If you like to keep up with breaking news and current events, you may have a hard time giving up cable. The good news is with online live TV streaming services such as Sling TV, you can now watch broadcasts from leading news channels. This makes it an excellent alternative to cable for those who want to save some money every month. Check out our full Sling TV review to see where it stands in other categories.
If you’re wondering, “Does Sling have news?”, this post gives you the answer. In this guide, we give you the low-down about news on Sling — from channel availability to local broadcasts. So let’s find out how to stream news with your Sling TV subscription.
News on Sling TV
Sling TV offers two different base plans — Sling Blue and Sling Orange, which cost the same at $30/mo. But each plan comes with a separate set of channels, meaning they also have a different news lineup. Our Sling TV package and channel guide gives you a detailed look at the different lineups for these two plans.
If you’re wondering which plan is better to watch CNN on Sling, there’s no right answer. Both the Sling Blue and the Sling Orange plans offer CNN in their channel lineup. But the Sling Blue plan focuses on more general news programming and offers leading channels such as FOX News, MSNBC, and Newsy in addition to CNN. This makes it a great option for those who want to watch FOX News on Sling TV.
For those keener on watching business and financial news, the Sling Orange plan is a much better option. This plan gives you access to Cheddar, a leading financial news network. And you can tune into business and market news from around the world on Bloomberg. You won’t get these two channels with the Sling Blue plan.
Both plans also come with Newsy and Local Now, which gives you the latest updates on local news and weather reports.
Each plan has a unique appeal depending on what’s important to you. If you don’t want to miss out on FOX News and MSNBC but still want financial and business news updates, you could also consider the Sling Orange + Blue subscription. This comes with all of the channels available with Sling Blue and Sling Orange and costs just $45/mo.
On top of this, ABC News Live is part of the Sling Free lineup. Sling Free gives you access to live and on-demand programming for free, although the content lineup may be slightly limited. So you can watch the latest breaking news at no extra charge through this channel.
What’s great about watching news on Sling is that you can further customize your plan to get the kind of channels you want. The service offers a News Extra add-on for $5/mo. so you can get 10+ additional news-focused channels from around the world. The lineup varies slightly depending on which plan you’re adding this Extra to.
With the Sling Orange plan, the News Extra add-on means 10 additional channels, mainly focusing on international news. This includes BBC World News, China Global Television Network (CGTN), Euronews, News 18, NewsMax TV, RT America, and Weather Nation. The package also includes HLN, Law & Crime Trial Network, and Science Channel.
But if you add News Extra to your Sling Blue plan, you get 13 additional news-focused channels from around the world. This includes BBC World News, CGTN, CNBC, Euronews, FOX Business, France 24, NDTV 24X7, News 18, NewsMax TV, RT America, and Weather Nation. It also comes with Law & Crime Trial Network and Science Channel.
If you get the News Extra add-on with your Sling Orange + Blue plan, however, you get access to all of the additional channels. So this might be a great option if you want a robust selection of news programming from around the world.
Local news broadcasts
For a lot of people, local news broadcasts is one of the main reasons why they still have a cable subscription. While some online live TV streaming services offer some local news channels, the selection is usually limited. Even with Sling TV, you won’t get too many local news channels by default with your subscription.
The Sling Blue or Sling Orange + Blue subscription comes with live local programming from FOX and NBC in select markets. But even if these channels aren’t available with Sling in your area, you can still use your subscription with an antenna like HDHomeRun to access live local programming at no extra charge.
With an over-the-air antenna like this, you can access live local news broadcasts from leading networks like CBS, FOX, and NBC even if you don’t live in the serviceable television market. And the best part is you won’t have to pay any additional fees to watch these broadcasts. You’ll be able to keep up with what’s happening in your city and the rest of the nation as well as stay updated with the latest international events.
The final cut
Sling TV is one of the most affordable ways to cut the cord, especially since it has a decent lineup of news programming. Even with the News Extra add-on, the most expensive plan will set you back by just $50/mo. This still doesn’t cost as much as the most affordable basic plan for many leading live TV streaming services.
So if you’re looking for an inexpensive solution to cut the cord without missing out on all the news, Sling TV is an excellent option. It occasionally provides free trials for about 3 days, so make sure you sign up while the offer lasts. You can also check out our guide on Sling TV free trials and deals before signing up.