Sling TV and Philo are the two best-known low-cost live TV services, and they are built for different viewers. Sling splits its channels into Orange and Blue plans and includes sports and news. Philo is an entertainment-only service with no sports, news or local channels.
Sling TV vs Philo at a glance
| Sling TV | Philo | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $19.99 Sling Essentials | $25.00 Essential |
| Estimated monthly | $19.99 no required extra fees listed | $25.00 no required extra fees listed |
| Type | Streaming | Streaming |
| Plans | Sling Essentials: $19.99 · 10+ channels Sling Select: $19.99 · 10+ channels Sling Essentials & Select: $34.99 · 20+ channels Sling Orange: $45.99 · 30+ channels Sling Blue: $45.99 · 40+ channels Sling Orange & Blue: $60.99 · 50+ channels | Essential: $25.00 · 70+ channels Bundle+: $33.00 · 70+ channels |
| Extra fees | None listed | None listed |
| Contract | No contract; month-to-month, no cancellation fee (third-party reporting). Prepaid plans lock in for the prepaid term. | No contract; cancel anytime |
| Screens at once | Sling Orange: 1 stream; Sling Blue: 3 streams; Sling Orange & Blue: 4 streams (1 Orange + 3 Blue). Essentials/Select stream limits not confirmed. | 3 devices at once (up to 10 profiles) |
| DVR | Cloud DVR with 50 hours included; Unlimited DVR upgrade $5/mo (third-party reporting; sling.com lists Unlimited DVR as an option). | Unlimited cloud DVR included; recordings saved for 1 year (12 months when billed directly with Philo). Free Channels tier: recordings kept 30 days. |
| Local channels | Partial: local ABC, NBC and FOX only in select markets, on Sling Blue / Sling Select (and combos with them). Sling Orange and Essentials have no locals. CBS is not offered. | No local ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX broadcast channels in the lineup |
| Only on this one* | ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, NFL Network, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, TNT, TBS, USA Network, FX, Bravo, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, ABC, NBC, FOX | — |
| Full lineup | Sling TV guide | Philo guide |
* Among popular channels our guides list as missing on the other service. Data from our lineup guides. Confirm prices with the provider before you sign up. Compare with your channels
Which should you pick?
Pick Sling TV if
- You want ESPN, other sports networks or cable news.
- You want some local channels: ABC, FOX and NBC come with Blue plans in some markets.
- You like building a lineup from smaller plans and extras.
Pick Philo if
- You only watch entertainment and lifestyle channels such as HGTV, Hallmark and AMC.
- You want unlimited DVR, with recordings kept for a year, at a low price.
- Three screens at once matters more to you than sports or news.
Bottom line
If sports or news are on your list, Philo is not an option and Sling is the cheaper way in. If you never watch either, Philo gives you more entertainment for less. Compare them with your own channels.