting Price | $82.99/Month | $45.99/Month |
| TV Support | Yes | Yes |
| Concurrent Streaming | 2 – Unlimited Devices | 1 – 4 Devices |
| Best For | Everyone | Local TV Channels |
| Online DVR Storage | Yes | Yes |
| Offline DVR Download | Yes (for an extra $9.99/Month) | No |
| Student Discount | No | Yes |
| Free Trial | 7 – 14 Days | No |
Plan and Price Comparison of TV Services
YouTube TV offers its services at a base price of $82.99/month and has over 120 channels in its catalog, YouTube TV allows 3 devices to run at the same time. If you plan to upgrade and use more features like unlimited screens, 4K content, and offline DVR download from YouTube TV you at an additional $9.99 per month can get it done. It is important to know that, unlike Hulu, having a YouTube TV plan does not automatically give you access to YouTube Premium, and if you want, you have to buy it separately. YouTube TV also provides a free trial of 7-14 days for new users, for them to experience their services.
Sling TV does not have any other streaming platform in its base plans and comes with up to 50+ channels that are provided through their Plans Sling Orange, Sling Blue, and Sling Orange + Blue. Since Sling broadcasts live TV through its platform, and ads are part of live TV, there are no ad-free plans offered by Sling. Simultaneous streaming up to 4 devices is available, depending upon which plan you choose, and unlike Hulu, there is no free trial for Sling TV’s services.
| Feature | YouTube TV | Sling TV |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $82.99/Month | $45.99/Month |
| Channels Up To | 120+ Channels | 50+ Channels |
| 4K Content | Yes (For $9.99/Month) | No |
| Cloud DVR Storage | Unlimited | 50 hour |
| Simultaneous Streaming | 3 – Unlimited Devices | 2 – 4 Devices |
| Free Trial | 7-14 Days** | No |
( ** The duration of the free trial keeps changing based on offers.)
YouTube Plans
YouTube, apart from YouTube TV, offers a paid subscription service called YouTube Premium, offering an ad-free experience across YouTube, background playback, offline downloads, and access to YouTube Music. Subscribers also get exclusive content from YouTube Originals. There are different plans like the Individual Plan, Family Plan, Student Plan, and Premium Lite Plan.
Individual Plan for $13.99 per month offers ad-free video on YouTube, YouTube Music Premium, allows running video in the background, and also offers offline downloads of YouTube Videos. Family Plan for $22.99 per month offers all the same features as the Individual Plan, in addition, it allows access to up to 5 family/friends of the account. Student Plan can only be availed by students after verification for $7.99 per month, which lets them access all the features of the Individual Plan too. Premium Lite Plan for $7.99 per month only helps the user to watch YouTube videos without ads, and no other benefits are offered.
| Plan Type | Price (USD) | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Individual Plan | $13.99/Month | Ad-free videos, background play, offline downloads, YouTube Music Premium |
| Family Plan | $22.99/Month | All features of the Individual plan + access to 5 family members in the same household |
| Student Plan | $7.99/Month | All features of the Individual plan for verified students only |
| Premium Lite Plan | $7.99/Month | Ad-free viewing for most videos |
Sling TV Plan
Sling TV provides 3 plan options catering to the audience who wants to have access to a limited number of channels. These plans are called Sling Orange, which has the lowest price point at $45.99/month and the least 30+ channels, followed by Sling Blue, which is a mid plan starting at $50.99/month which offers 40+ channels, whereas Sling Orange + Blue is their premium plan at $65.99/month which offers 50+ channels. As the name suggests, Sling Orange + Blue has all the channels from Sling Orange and Sling Blue, along with the common channels that are provided by the platform.
(The number of channels is not exact, because in America number of local channels changes depending on where you live.)
| Feature | Sling Orange | Sling Blue | Sling Orange + Blue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $45.99/Month | $50.99/Month | $65.99/Month |
| Channels Up To | 30+ Channels | 40+ Channels | 50+ Channels |
| Cloud DVR Storage | 50 Hours | 50 Hours | 50 Hours |
| Simultaneous Streaming | 1 Device | 3 Devices | 4 Devices |
| Free Trial | No | No | No |
Student Discount
YouTube TV does not offer any student discount for its plan. There is a discount offer for students on YouTube Premium, which reduces the price of YouTube Premium from $13.99 per month to $7.99 per month.
Sling TV, on the other hand, provides students with a $10/month off the plans that they provide for 6 months only. They provide this discount on all available packs to choose from, but it comes with a time limit (6 months).
YouTube TV vs Sling TV Channel Comparison
( Channels having * may or may not be included based on the pack you choose )
( Availability of certain channels may differ based on where you live in the USA )
Sports Channels
YouTube TV has 20 sports channels, which is way more sports channels as compared to Sling TV‘s 8 sports channels.
| Channel | YouTube TV | Sling TV |
|---|---|---|
| ACC Network | Yes | No |
| Big Ten Network | Yes | No |
| CBS Sports Network | Yes | No |
| ESPN | Yes | Yes* |
| ESPN2 | Yes | Yes* |
| ESPNEWS | Yes | No |
| ESPNU | Yes | No |
| FanDuel TV | No | No |
| FS1 (Fox Sports 1) | Yes | Yes* |
| FS2 (Fox Sports 2) | Yes | No |
| Golf Channel | Yes | No |
| MLB Network | Yes | No |
| Monumental Sports Network | No | No |
| NBC Sports Washington | No | No |
| NFL Network | Yes | Yes* |
| SEC Network | Yes | No |
| Tennis Channel | Yes | No |
| TNT | Yes | Yes |
| TBS | Yes | Yes |
| truTV | Yes | Yes* |
| NBC Sports | Yes | Yes* |
| NBA TV | Yes | No |
| MLB Game of the Week | Yes | No |
Live Local Channels
YouTube TV has 11 local channels, which is way more local channels as compared to Sling TV’s 3 local channels.
| Channel | YouTube TV | Sling TV |
|---|---|---|
| ABC | Yes | No |
| CBS | Yes | No |
| FOX | Yes | Yes* |
| NBC | Yes | Yes* |
| The CW | Yes | No |
| Telemundo | Yes | No |
| PBS | Yes | No |
| PBS Kids | Yes | No |
| MyNetworkTV | Yes | No |
| Univision | Yes | No |
| Local Now | Yes | Yes |
Entertainment & Lifestyle Channels
YouTube TV has 50 entertainment and lifestyle channels, which is significantly more entertainment and lifestyle channels as compared to Sling TV‘s 18 entertainment and lifestyle channels.
| Channel | YouTube TV | Sling TV |
|---|---|---|
| A&E | No | Yes |
| AMC | Yes | No |
| Adult Swim | Yes | Yes |
| Animal Planet | Yes | Yes* |
| BET | Yes | Yes* |
| BET Her | Yes | No |
| Bravo | Yes | Yes* |
| CMT | Yes | No |
| Comedy Central | Yes | Yes |
| Comedy.TV | Yes | No |
| Comet TV | Yes | No |
| COZI TV | Yes | No |
| Dabl | Yes | No |
| Discovery Channel | Yes | Yes* |
| Disney Channel | Yes | No |
| Disney Junior | Yes | No |
| Disney XD | Yes | No |
| E! | Yes | Yes* |
| Food Network | Yes | Yes |
| Freeform | Yes | Yes* |
| FX | Yes | Yes |
| FXX | Yes | Yes |
| FYI | No | No |
| Game Show Network | Yes | No |
| getTV | Yes | No |
| Great American Family | No | No |
| Hallmark Channel | Yes | No |
| Hallmark Drama | Yes | No |
| Hallmark Movies & Mysteries | Yes | No |
| HGTV | Yes | Yes |
| Investigation Discovery (ID) | Yes | Yes* |
| Justice Central | Yes | No |
| Lifetime | No | Yes* |
| Lifetime Movies | No | No |
| Magnolia Network | No | No |
| MotorTrend | Yes | Yes* |
| MTV | Yes | No |
| MTV2 | Yes | No |
| National Geographic | Yes | Yes |
| Nat Geo Wild | Yes | No |
| Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) | Yes | No |
| Oxygen True Crime | Yes | No |
| Paramount Network | Yes | No |
| Pop | Yes | No |
| QVC | Yes | No |
| Recipe.TV | Yes | No |
| Scripps News | Yes | No |
| Start TV | Yes | No |
| Syfy | Yes | Yes* |
| TLC | Yes | No |
| Travel Channel | Yes | No |
| TV Land | Yes | No |
| Universal Kids | Yes | No |
| USA Network | Yes | No |
| VH1 | Yes | No |
| WE tv | Yes | No |
Movie Channels
YouTube TV has 6 movie channels, whereas Sling TV provides no movie channels on any of its packages.
| Channel | YouTube TV | Sling TV |
|---|---|---|
| FXM (Fox Movie Channel) | Yes | No |
| Hallmark Channel | Yes | No |
| Hallmark Movies & Mysteries | Yes | No |
| TCM (Turner Classic Movies) | Yes | No |
| SundanceTV | Yes | No |
| IFC | Yes | No |
News Channels
YouTube TV has 15 news channels, which is way more news channels as compared to Sling TV‘s 5 news channels.
| Channel | YouTube TV | Sling TV |
|---|---|---|
| ABC News | Yes | No |
| CBS News | Yes | No |
| CNBC | Yes | Yes* |
| CNBC World | Yes | No |
| CNN | Yes | Yes* |
| FOX Business | Yes | No |
| FOX News Channel | Yes | Yes* |
| HLN | Yes | No |
| MSNBC | Yes | Yes* |
| NBC News Now | Yes | No |
| NewsNation | Yes | Yes* |
| The Weather Channel | Yes | No |
| Cheddar News | Yes | No |
| Law & Crime | Yes | No |
| TYT (The Young Turks) | Yes | No |
YouTube TV vs Hulu Add-On Packs
YouTube TV has 120+ Live TV channels in its base plan, but if people want more, then YouTube TV provides add-on packs with some of the biggest platforms like Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax, AMC+, BET+, YouTube TV Sports Plus, and 40+ such partners for extra charges per month for their respective services. Also, there are linguistic packs like Spanish Plan, Spanish Plus Plan, and Filipino Plan for people to choose from.
Sling TV offers a wide range of individual add-on packs, including service providers such as Acorn TV, ALLBLK, AMC+, BET+, Comedy Dynamics Network, Cinemax, CONtv, Curiosity Stream, discovery+, Docurama, FOX Nation, Hallmark+, Here TV, Magnolia Selects, Max, and MGM+.TV, Newsmax TV, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, Shudder, STARZ, True Royalty TV, UP Faith & Family, ViX Premium. Apart from these, they offer a good collection of TV shows bundled for people who want to watch TV content from different parts of the world under their International Plans. They are categorised as packs for East Asian, South American, European, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Latino. Similarly, if your base pack does not have channels for sports that you want, they have different Sports packs for sports like MLB, NBA, WNBA, NHL, Soccer, Tennis, and Cricket.
Cloud DVR & Recording Features
YouTube TV offers unlimited cloud DVR storage for up to 9 months, allowing users to record content without worrying about the storage limit. Users can fast forward through ads from YouTube TV’s DVR recordings. At an additional price of $9.99/month, YouTube TV also allows offline download of DVR recordings.
Sling TV takes an old-school approach whereby it allows users to record individual parts of episodes or even a full series separately, just like old-school DVRs, but it only provides 50 hours of free DVR Storage in the cloud. So if you want to record more videos, you either have to delete the old videos or pay $5/month for unlimited storage.
Simultaneous Streaming
YouTube TV allows users to stream on 3 devices simultaneously, but if you want to stream on unlimited devices, then you can opt for an upgrade with an extra fee. YouTube TV provides support to up to 6 user profiles, allowing family members to have personalized recommendations and watchlists.
Sling TV offers varying numbers of devices for different plans. Sling Orange allows streaming on 1 device at a time, whereas Sling Blue allows you to use 3 devices simultaneously. In case of Sling Orange + Blue, the limit of devices that can be used simultaneously is increased to 4 devices, and there is no way to increase this number. If you want more simultaneous streaming, you have to choose packs with more devices.
Final Verdict: YouTube TV vs Sling TV
Both YouTube TV and Sling TV are great online TV service providers. YouTube offers a large catalogue of live TV channels for a decent price point, whereas Sling TV provides rather fewer TV channels but comes with a plethora of add-on packs. The number of channels is less than half (in their best plan) of what YouTube TV offers for almost half the price, but it might be better in terms of choosing which TV channels you want to pay for on your device.
YouTube TV offers more channels and even better features like offline DVR download and 4K streaming so it seems as a better option. But if you are on a budget, then Sling provides an ample amount of TV channels for half the price, and you can always mix and match TV channels to your choice.