📺 Best Sling TV Alternatives After the 2026 Price Increase

Sling TV raised prices again on February 20, 2026. Here's how to watch live TV for free — no subscription required.

💸 Sling TV 2026 Price Increase Breakdown

Sling Orange

$40/mo
$45/mo
+$5/month

Sling Blue

$40/mo
$45/mo
+$5/month

Orange + Blue

$55/mo
$65/mo
+$10/month

That's up to $120 more per year for the combined plan. Time to explore free alternatives.

🏆 Top Free Alternatives to Sling TV

Global Free TV

Free⭐ Recommended

Largest free channel aggregator — live TV from 100+ countries

📺 5,000+ channels🏈 Sports: Yes📰 News: Yes📹 DVR: No

Pluto TV

Free

Best free live TV experience, owned by Paramount

📺 250+ channels🏈 Sports: Limited📰 News: Yes📹 DVR: No

Tubi

Free

Massive on-demand library of movies and TV shows

📺 50,000+ titles channels🏈 Sports: No📰 News: Limited📹 DVR: No

Plex

Free

Free live TV plus personal media server

📺 600+ channels🏈 Sports: Limited📰 News: Yes📹 DVR: No (free tier)

Xumo Play

Free

Solid channel lineup with great variety

📺 330+ channels🏈 Sports: Limited📰 News: Yes📹 DVR: No

The Roku Channel

Free

Quality originals and live channels

📺 350+ channels🏈 Sports: Limited📰 News: Yes📹 DVR: No

🤔 Why Switch From Sling TV to Free Streaming?

Save $540–$780/year

Sling TV now costs $45–$65/month. Free alternatives give you thousands of channels for $0. That's real money back in your pocket.

More Channels, Not Fewer

Sling TV offers 30–50 channels. Global Free TV alone has 5,000+ channels from 100+ countries. Pluto TV adds 250+ more.

No Contract, No Commitment

Free services have no sign-up, no credit card, and no cancellation hassle. Just open and watch.

Similar Ad Experience

Sling TV already shows ads even on its paid plan. Free services have a comparable ad load — so you're essentially paying for the same experience.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Sling TV raising prices in 2026?

Sling TV announced a price increase effective February 20, 2026, citing rising content licensing costs and network carriage fees. Sling Orange and Sling Blue each increased by $5/month, bringing them to $45/month each, while the combined Orange + Blue plan rose to $65/month.

What free alternatives exist to Sling TV?

Several free ad-supported streaming services (FAST) offer live TV channels at no cost. Top options include Global Free TV (5,000+ channels), Pluto TV (250+ channels), Plex (600+ channels), Xumo Play (330+ channels), and The Roku Channel (350+ channels). These are 100% free and legal.

Can I watch live sports without Sling TV?

Yes. Free options include NBC sports on Peacock's free tier, local sports on broadcast TV via antenna, and sports news channels on Pluto TV and Global Free TV. For premium live sports, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV are paid alternatives with broader sports coverage.

Is it worth keeping Sling TV after the price increase?

It depends on your needs. If you primarily watch news, entertainment, and casual sports, free services like Pluto TV and Global Free TV cover most of that. If you need specific cable channels like ESPN or CNN, Sling may still be your cheapest paid option.

Ready to Ditch Sling TV?

Explore 5,000+ free channels right now. No signup, no credit card, no strings attached.

Last updated: February 16, 2026