Since the news about Sling TV was announced in January, we’ve received a lot of questions about the service, what it means for soccer fans and how it works, so instead of continuing to reply to each comment or e-mail individually, we thought it’d be more helpful to share the answers with everyone in this public post.

If you have any questions that aren’t answered on this page, post them in the comments section below and we’ll do our best to answer them via the article.

First, the basics. What is Sling TV?

Sling TV is an online streaming service that allows you to watch 20 or more channels on your computer, smartphone, tablet or set top box without requiring a cable or satellite TV subscription.

All you need is an Internet connection, and to pay a monthly subscriber fee.

The biggest differentiator about Sling TV is that it offers ESPN to subscribers, which is the only way to get the number one sports network in the US without requiring a cable or TV subscription.

What channels does Sling TV offer?

There are a variety of packages to choose from, which offer the following channels:

‘Sling Blue’ Package ($25/month): NBCSN, NBC, USA, FS1, FS2, FOX and many more.

‘Sling Orange’ Package ($20/month): ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, CNN, Disney Network, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, El Rey Network, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, ABC Family, Maker and Galavision.

‘Sports Extra’ Package ($5 extra/month): beIN SPORTS, ESPNEWS, Univision Deportes Network (UDN), ESPN U, Universal Sports, SEC Network, ESPN Buzzer Beater, ESPN Bases Loaded and ESPN Goal Line.

‘News & Info Extra’ Package ($5 extra/month): HLN, Cooking Channel, DIY Network and Bloomberg.

‘Kids Extra’ Package ($5 extra/month): Disney Jr., Disney XD, Boomerang, Baby TV and Duck TV.

More channels will be added in the future, too.

Does Sling TV offer UniMas and ESPN Deportes?

Yes. Take a look at the packages they have available (lots of options to choose from).

Is it legal?

Absolutely, 100% yes. Not only is it legal, but you don’t have to deal with the pop-ups, malware and annoying advertising you would see on illegal streams.

How does it work?

Sling TV (owned by DISH) has agreements in place with the major broadcasters to offer the channels online to you via your favorite device (computer, Roku, smartphone, tablet, etc).

Are there any restrictions?

The ESPN channels aren’t available on-demand, so you’ll have to watch those live (without rewind or fast forward controls) to catch your sports fix. The other channels on Sling TV allow you to rewind, fast forward and watch on-demand programming.

How do I find out what channels the different channels are on?

The beauty of Sling TV is that there are no channel numbers. You navigate through the channel names and then pick the ones you want to watch.

Unlike cable or satellite, you don’t need to memorize the channel numbers for ESPN, beIN SPORTS, etc.

Is it available worldwide?

No. Sling TV is only available to residents in the United States of America. But if you live outside the USA, you can get Sling TV. First, sign up for a free trial to Unblockus, a smart DNS service that allows you to change your IP address to the US. Then sign up for the free Sling TV trial.

How much does it cost?

The basic package, ‘Sling Orange,’ is $20/month (no contract required). It’s month to month, and you can cancel online at any time. The ‘Sling Orange’ package includes ESPN. If you want to add beIN SPORTS (for La Liga, Serie A, etc) and Univision Deportes (for Liga MX, etc), it’s $5 extra for a total of $25/month. Other packages are available too for kids and news programming, etc.

Sling Blue is $25/month and includes NBCSN, NBC, FOX, FS1, FS2 and many other channels.

You can get Sling Orange and Sling Blue together for $40/month.

A free 7-day trial of Sling is available for a limited time.

Who is Sling TV best suited for?

If you’re the type of person who leads a busy life and you want the flexibility to watch the best sports programming on your computer, smartphone, tablet or set top box, Sling TV is a perfect fit.

Also, Sling TV is perfect for cord cutters who no longer want to subscribe to a TV subscription for channels you don’t watch.

What’s the difference between Sling TV and Sling International?

Sling TV and Sling International are two completely different products. Sling International caters more to an international audience but it does include sports programming such as beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS Espańol and One World Sports.

Sling TV offers FOX Sports 1, ESPN, Univision Deportes and beIN SPORTS (as well as a ton of other channels).

Both services (Sling TV and Sling International) require separate subscriptions. Depending on what programming you want, Sling TV or Sling International may be a better fit for you. Read our product review to learn more about that product.

Does Sling TV offer beIN SPORTS Espańol and beIN SPORTS Connect?

Sling TV does not offer beIN SPORTS Espańol nor beIN SPORTS Connect, but you can get it with their Best of Spanish TV Package for an additional $5/month.

beIN SPORTS Connect, meanwhile, is beIN SPORTS’ online network for its overflow programming that it can’t fit on beIN SPORTS or beIN SPORTS Espańol, but it’s only available to a subscribers from a select list of TV providers and fuboTV.

Can you subscribe to Sling’s Sports Package without subscribing to the basic package?

No. You must subscribe to the ‘Best of Live TV’ package as a minimum, and then you can add the Sports Package for $5 extra per month.

What’s the difference between Sling TV and Slingbox?

Both Sling TV and Slingbox are owned by DISH. However, they are both completely different products. While Sling TV is DISH’s online streaming solution (a subscription to DISH isn’t required, and DISH satellite customers don’t automatically receive Sling TV), the Slingbox is a product that allows you to access your TV from a remote device such as a computer or phone.

Do you need a subscription to DISH in order to sign up for Sling TV or Sling International?

No.

Which service offers more soccer coverage — Sling TV or Sling International?

Both Sling TV and Sling International offer a ton of soccer programming.

With Sling International, you get beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS Espańol and One World Sports, which means you get everything from La Liga, Chelsea TV, Serie A, Arsenal TV, Capital One Cup, Championship, Ligue Un, New York Cosmos, Asian Cup, Africa Cup of Nations and more.

With Sling TV, you get FS1, FS2, NBCSN, ESPN, ESPN2, beIN SPORTS and Univision Deportes — so soccer fans will receive EPL, MLS, Liga MX, USMNT games, La Liga, Serie A and more.

At the end of the day, it all depends what leagues/tournaments interest you the most.

What’s the complete list of soccer rights that ESPN, beIN SPORTS and Univision owns?

See the complete listing.

Visit Sling TV for more details.

Can I watch Premier League games on Sling TV?

No. The only way to watch Premier League games online in the United States is via NBC Sports Live Extra, and NBC has no plans to make its programming available on Sling TV anytime soon.

The closest you can get to Premier League games is the Capital One Cup and friendlies that feature Premier League clubs. Many of those games are shown on beIN SPORTS.

Can I access WatchESPN.com or ESPN3.com with my subscription to Sling?

Sling TV subscribers can use their Sling TV credentials to access ESPN and ESPN 2 via the WatchESPN app, with the company promising ESPN 3 access in the near future.

How many devices can I use to watch Sling simultaneously?

You can watch Sling TV on one device in your household at a time.

Do I have to watch the games live on Sling TV, or can I record them if I’m away from my computer/tablet/smartphone?

On the ESPN channels available on Sling TV, all of them are live only, so you’re not able to rewind or watch programming on-demand.

With beIN SPORTS and Univision Deportes (as well as many of the other channels), you can watch programming on-demand via Sling TV if you missed the live broadcast.

What devices is Sling TV available on? 

Sling TV is available for your computer (PC or Mac), smartphone (Apple iPhone and Android devices), set top boxes (Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV stick) and tablet (Apple iPad and Android tablets). Sling TV will be available soon for Xbox, Nexus Player, webOS Smart TVs from LG Electronics and select Samsung Smart TVs.

Does Sling TV support Google Chromecast?

Yes! Sling TV currently supports Chromecast on Android smartphones and tablets, iPhones and iPads. Compatibility for Windows and Mac laptops is coming soon. Read more at: https:\/\/tr.im/cDQmc

What are the quality of the Sling TV streams like?

We’ve been testing Sling TV for several days, and the quality of the streaming is exceptional. The HD-quality broadcasts were crystal clear when viewed on our desktop over a WiFi connection.

How do I sign up for Sling TV?

Sign up for Sling TV today by visiting this page.

Are there any free trials of Sling TV available?

For a limited time, a 7-day free trial is available. To take advantage of this, sign up for the Sling TV trial today.

Which is the better value — Sling International or Sling TV?

Sling International starts at $10/month while Sling TV’s pricing starts at $20/month. But if you want ESPN and NBC and FOX, the $40/month for Sling TV is the way to go. Sign up for the free 7-day trial today.

Other than Sling TV and Sling International, are there other services where I can watch soccer legally online without needing a TV subscription?

You can watch soccer games on FOX Soccer 2GO including UEFA Champions League, MLS, USMNT games, Europa League, A-League, Scottish Professional Football League, FA Cup, CONCACAF Champions League, Women’s World Cup, Euro 2016 qualifiers, World Cup 2018. FOX Soccer 2GO is priced at $20/month.

FOX also has a streaming service called FOX Sports GO. While it’s free, it’s only available via a select list of TV providers and features live programming only (no on-demand functionality is available).