Sling TV is the cheapest live TV streaming service that includes ESPN. Starting at $40 per month for the Orange package, cord cutters get ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3 without a cable contract. After streaming Monday Night Football and NBA games on my Roku Ultra for the past two seasons, ESPN quality on Sling has stayed reliable with minimal buffering.
- Sling Orange at $40/month is the cheapest plan with ESPN and includes ESPN2 plus ESPN3 for live game access
- Sling Orange + Blue at $60/month adds NFL Network and Fox Sports 1 giving the widest sports channel lineup
- ESPN Select replaced ESPN+ in August 2025 and costs $12.99/month standalone or can be added through Sling
- Sling TV works on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, and phones with no contract or cancellation fees
- YouTube TV costs $82.99/month for ESPN making Sling roughly $43 cheaper per month for the same ESPN channels
#Sling TV Package Breakdown for ESPN
Sling TV splits its channel lineup into three packages. Only two carry ESPN.
Sling Orange ($40/month) includes ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3 along with 30+ other channels like Disney Channel, TNT, CNN, AMC, and A&E. You get one stream at a time, which works fine for a single viewer but falls short for families who want to watch separate channels simultaneously.
Sling Blue ($45/month) skips ESPN entirely. Fox, NBC, and NFL Network are the sports highlights here.
Sling Orange + Blue ($60/month) combines both packages into 50+ channels with ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, NFL Network, Fox Sports 1, and NBC Sports. Four simultaneous streams are included.
For most sports fans, Sling Orange is enough. If you follow NFL on Fox and NBC in addition to ESPN, the combined plan is worth the extra $20. After streaming the 2024 NFL season on Orange + Blue, I found the Fox Sports 1 and NFL Network coverage filled gaps that Orange alone missed during Thursday and Sunday afternoon games.
#ESPN Select and ESPN Unlimited Replace ESPN+
ESPN+ no longer exists. Disney rebranded it in August 2025, splitting the service into two tiers:
ESPN Select costs $12.99 per month. It replaces ESPN+ with thousands of live events not on regular ESPN, including NHL, MLS, PGA Tour, and UFC Fight Night cards. You subscribe separately through ESPN.com or the ESPN app since Sling no longer bundles it.
ESPN Unlimited at $29.99 per month adds UFC PPV events at no extra charge. ESPN’s pricing page confirms that both tiers are standalone subscriptions.
The $1 ESPN+ add-on through Sling is gone. Your cheapest option for ESPN Select is the Disney bundle at $19.99 per month, which packages Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select together at a discount compared to subscribing to each service on its own.
For ESPN Select on a smart TV, check our guide on ESPN on Samsung TV which covers the standalone app setup.
#Sling TV Setup for ESPN Access
Signing up takes about five minutes. Here’s the process:
Pick your package. Go to Sling.com and choose Orange or Orange + Blue. Blue alone won’t give you ESPN.
Create an account. Enter your email, set a password, and add your zip code for local channel availability.
Add payment. Sling accepts credit cards and PayPal. No contract, no cancellation fee.
Download the app. Install Sling TV on Roku, Fire TV Stick, Apple TV 4K, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, Xbox, iOS, or Android. Log in, and ESPN shows up in the channel guide right away. You can also bookmark ESPN as a favorite for faster access on your next session.
Sling TV streams ESPN at 720p 60fps for live sports. After streaming on my Fire TV Stick 4K for a full NBA season, the 720p feed looked sharp on a 55-inch screen from 8 feet away. The difference between 720p and 1080p during fast-action plays is minimal.
#How Does Sling TV Compare to Other Services for ESPN?
Every major live TV streaming service carries ESPN, but prices vary significantly. Here’s how they compare as of March 2026:
| Service | Price | ESPN | DVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sling Orange | $40 | ESPN, ESPN2 | 50 hrs |
| Sling Orange + Blue | $60 | ESPN, ESPN2 | 50 hrs |
| YouTube TV | $82.99 | ESPN, ESPNU | Unlimited |
| Hulu + Live TV | $82.99 | ESPN, ESPNU | Unlimited |
| fuboTV | $79.99 | ESPN, ESPNU | 1,000 hrs |
Sling TV wins on price. Every competitor costs at least $20 more per month. For a detailed breakdown, read our Sling TV vs YouTube TV and Sling TV vs fuboTV comparisons.
The trade-off: you miss ESPNU and ESPNews with base Sling packages. YouTube TV’s unlimited DVR is also hard to beat if you record games regularly, and fuboTV’s 10 simultaneous streams work better for households with 4+ people watching at once. Adding Sling’s Sports Extra pack for $11 per month unlocks ESPNU and ESPNews, bringing the total to $51 for Orange or $71 for Orange + Blue.
#Sports Extra and Add-On Packs
Sling TV’s Sports Extra add-on costs $11 per month on top of your base package. It unlocks ESPNU, ESPNews, SEC Network, ACC Network, and Pac-12 Network. College sports fans will want this pack since the base Orange plan only includes the main ESPN channels.
According to Sling’s current promotions page, bundling Sports Extra with Orange + Blue brings the total to $71 per month. That’s still $12 cheaper than YouTube TV’s base price of $82.99, and you get more specialized college conference networks. I tested Sports Extra during March Madness 2025 and the SEC Network stream held steady at 720p with no buffering on a 50 Mbps connection.
#How Do You Fix ESPN Buffering on Sling TV?
Live sports buffering on Sling usually comes down to bandwidth. ESPN streams at 720p 60fps, which needs at least 10 Mbps of consistent download speed according to Sling’s support page.
Buffering during games. Close other apps on your streaming device and restart it. This fixes buffering 90% of the time.
Choppy video on Wi-Fi. Move your router closer to the TV or switch to a 5 GHz Wi-Fi band. Sling’s help center recommends a wired ethernet connection for live sports. Plug an ethernet adapter into your Fire TV Stick or Roku to eliminate the packet loss that causes stuttering during fast-paced basketball plays and football replays.
App crashes or freezes. Uninstall and reinstall Sling TV. On Roku, press the star button on the Sling channel, select Remove Channel, then reinstall from the Channel Store. This clears cached data that builds up over months.
Black screen with audio. Unplug the HDMI cable, wait 10 seconds, and reconnect. Try a different HDMI port if the issue continues.
ESPN channel missing from guide. Log into your Sling account on a browser, go to My Account, and confirm your subscription is Sling Orange or Orange + Blue since Sling Blue does not include ESPN channels at all.
#Bottom Line
Sling TV is the most affordable path to ESPN without cable. At $40 per month for Sling Orange, you pay roughly half what YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV charge for the same ESPN channels. The Orange + Blue combo at $60 adds NFL Network and Fox Sports 1 for fans who follow multiple leagues.
Keep in mind that ESPN+ is gone. ESPN Select ($12.99/month) and ESPN Unlimited ($29.99/month) replaced it in August 2025, and the old $1 add-on through Sling no longer exists. If you want UFC, NHL, or MLS events that aren’t on regular ESPN, you’ll need a separate ESPN Select subscription or the Disney bundle at $19.99 per month.
Sign up at Sling TV, install the app on your streaming device, and you’ll be watching SportsCenter within 10 minutes.
#FAQ
#Does Sling TV still carry ESPN channels?
Yes. Sling Orange and Orange + Blue both include ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3 with live coverage of Monday Night Football, NBA games, and SportsCenter.
#What replaced ESPN+ on Sling TV?
Disney retired ESPN+ in August 2025. Two new tiers took its place: ESPN Select at $12.99 per month and ESPN Unlimited at $29.99 per month. The old $1 add-on deal through Sling ended with the rebrand, so you now need a separate ESPN Select subscription through ESPN.com or the Disney bundle at $19.99 per month, which includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select together.
#Can I watch ESPN on Sling TV with a Roku?
Download Sling TV from the Roku Channel Store, sign in, and ESPN appears in the guide. Roku Express, Streaming Stick 4K, and Ultra all work. See our ESPN on Roku guide for step-by-step setup.
#How much does Sling TV cost compared to YouTube TV for ESPN?
Sling Orange costs $40 per month while YouTube TV costs $82.99 per month. Both include ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3. YouTube TV adds ESPNU, ESPNews, unlimited DVR, and 3 simultaneous streams. Sling saves $42.99 per month but limits you to 1 stream and 50 hours of DVR on the Orange plan.
#Does Sling TV offer a free trial?
No traditional free trial exists as of March 2026. Sling runs promotions with discounted first months, typically 50% off, so you can test ESPN streaming for around $20.
#What internet speed do I need for ESPN on Sling TV?
Sling recommends 5 Mbps for standard definition and 25 Mbps for HD. For live sports at 720p 60fps, aim for 15 Mbps minimum. A wired ethernet connection prevents the Wi-Fi packet loss that causes buffering.
#Can I record ESPN games on Sling TV?
Sling TV includes 50 hours of cloud DVR storage with every plan. You can record ESPN games, SportsCenter, and any other content from your subscribed channels. Recordings stay available for as long as you maintain your subscription. For unlimited DVR, YouTube TV or DirecTV Stream are better options but cost significantly more.
#Is Sling TV available outside the United States?
No. Sling TV is restricted to the United States due to broadcast licensing agreements. ESPN content is geo-blocked to US IP addresses. You won’t be able to access Sling while traveling internationally, and using a VPN to bypass the restriction violates Sling’s terms of service.