In response to YouTube TV raising prices and Fubo TV raising prices this week, Sling TV has announced a 1-Year Price Gurantee. Existing customers and anyone who signs up by August 1st, 2020 will automatically guarantee their current service price through August 1st. 2021.
Sling TV offers two base plans which both cost $30 per month. The Sling Blue plan includes at least 50 channels, with more included in select markets, and allows for 3 simultaneous streams. Sling Blue does not include Disney or ESPN channels. If you want those channels, there’s the Sling Orange plan, which includes them but only about 30 channels total and it is limited to 1 stream. If you want all channels, it’s $45 per month for the Orange+Blue plan.
Channels that are in Sling Blue, but are not in Sling Orange include BET, Bravo, Fox, FOX News, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, FX, FXX, HLN, MSNBC, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic, NBC, NBC RSN, NBCSN, NFL Network, Nick Jr., SyFY, Tru TV, and USA. While channels that are in Sling Orange, but are not in Sling Blue include Disney, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, and Freeform. Channels that are in both plans include A&E, AMC, AXS TV, BBC America, Bloomberg Television, Cartoon Network / Adult Swim, Cheddar, CNN, Comedy Central, Food Network, Fuse, HGTV, History, IFC, Lifetime, Local Now, Newsy, TBS, TNT, Travel Channel, Tribeca Shortlist, and Viceland.
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It’s a good marketing pitch, one I’d be making if I was in their shoes…
Unfortunately, what Sling won’t and hasn’t guaranteed is that they’ll KEEP the current channels they now have in their packages, and not lose them during the course of the coming year.
Exhibit A: their recent loss of the NFL Network from the Blue package for who knows how long, their prior loss of the regional sports networks and other channels. Unfortunately, I need to keep their channels lists in pencil, because they’re changing and often dropping on a regular basis.
I bet the increase in price after the year will be the double to “cover” the time they did not increased.
Over time, Sling has definitely kept their monthly prices more in check compared to the other major streamers… not just with this latest round of price hike but even before.
However, on the flip side, every time Sling drops/loses existing channels like the NFL Network and keeps their monthly fee the same, it’s essentially the same as a price hike. You’re paying more for less content.