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Sling TV — A Plain-English Guide

Last verified: August 2026

Sling Orange vs. Sling BlueTwo starter packages built around what you watch.Sling OrangeSports & familyESPN, Disney1 screen at atimeSling BlueNews &entertainment3 screens atonceOrange + BlueBoth bundlestogether for thewidest channellistPick by the channels you watch, not the name.Illustration — layout and details vary by model. Check your own device.
Sling Orange (sports/family, 1 screen) vs Sling Blue (news, 3 screens), plus the combined bundle.
How Sling Reaches Your TVStreaming replaces the cable box with an app.1InternetYour homeWi-Fi orwired line→2Sling AppOn a streamingstick, smart TV,or phone→3Your ScreenLive and on-demand showsplayNo cable line, no box — just the app over internet.Illustration — layout and details vary by model. Check your own device.
Sling reaches your TV over the internet through the Sling app — no cable box.

Dish Network’s cheaper streaming spinoff — $46 to $65/mo. Cheap, but the split lineup and local channel gap are real catches.

What's inside the 25-page PDF

  • Orange vs Blue vs Both ($45.99/$50.99/$65.99)
  • The "split lineup" gotcha (channels are on one or the other)
  • No CBS/ABC locals in most markets
  • AirTV + antenna workaround for locals
  • 50 hours of cloud DVR
  • Extras packs ($6-11/mo)
  • When Sling actually beats YouTube TV

The full guide is a 25-page printable PDF with screenshots, real prices, and Bill's recommendations for Portage County customers. Download it above — it's free, no email required, no signup.

Why I made this guide

I leave a printed copy of this guide with every customer after I install or troubleshoot sling tv. It lives on a kitchen shelf next to the appliance manuals so they can reach for it the next time something acts up — or the next time a neighbor asks "is it worth it?"

No ads. No affiliate links. No fluff. Just what I'd want my own mother to know.

— Bill Davis

Need help with this?

Reading is one thing. Doing it is another. If you'd rather have me come do it for you, the first in-home visit is $99 flat — most jobs done in one trip.

📞 Call (330) 200-8042 📅 Book a $99 Visit

Would you rather I just do this for you?

No shame in it — plenty of folks would rather hand it off, and that's what I'm here for. I'll come to your home, set it up right, and make sure it's working before I leave. Flat $99 per visit — no jargon, no upsell, and every visit is 30-day come-back-free.

Not a hardware job? I can often fix it remotely for $49 — a secure screen-share, up to 2 hours, that you watch the whole time and can end whenever (included free for $39/mo Support Plan members, and it counts toward the $99 if it turns out I need to come out).