Sling Essentials and Sling Select are low-cost live TV plans. These start at $19.99 per month. They also have a few channels in common, but they are made for different viewers.
Here is how Sling Essentials vs. Sling Select compares and which plan is better for you.
Sling Essentials vs. Sling Select at a glance
Here is a table for a quick comparison:
| Feature | Sling Essentials | Sling Select |
| Starting price | $19.99 per month | $19.99 per month |
| Main sports channels | ESPN and ESPN2 | FS1 and NFL Network |
| Local stations | None | ABC, NBC, and FOX in select markets |
| Simultaneous streams | One | Three |
| DVR storage | 50 hours | 50 hours |
| Best for | ESPN and Disney viewers | NFL, FOX, news, and larger households |
The starting price is the same, but Select can cost more
The two plans cost the same, but here is how they differ:
Sling Essentials price
The Sling Essentials plan costs $19.99 per month. Its price does not change based on where you live because local ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC stations are not included.
You can also prepay $54.99 for three months. This saves you $4.98 compared with paying monthly for the same period.
Our separate guide to Sling Essentials explains its main limits in more detail.
Sling Select price
The Sling Select price also starts at $19.99 per month. However, it may rise when Sling provides local stations in your area.
The monthly price is:
- $19.99 when no local stations are included
- $24.99 with one or two local stations
- $29.99 with ABC, NBC, and FOX
The three-month prepaid option starts at $49.99. This saves $9.98 in an area without local stations, but your exact prepaid price may be higher when local channels are included.
Sling Essentials vs. Sling Select channels
Five TV stations are in both packages:
- Grit
- MeTV
- Game Show Network
- Heroes & Icons
- Lifetime Movie Network.
The remaining channels decide which plan is more useful.
Sling Essentials channels
The current Sling Essentials lineup has 12 channels:
- Sports: ESPN and ESPN2
- Family and general entertainment: Disney Channel, Freeform, and Game Show Network
- Movies and drama: Hallmark Mystery, Lifetime Movie Network, and Bounce
- Classic television: Grit, MeTV, Heroes & Icons, and Start TV
The package does not include local stations.
Sling Select channels
The base Sling Select lineup has 11 channels:
- Sports: FS1 and NFL Network
- News and factual shows: FOX News and National Geographic
- Entertainment: FX, Vice, Game Show Network, and Lifetime Movie Network
- Classic television: Grit, MeTV, and Heroes & Icons
Local ABC, NBC, and FOX stations could be added based on your ZIP code. You cannot remove them to avoid the extra fee when Sling includes them in your area.
Which plan is better for sports?
Neither plan covers every major sport. Your choice should begin with the networks that show the events you watch most.
Essentials is better for ESPN coverage
Choose Essentials if you mainly watch events on ESPN and ESPN2. These networks carry Monday Night Football, college football, and basketball.
The two TV stations also carry NBA and WNBA games, NHL coverage, tennis, and studio programs.
Select is better for NFL Network and FOX Sports
Select is the better choice if you want FS1, NFL Network, or sports on local FOX and NBC stations.
Depending on your market, it could also cover FOX NFL games, Sunday Night Football, college football, MLB games, NASCAR, and other events.
Select gives you more streams, but the DVR is the same
Sling Select supports three devices at the same time. One person could watch FS1 on a television while two others use the account for FX and FOX News.
Essentials allows only one stream.
Both plans include 50 hours of cloud DVR storage. Unlimited DVR costs another $5 per month.