Sling TV and fuboTV both replace cable, but they take opposite approaches. Sling TV keeps costs low and lets you build a custom channel package. fuboTV bundles 200+ channels with unlimited DVR at a higher price. Both services changed significantly in late 2025 and early 2026, so the old comparison no longer holds.
- Sling TV starts at $45.99/month for Orange or Blue, with a new $19.99 Select tier launched in late 2025
- fuboTV’s Core plan costs $73.99/month after a price drop following the loss of all NBCUniversal channels in November 2025
- fuboTV includes unlimited DVR on every plan, while Sling TV caps DVR at 50 hours unless you pay $5/month extra
- fuboTV lost NBC, Bravo, USA Network, and MSNBC in an ongoing carriage dispute with Comcast that remains unresolved as of April 2026
- Sling TV now offers a Day Pass for $4.99 giving access to 35+ live channels for 24 hours without a monthly commitment
#How Do Sling TV and fuboTV Compare on Price in 2026?
The pricing gap between these two services narrowed in 2026, but Sling TV still costs less at every tier. CNET reported that 55% of sports-first cord-cutters pick fuboTV over Sling despite the premium.
#Sling TV Plans
Sling TV restructured its lineup in late 2025 with two new entry points:
Sling Freestream costs nothing. You get 600+ ad-supported channels with no login required.
Sling Select runs $19.99/month for roughly 15 channels including Fox News, FX, NFL Network, and National Geographic. In select markets, local ABC, NBC, and FOX stations are available for an extra regional surcharge.
Sling Orange costs $45.99/month with 30+ channels and ESPN access. One stream only.
Sling Blue jumped from $45.99 to $49.99/month in February 2026. It carries 45+ channels with Fox Sports 1, three simultaneous streams, and access to local FOX and NBC affiliates in select markets. Blue is the better base plan for most households because of the extra streams and news channels like MSNBC and CNN that Orange lacks.
Sling Orange + Blue combines both for $60.99-$64.99/month with four total streams.
Add-on Extras run $6/month each. Sports Extra at $11/month is the most popular. DVR Plus adds 200 hours for $5/month.
#fuboTV Plans
fuboTV simplified its structure after losing NBCUniversal channels in November 2025. Prices dropped across the board.
Sports + News is fuboTV’s budget tier at $55.99/month. Just 25 channels.
Core (Pro) at $73.99/month is where most subscribers land. It has 200+ channels including regional sports networks, though fuboTV tacks on an RSN fee of $12-$16.99/month based on your ZIP code. You can’t opt out of that fee if RSNs are available in your area, and it pushes the real monthly cost past $85 in many markets.
Elite (Ultra) adds 50 more channels and 4K UHD for $83.99/month. Deluxe at $103.99/month throws in Sports Plus, International Sports Plus, and MGM+ on top of that. Most subscribers don’t need either upgrade.
Every fuboTV plan includes unlimited DVR and supports up to 10 simultaneous streams.
| Plan | Cost | Channels | DVR | Streams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sling Orange | $45.99 | 30+ | 50 hrs | 1 |
| Sling Blue | $49.99 | 45+ | 50 hrs | 3 |
| Sling Orange + Blue | $64.99 | 50+ | 50 hrs | 4 |
| fuboTV Core | $73.99 | 200+ | Unlimited | 10 |
| fuboTV Elite | $83.99 | 250+ | Unlimited | 10 |
After subscribing to Sling Orange + Blue and adding Sports Extra ($11) and DVR Plus ($5), your monthly bill hits $80.99. At that point, fuboTV Core at $73.99 with unlimited DVR actually costs less. The math flips when you want fewer channels and skip add-ons.
#Channel Coverage Breakdown
Channel counts tell only part of the story. What matters is which networks you actually watch.
#fuboTV’s Missing Channels Problem
fuboTV’s biggest weakness in 2026 is what it doesn’t carry. NBCUniversal pulled all its channels from fuboTV on November 21, 2025, after contract negotiations collapsed. According to fuboTV’s help center, the dispute remains unresolved.
That means no NBC locals, no USA Network, no Bravo, no MSNBC, no CNBC, no Syfy, no Golf Channel, and no Telemundo on fuboTV. Warner Bros. Discovery channels like HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, and TLC also left fuboTV in April 2024 and haven’t returned.
Sling TV carries all Turner/WBD channels (TBS, TNT, CNN) on its Orange + Blue plan. It also has NBC in select markets through Sling Blue.
#Channel Comparison
| Network | Sling TV | fuboTV |
|---|---|---|
| ESPN | Orange | All plans |
| Fox Sports 1 | Blue | All plans |
| CNN | Orange + Blue | No |
| NBC (local) | Blue (select) | No |
| CBS (local) | No | Core+ |
| TBS/TNT | Orange + Blue | No |
| NFL Network | Blue | All plans |
Neither service carries every major network anymore. fuboTV’s channel losses narrowed this gap significantly since 2024, and the situation keeps shifting as carriage disputes drag on without resolution.
For ESPN on Sling TV, you need Sling Orange. For ESPN on fuboTV, any plan works.
#Is fuboTV Still the Best Choice for Sports Fans?
fuboTV still leads on sports. After testing both services during the 2025-2026 NFL season, I found fuboTV’s regional coverage noticeably stronger.
The key difference is regional sports networks (RSNs). fuboTV carries RSNs that Sling TV doesn’t offer at all. If you follow a local MLB, NBA, or NHL team, those RSN channels are often the only legal way to watch regular-season games without a cable subscription. The RSN fee ($12-$16.99/month) stings, but no amount of money gets you RSNs on Sling TV because the option simply doesn’t exist there.
fuboTV’s Elite tier adds MLB Network, NBA TV, NHL Network, SEC Network, ACC Network, and ESPNU. Sling TV matches some of those through its $11/month Sports Extra add-on, which gets you NFL RedZone and NHL Network but still no RSNs.
The raw numbers tell the story. According to fuboTV’s channel page, Core alone carries 40+ sports channels. beIN Sports for international soccer stays exclusive to fuboTV among US live TV streamers, and that matters if you follow La Liga, Serie A, or Ligue 1.
Casual fans save money on Sling TV. Serious fans need fuboTV. Compare fuboTV vs YouTube TV for another option.
#DVR Storage and Recording Limits
fuboTV wins this category outright. Every plan includes unlimited cloud DVR with recordings saved for nine months.
Sling TV starts you with 50 hours. That fills up fast. Recordings expire after 30 days, and upgrading to 200 hours costs $5/month through DVR Plus. Even at 200 hours, you’re managing storage manually while fuboTV subscribers never think about it.
I recorded about 40 hours of programming per week during football season, and Sling TV’s 50-hour cap forced constant cleanup. fuboTV’s unlimited storage removed that friction entirely, which made a bigger practical difference than I expected going into the test.
Heavy DVR users should pick fuboTV.
#Simultaneous Streams and Device Support
fuboTV allows 10 simultaneous streams. Sling TV maxes out at 4.
That stream gap matters more than it sounds. A household of four people each watching on their own device already maxes out Sling Orange + Blue. fuboTV handles that without breaking a sweat, and still leaves room for a tablet in the kitchen and a phone at the gym.
Both services run on every major platform: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast with Google TV, Android TV, iOS, Android, Samsung Smart TV, LG Smart TV, and Xbox. According to Sling TV’s official site, it also supports Oculus VR and AirTV. Device compatibility is essentially a tie.
For setup help, check Sling TV on Fire TV Stick, Sling TV on Samsung Smart TV, fuboTV on LG Smart TVs, or fuboTV on Vizio Smart TVs.
#New Sling TV Features for 2026
Sling TV added three options that didn’t exist a year ago.
Day Pass costs $4.99 for 24 hours of 35+ live channels. No subscription needed. I used it for a single NBA playoff game and it worked exactly as advertised. No other major live TV service offers anything like this for one-off viewing, and it’s the kind of flexibility that could change how people think about paying for live TV entirely.
Sling Freestream expanded to 600+ channels at no cost. Ad-supported, mostly reruns.
Sling Select at $19.99/month fills the gap between free and full-price. I tested it for two weeks and found the 15-channel lineup thin but adequate if you stick to news and a handful of entertainment networks.
fuboTV’s 2025-2026 changes were defensive, not forward-looking. It lowered prices after losing NBC channels, merged operations with Hulu + Live TV under Disney ownership, and now reports a combined 6.2 million subscribers across both platforms according to fuboTV’s investor page.
Sling TV
Best Value
Choose this if you want the lowest monthly bill with a la carte channel control.
- Plans from $19.99 to $64.99/month
- Day Pass option for $4.99 one-time
- Carries TBS, TNT, and CNN (fuboTV doesn't)
fuboTV
Best for Sports
Choose this if you want unlimited DVR, regional sports networks, and family-friendly stream limits.
- Unlimited DVR on every plan
- Up to 10 simultaneous streams
- Regional sports networks included
#Bottom Line
Both services lost ground in 2026. Neither is complete.
Pick Sling TV if you watch mostly entertainment and news, want to control costs, and don’t need more than four streams. The new Select tier at $19.99 and Day Pass at $4.99 give you entry points that no other live TV service can match right now, and that flexibility alone makes Sling TV the smarter starting point for anyone who isn’t sure how much live TV they actually need.
Pick fuboTV for live sports, regional team coverage, or households with five or more viewers.
If neither works, try YouTube TV for a balanced channel lineup, Philo for entertainment-only at $28/month, or browse fuboTV alternatives for more options.
#Frequently Asked Questions
#How much do Sling TV and fuboTV cost per month in 2026?
Sling TV starts at $19.99/month for Select and tops out at $64.99 for Orange + Blue. fuboTV starts at $55.99 for Sports + News and goes up to $103.99 for Deluxe. First-month discounts are available on both.
#Does fuboTV still have NBC channels?
No. NBCUniversal pulled everything from fuboTV on November 21, 2025. As of April 2026, NBC, USA Network, Bravo, MSNBC, CNBC, Syfy, Golf Channel, and Telemundo remain unavailable. Comcast has indicated it has no plans to restart negotiations, and fuboTV CEO David Gandler confirmed in February 2026 that talks had stalled completely.
#Which service has better DVR storage?
fuboTV. Unlimited cloud DVR comes with every plan, and recordings stay available for nine months. Sling TV gives you 50 hours with 30-day retention.
#Can I watch local channels on Sling TV?
Only partially. Sling Blue and Sling Select carry FOX and NBC affiliates in select markets. ABC and CBS aren’t available on any Sling TV plan. A $20-$30 indoor HD antenna fills that gap for most households, and many cord-cutters pair one with their Sling subscription specifically for local news and NFL games on CBS.
#How many devices can stream at the same time?
fuboTV: 10 streams on all plans. Sling Orange: 1 stream. Sling Blue: 3. Orange + Blue: 4.
#Is fuboTV worth the higher price?
For sports households with regional team loyalty, the unlimited DVR, 10-stream limit, and RSN access provide value Sling TV can’t match at any price. For general entertainment viewers, the calculus changed when fuboTV lost NBC and Warner Bros. Discovery channels in late 2025. Sling TV or YouTube TV now cover more networks for less.
#What is Sling TV Day Pass?
It’s $4.99 for 24 hours of 35+ live channels. No subscription needed. Useful for playoff games, awards shows, or any single event.
#Did fuboTV merge with Hulu Live TV?
Disney and fuboTV merged their live TV operations in late 2025 under shared ownership. The services still run separately with separate subscriptions and separate apps. Combined subscriber count across both platforms reached 6.2 million.