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Sling TV vs. Hulu + Live TV

Best for Sports

Our Rating

Starting At $25/mo
Our Rating
Live channels
30+
Cloud DVR hours
50+
Multiple streams
1-4
Best Overall

Our Rating

Starting At $5.99/mo
Our Rating
Live channels
60+
Cloud DVR hours
50
Multiple streams
2

First take: Is Sling TV or Hulu + Live TV better?

If you love to customize, Sling TV has a ton of affordable options for you. But Hulu + Live TV keeps things simple and has everything most cord-cutters need.

Sling TV or Hulu + Live TV pros and cons

Sling TV

👍 Tons of sports channels
👍 Cheap packages
👎 Add-on costs that add up fast

Hulu + Live TV

👍 Straightforward packages
👍 Huge on-demand library
👎 Limited channel list

Deals and promotions

Sling TV deals

Sling TV makes a big deal about how you can start streaming at $15. But this deal is for 40% off your first month only. Not bad, but we’d like the advertisements to be clearer about the deal length.

You can forgo the one-month discount and prepay for two months to get a shiny Roku Express worth $29.99.

And if you’re in it to win it, prepay for three months and get a cord-cutter startup kit worth $175.

These offers can’t be combined, so choose carefully.

Hulu + Live TV deals

As for Hulu, it offers a seven-day free trial for new users, which is great if you’re not yet ready to hand over cash to stream.

How are Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV different?

Sling TV vs. Hulu + Live TV

Sling TVHulu + Live TV
Price$25–$40/mo.$44.99–$50.99/mo.
Live channels30–50+60+
Max. cloud DVR50 hrs. (not included)200 hrs.
Compatible devices1615
Max. multiple streams4Unlimited at home + 3 on the go
Trial40% off first monthFirst week free

Data as of 11/18/19. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Sling TV’s packages might put dollar signs in your eyes, but Hulu Live’s come with more channels and a 50-hour cloud DVR—Sling TV’s cloud DVR is $5 more per month.

And for all the extra features you can add on to your Sling TV subscription, more streams isn’t one of them. You have to jump through some hoops to even use the max four. Hulu Live comes with just two streams, but you can upgrade to a genuinely family-friendly number.

Prices and plans: How much are Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV?

Sling TV pricing and plans

PackagesPriceChannel count
Sling Orange$25/mo.30+
Sling Blue$25/mo.45+
Sling Orange & Blue$40/mo.50+

Data as of 11/18/19. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Sling TV’s $25 per month price is tempting, but it splits its packages in funky ways. That may keep you from getting what you want without emptying your wallet, especially when you start to consider the 200+ add-on channels.

The add-on packs have between five and 15 channels each. You can grab genres like sports, comedy, kids, and lifestyle for about $5 to $10 per month a pop.

Hulu + Live TV pricing and plans

PackagesPriceChannel count
Hulu + Live TV$44.99/mo.60+
Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV$50.99/mo.60+

Data as of 11/18/19. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Both of Hulu Live’s live TV packages have the same channels. But fork over the extra $6 per month, and you get to watch all the on-demand shows and movies commercial-free.

Cord-cutting savings

A basic cable package will cost you about $65 per month, and you’ll still miss out on a lot of excellent channels. We recommend giving live TV streaming a shot as long as your internet can support it.

Channels: What’s on Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV?

Missing channels

Sling TVHulu + Live TV
HBO®BET
CINEMAX®MTV
NickelodeonNickelodeon
See full channel lineupSee full channel lineup

Sling TV misses out on two of the most popular premium channels. But if you go with Sling TV, you can still pick up HBO at HBO NOW or stream shows from both HBO and CINEMAX through Amazon Prime Video.

And while Sling TV has most Viacom channels, it doesn’t carry Nickelodeon. That’s still better than Hulu Live, which doesn’t have anything from Viacom, including BET and MTV.

But if you want another streaming service to expand your TV experience, you can pick all those channels up at fuboTV or Philo.

Sports channels

Sports on Sling TV vs. Hulu + Live TV

Sports channelSling TVHulu + Live TV
ACC Network Extra
beIN Sports
BTN
CBS Sports Network
ESPN
ESPN2
ESPN3
ESPN Bases Loaded
ESPN College Extra
ESPN Goal Line
ESPNEWS
ESPNU
FOX Soccer Plus
FOX Sports 1
FOX Sports 2
Golf Channel
MLB Network
MLB Network Strike Zone
NBA TV
NBCSN
NFL Network
NFL RedZone
NHL Network
Olympic Channel
Outside TV
Pac-12 Networks
SEC Network
Stadium
Stadium Plus 1
Tennis Channel

Data as of 11/18/19. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

With 26 available sports channels, Sling TV takes home the title here. Team Sling Orange & Blue up with the Sports Extra add-on to get them all.

Hulu Live has only 15 sports channels, and it’s missing the big league networks. But Hulu Live is also much better at providing local channels, so there’s a higher chance you can pick up local games without an antenna.

Local channels

Sling TV can’t help you out much with local channels. To even get FOX and NBC, you need the Sling Blue package and you have to live in one of the right areas. ABC and CBS aren’t even options.

This is part of the reason Sling TV’s cord-cutter deal is so appealing—it comes with a broadcast antenna to catch your local channels.

Meanwhile, Hulu Live offers the full roster of ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. Even though you still have to live in a supported area to get them all, there’s a higher chance you’ll get them in your area.

Want more local channels?

It’s super easy to set up an antenna to get local channels in crisp HD quality. Pick up one for cheap on Amazon, and you won’t have to worry about monthly payments or streaming live TV availability.

Premium channels

Premiums on Sling TV vs. Hulu + Live TV

Sling TVHulu + Live TV
HBO-$14.99/mo.
CINEMAX-$9.99/mo.
SHOWTIME®$10/mo.$10.99/mo.
STARZ®$9/mo$8.99/mo.

Data as of 11/18/19. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

We mentioned earlier that Sling TV doesn’t offer HBO or CINEMAX. It’s a pain but not the end of the world since you can get HBO on its own streaming service, HBO NOW. You can also pick up both channels on Amazon Prime Video.

And just as a fun fact, Sling TV offers SHOWTIME for less than any other livestreaming service. It’s only $0.99 cheaper than Hulu, but it is cheaper.

On the other hand, Hulu Live has all the premium channels. They’re well-priced, too, and you won’t have to skip around to other apps or websites to watch them. It’s a convenient perk if you want to keep streaming simple.

Sling TV or Hulu + Live TV: original shows and movies

Popular original shows and movies

Sling TV

  • N/A

Hulu + Live TV

  • The Handmaid’s Tale
  • Ramy
  • Minding the Gap

Sling TV doesn’t offer original content, but Hulu has tons of streaming on demand.

While Hulu’s original movies are mostly documentaries and bad horror movies, its shows are captivating. If you haven’t heard about The Handmaid’s Tale, let us know. We’d love to talk your ear off about it.

Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV: specs and features

Hulu + Live TV’s feature add-ons cost more than Sling TV’s, but they’re a cut above what you can get with most streaming services.

Cloud DVR

Sling TV cloud DVR add-on

Sling TVPriceStorage
Cloud DVR$5/mo.50 hrs.

As of 11/18/19.

While Sling TV doesn’t come with a cloud DVR, you can add one to your service for $5 per month. Its 50 hours of storage is enough to hoard four out of five Breaking Bad seasons.

Hulu + Live TVPriceStorage
Hulu + Live TVIncluded50 hrs.
Enhanced Cloud DVR$9.99/mo.200 hrs.

As of 11/18/19.

In its packages, Hulu Live includes a cloud DVR as big as Sling TV’s add-on. But if you want to keep more shows on hand, the Enhanced Cloud DVR has enough storage for all eight seasons of The Vampire Diaries—and then some.

Multiple streams

Sling TV streams

Sling TVSimultaneous streamsOffline viewing
Sling Orange1N/A
Sling Blue3N/A
Sling Orange & Blue4N/A

Fair warning: Sling TV’s stream rules are weird.

Sling Orange comes with just one stream, which is fine if you’re the only one using it. But if you share, you might find yourself booted out from watching every so often.

Sling Blue has three streams, which is excellent. You’ll be able to share with a couple of people—no problem.

But Orange & Blue’s stream count is a filthy lie.

You still get only that one Sling Orange stream for any channels included on that package and three Sling Blue streams for its channels. That means you’ll have to do-si-do around who’s watching which channels.

Want to watch ESPN while your kid watches the Disney Channel? One of you will be out of luck because both are Sling Orange exclusive. This flaw seems designed to ruin the TV harmony of families everywhere.

Hulu + Live TV streams

Hulu + Live TVSimultaneous streamsOffline viewing
Hulu + Live TV225 shows and movies
Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV225 shows and movies
Unlimited ScreensUnlimited at home, 3 on the go25 shows and movies

Hulu Live’s streams are far more straightforward. You get two on live TV packages, and you can pay another $9.99 per month for unlimited streams on your home Wi-Fi and three more to take out into the world.

That’s an unbeatable streaming opportunity. Keep it classy, Hulu Live.

Compatible devices

Sling TV vs. Hulu + Live TV: devices

Compatible devicesSling TVHulu + Live TV
Amazon Fire TV
Amazon Fire tablet
Android mobile devices
Android TV
Apple TV
Google Chromecast
iOS mobile devices
iPod Touch
LG TV Smart TVs (select models)
Mac computers (Safari)
Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4
Roku devices
Samsung Smart TVs (select models)
VIZIO SmartCast TV (select models)
Wii
Wii U
Windows computers
Windows 10 phones
Xbox 360
Xbox One

As of 11/18/19.

These two services are closely matched for available devices. Check the chart above to see if all your devices are supported, but otherwise, this shouldn’t be a deal maker or breaker.

Best streaming devices

Want to stream live TV to your television, but aren’t sure how? Check out our guide to streaming devices for all the deets.

Video quality

Sling TV vs. Hulu + Live TV: picture

Sling TVHulu + Live TV
Video resolution720p720/1080p

Both Sling TV and Hulu Live offer standard HD resolution on livestreaming shows, though the quality will lag when your internet does.

When you’re watching on demand, Hulu Live shows will stream at full HD if your internet is fast enough.

Having issues with your stream?

Streaming quality depends on your internet speeds. If your shows look fuzzy, it might be time to clear things up with one of the best internet plans for streaming.

Channel guide

Sling TV and Hulu Live both use traditional channel guides, but Hulu’s is slightly more intuitive.

Sling TV channel guide on a desktop computer.

You can filter the Sling TV channel guide by genre to quickly search for a show that fits your mood. And it’s easy to scroll backward and forward to see what played before and what’s coming up next.

Hulu + Live TV channel guide on a desktop computer.

Hulu’s guide is similar to Sling TV’s, but the clickable sections at the top make it fast to find kids shows and movies than Sling TV’s drop-down menu.

Commercials

Sling TV or Hulu + Live TV: commercial-free packages

Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV
Price
$5.99 - $50.99
Channels
55

We know you hate commercials. Unfortunately, neither Sling TV nor Hulu Live can save you from the ads that play during live TV.

Cloud DVR Recordings
Price
$25 - $40
Channels
26 - 58

But Sling TV lets you fast-forward through commercials on shows you record to your cloud DVR. Or if you get Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV, that little phrase in parenthesis means all your on-demand shows and movies come commercial-free. And if you upgrade to Hulu’s Enhanced Cloud DVR, you’ll be able to fast-forward through many of your recordings there too.

Final cut

In the end, Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV are a close match. But our numbers show that across all live streaming services, Hulu Live wins Best Overall.

But if you have the cash to load up on Sling TV’s add-on packs, we wouldn’t blame you for choosing it. It’s superior as a customizable experience.

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