Sling TV, the live streaming service owned by Dish, has raised its base price for new customers from $30 a month to $35 a month.
Existing customers will not see a price increase until August 1, 2021 at the earliest; Sling TV last year implemented a one-year price freeze for current subscribers.
The streamer revealed the new customer price today at its web site. The $35 monthly rate is good for either Sling’s Blue or Orange basic packages. (If you order both Blue and Orange, the price is $50 a month, up from $45 a month.)
The Blue plan provides more than 50 channels including the three major cable news networks, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, as well as leading ‘basic cable’ networks as FS1, Bravo, The Cartoon Network, AMC, TNT, TBS, and your local Fox and NBC affiliates in select markets.
The Orange package only offers more than 30 channels, but it includes ESPN, ESPN 2 and ESPN 3, which are must-haves for many sports fans. In addition, the Orange plan has CNN, Comedy Central, TBS, TNT and AMC.
The biggest difference between the two plans is that ESPN is in Orange while Blue offers more channels, Fox-owned channels and your local NBC and Fox affiliates in certain markets. (Blue also offers three simultaneous streams, meaning you can watch the Blue lineup on three different devices at the same time; Orange allows only one stream at a time.)
Sling’s rate hike follows price increases last year by live streaming rivals YouTube, Hulu Live and Fubo TV. Several cable and satellite providers, including Comcast, DIRECTV and Sling parent Dish, also raised prices this month.
Sling is continuing to offer the first month of either Blue or Orange for $10 off.
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— Phillip Swann
