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What Local Channels Does Sling TV Carry + How Much Do They Cost?

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If you’re thinking about cord-cutting in favor of using streaming services, one of the things you might be wondering is how you can watch local channels, news, and live sports without cable.

In a hurry? Sling Blue comes with NBC and Fox in select markets. Or you can integrate it with an antenna. Save 50% on your first month of Sling TV.

For many people, antennas are a solid option, but they don’t work for everyone. And frankly, some people just don’t like the hassle of using an antenna.

One of the most popular cable TV alternatives for streaming live TV is Sling TV. With Sling, you get many of the most popular cable channels, such as ESPN, CNN, HGTV, Disney, NFL Network, Fox News, TBS, TNT, MLB TV, and more, streaming live to your device.

But what about your locals? Read on to learn more what local channels you can expect to receive when you sign up with Sling.

Sling TV: The Basics

If you’re not familiar with Sling TV, you should probably head over to our full review to provide a general overview of plans, channels, devices, and generally how it works. Here’s what prospective Slingers should know:

  • Sling TV is a live TV streaming provider
  • You can use it to watch live sports, movies, TV shows, and more
  • You can pay as little as $40.00/mo, and there are no contracts
  • If you do prepay two or three months, you can get free or discounted devices (more on that below)
  • You can use it with many of your favorite devices (such as Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, Android or iOS mobile devices, smart TVs, and other streaming devices)
  • There are various three main Sling TV packages, Sling Orange, Sling Blue, and Sling Orange + Blue, ranging from 30+ to 50+ channels
  • There are lots and lots of add-ons, including bundles like the Lifestyle Extra or the Sports Extra, plus individual services like Showtime, MGM+, Discovery+, and AMC+.
  • All plans come with at least 50 hours of cloud DVR storage.

Sling TV With Antenna

As the first live TV streaming service, Sling TV has a connection to the days when most channels could not be streamed. And that was most true of local network affiliates. As a result, Sling allows subscribers to integrate an antenna with its service in a way that no other service can.

Sling TV helps you help yourself to all the local channels in your area — free!

Using an AirTV device (see below), you can get your HD antenna channels incorporated right into the Sling app. So the fact that you don’t have streaming access to over-the-air channels doesn’t really matter.

How To Stream Local Channels with Sling TV

While a Sling TV subscription is one of the best ways to get popular national cable channels, the truth is its local channel selection for streaming is lacking.

Sling does not offer the near-universal coverage of big providers like DIRECTV STREAM. But that’s to be expected. The Sling Blue plan is half the cost of its lowest priced plan.

So what can you expect from Sling’s local station selection?

ABC

ABC is now available in select markets with the Sling Blue plan. It is available in the following areas:

  • Chicago (WLS)
  • Fresno (KFSN)
  • Houston (KTRK)
  • Los Angeles (KABC)
  • New York (WABC)
  • Philadelphia (WPVI)
  • Raleigh-Durham (WTVD)
  • San Francisco (KGO)

If you live in one of these areas, the cost of Sling Blue goes up $5 over the base $40.00/mo price.

Pretty much everything on ABC Sports, like NBA games or college football, is available with ESPN3, which is included in the Sling Orange package for $40.00/mo.

CBS

Sling TV has never carried CBS in its channel lineup, and we don’t expect them to add the channel in the foreseeable future. Other services like FuboTV and Hulu Live TV do let you stream CBS in many markets.

Your other option is to combine Sling with Paramount+. The base plan ($4.99/mo) offers you on-demand access to it as well as all the CBS Sports live broadcasts. You can get your local CBS affiliate through the premium plan ($9.99/mo).

If you want this channel, check out our guide on how to watch CBS online with other streaming services.

Fox

Local Fox affiliates are available in select locations with the Sling Blue plan. These locations are:

  • Atlanta (WAGA)
  • Austin (KTBC)
  • Chicago (WFLD)
  • Dallas (KDFW)
  • Detroit (WJBK)
  • Gainesville (WOGX)
  • Houston (KRIV)
  • Los Angeles (KTTV)
  • Milwaukee (WITI)
  • Minneapolis (KMSP)
  • New York (WNYW)
  • Orlando (WOFL)
  • Philadelphia (WTXF)
  • Phoenix (KSAZ)
  • San Francisco (KTVU)
  • Seattle (KCPQ)
  • Tampa (WTVT)
  • Washington (WTTG)

NBC

There are fewer NBC affiliates available:

  • Boston (WBTS)
  • Chicago (WMAQ)
  • Dallas (KXAS)
  • Hartford (WVIT)
  • Los Angeles (KNBC)
  • Miami (WTVJ)
  • New York (WNBC)
  • Philadelphia (WCAU)
  • San Diego (KNSD)
  • San Francisco (KNTV)
  • Washington (WRC)

Note that the Sling Blue plan offers both Fox and NBC in just seven cities: Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.

Other Local Channels

Can You Watch PBS on Sling TV?

No, you can’t watch PBS on Sling at this time. As a matter of fact, most of the major TV streaming services do not carry PBS. The only two are DIRECTV STREAM and YouTube TV.

If you want to watch PBS without an antenna or cable, your best bet is to download the PBS Video app on your device to access its content, or visit pbs.org.

Can You Watch The CW on Sling TV?

No Sling package offers The CW at this time. Hulu Live and FuboTV currently carry CW stations in most markets. There’s also the CW app, which carries some on-demand content from the network.

Can You Watch Telemundo on Sling TV?

No, Sling does not carry Telemundo streaming in any of its packages at this time. If you want to watch Telemundo online, you can get it with fuboTV, Hulu Live TV, and other streaming services.

Sling TV With HD Antenna

Sling TV doesn’t just make it easy for you to integrate OTA channels, it makes it cheap — or even free.

There are three deals Sling TV offers on hardware:

  • HD Indoor Antenna: This $49.99 value is free when you prepay for two months of Sling. It allows you to watch local channels, although you will have to use a separate app for that.
  • AirTV 2 + HD Indoor Antenna: This $149.98 value costs $49 when you prepay for three months of Sling. With this set-up, you can have access to your streaming and OTA channels together in your Sling TV guide.
  • AirTV Anywhere + HD Indoor Antenna: This $244.98 value is just $99 when you prepay 3 months of Sling. It’s got all the benefits of the AirTV 2, plus you can DVR from your local channels just like your Sling TV channels.
AirTV Anywhere lets you DVR straight from your antenna feed.

Note that Sling also offers a free AirTV Mini ($79.99 value) when you prepay for two months. That’s a great deal, but despite the name, it will not allow you to pipe your OTA channels into the Sling TV guide. It does include content from other streaming services, like Netflix, in one channel guide with your Sling content.

With any of the three options above, you will have access to all the local OTA channels in your area. This will, of course, depend upon your antenna and location. But under most circumstances, you should be able to get the Big 4 channels if not PBS, Telemundo, Univision, and UniMas.

So, while you still need an antenna to get all of your locals, the ability to integrate them directly into your Sling TV interface makes it really convenient to stream your local channels at home or on the go.

See our guide to Sling’s discounted devices and freebies.

Wrapping Up

For more information on this popular streaming service, check out our complete Sling TV review. It has all the details on channels, prices, device compatibility, and more.

Save 50% on your first month of Sling TV.

Save 50% on Sling TV Now

FAQs

Didn’t Sling TV used to carry ABC?

Sling carried ABC in its Broadcast Extra add-on package in its early days. However, Sling ditched the Broadcast Extra bundle after losing Univision and UniMas in a contractual dispute. But in 2023, Sling TV brought back ABC as part of its Sling Blue plan in 8 metro areas. It costs $5/mo extra for the channel.

Does Sling TV have any regional sports networks?

No. If they’re a must-have dealbreaker for you, DIRECT STREAM has the best regional sports coverage, though fuboTV may give them a run for their money when they start carrying the Bally sports networks again. Hulu Live and YouTube TV each have a handful as well. Just be warned: they don’t come cheap.

Why isn’t Sling TV’s local coverage better?

To keep their prices low. NBC might be NBC to you, but KVLY-TV in Fargo, North Dakota might as well be Discovery or CNN or HBO to KNAZ-TV in Flagstaff, Arizona — even though they’re both NBC affiliates. And if a TV service wants to carry them, it has to negotiate and contract with both the network HQ, which owns and operates a lot of the stations, as well as individually with all the independently-owned ones.

All of that adds up, and is a big part of why the bigger services cost so much more. Sling prefers to offer free antennas, giving the power and control back to the subscriber.

If Sling TV doesn’t carry Fox or NBC in my area, can I still watch them on their websites?

Unfortunately not. Sling does support TV Everywhere, the universal login system used by TV providers to let subscribers watch programming through their website or app. But TV Everywhere can only provide you access to content you get through your subscription. If your local affiliate isn’t part of your subscription, you won’t be able to access it through TV Everywhere.

Wouldn’t it be cheaper if I just skipped local channels and live sports altogether?

Yes, it would — you just described Philo ($25/mo) or Frndly TV ($7.99/mo). For most folks, live sports, current news, and local events are the mainstays of broadcast TV, but not for everyone. These services specialize in a variety of fun, entertaining channels at a price that can’t be beat.

What kinds of things can I watch on local channels with Sling TV?

Sling TV allows you to watch a lot of shows, movies, and events. To make it easier to find stuff you will like, we’ve created guides for viewing different kinds of things. That’s especially true when it comes to sports. Read on!

Have a look at our guides for watching the NFL regular season — like Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, and NFL RedZone — as well as special games like Thanksgiving Day football and the Super Bowl itself. We also have how-tos for watching the preseason and the NFL draft.

NFL fans may also be interested in watching the USFL season and XFL season. And Thanksgiving Week isn’t just for football anymore.

Or if you are a basketball fan, take a look at our guides on how to watch every game of the NBA season. That includes the NBA All-Star Game, the NBA Christmas Day games, and LeBron James as he moved toward breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record. Plus a guide to the NBA Play-In Tournament and Playoffs (including the Conference Semifinals and Finals).

Baseball fans will find guides for MLB Spring Training with a complete schedule of games you can watch on Sling TV.

Hockey fans can get tips on watching the whole NHL season or just the Stanley Cup Playoffs and finals — we’ve got the First Round schedule right here! And after the Stanley Cup comes the NHL Entry Draft. You can also watch the annual Hockey Hall of Fame Induction.

And if you’re into golf, the 2024 PGA Tour, The Masters Tournament (including the Finals), the PGA Championship, US Open, FedEx Tour Championship, Grant Thornton Invitational, and Ryder Cup are on Sling TV, too. You can also watch the entire LPGA Tour.

Tennis, too. We have guides for the Madrid Open, and the Grand Slam events: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon (including the Finals), and US Open.

Sling allows you to watch the 2023 NASCAR season. See our Cup Series schedule for even more details, as well as our guide to the Food Series 500, Toyota Owners 400, Goodyear 400, Coca-Cola 600, Indy 500, and All-Star Race. At the end of the season, we have a Playoffs guide, and how-to-watch pages for the Xfinity Series and Truck Series playoffs and the Cup Series (such as the Shriners Children’s 500 and EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix) and Xfinity Series Championships.

And speaking of racing, we’ve also got a guide and schedule for Formula 1 events the world over. Races such as the Singapore Grand Prix, Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Australian Grand Prix, and the final F1 season race, the Abu Dhabi GP, and three right here in the United States! Plus, the race that tests pure endurance: 24 Hours of Le Mans.

And if NCAA Sports are your thing, we have guides for soccer, ice hockey, volleyball, lacrosse, men’s golf, and bowl season. Plus plenty of DI Basketball and March Madness love: Men’s March Madness, Men’s March Madness Schedule (including Elite Eight), and the Women’s Championship Final. And of course, baseball and softball: top games, CWS Selection Show, Men’s College World Series, and Women’s College World Series.

Sling also has horse racing, including the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, and Dubai World Cup.

Domestic soccer fans will want to tune in for CONCACAF Gold Cup and Champions Cup.

Fans of international sports can have a particularly hard time finding things on cable. But it’s no problem with Sling. See our guides on English Premier League on Sling TV along with the 2023 season schedule and Boxing Day guide, tune into Ligue 1 for French soccer action, or check out Brasilian soccer (including Brasileirão Série A and its top teams). Not to mention AFCON and the FIFA World Cup itself.

Domestic soccer fans will want to tune in for CONCACAF Gold Cup and Champions Cup.

For more international sports, there’s the 2023 Rugby World Cup Final in Paris. Cricket fans will find much to like in our 2023 season guide along with information about the T20 ICC World Cup Finals, ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, and the ODI World Cup and Finals. If you’re a particular fan of the IPL, we’ve got lots for you: IPL 2023, IPL 2023 Schedule, Top IPL Teams in 2023, the history of the IPL.

But it’s not all sports. We have guides for how to watch conservative news, Presidential candidate debates, primary returns, and general election night coverage. And don’t miss special events like Black History Month.

Ditch “Big Cable” Now – 3 Simple Steps to Cut the Cord

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That’s it — you’ll save money, take back control, and enjoy TV more!

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Frank Moraes
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0 replies on “What Local Channels Does Sling TV Carry + How Much Do They Cost?”

I pay for sling blue however I can no longer watch local WJBK Fox 2 Detroit
But it’s in my zip code is there a glitch?

It should be available to you. I recommend checking with Sling Answers. They have been great at answering my many difficult questions!

I have Sling Tv the 50 dollar version. I also have a HD antenna. I want to watch Cleveland Guardians games

I love Sling TV but it isn’t the best service for serious MLB fans. As you can see in our Cleveland Guardians viewer’s guide, there are a handful of games on Fox and FS1. But to watch most games, you either need Bally Sports Great Lakes (if you live in the area) or MLB.TV (if you are a fan in a distant area).

On the other hand, if the Guardians make it to the playoffs (and it’s looking pretty good), you should be set with Sling TV and your antenna.

Helen,
Thank you for this article. Your tip on ESPN3 for sports games on ABC just helped me watch game 7 of Utah Vs. Denver!

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