Cord cutters looking to save a few bucks by ditching traditional cable and opting for streaming services just received some disappointing news. Marketed as “live TV streaming for the best price,” the cost of a Sling TV subscription just got a little pricier. On Thursday, it was confirmed that Sling TV streaming service is raising prices by $5 a month. Although this marks the first price increase since January 2021, it is the fourth price hike in five years.
The price hike is set to go into effect immediately for new subscribers. Existing subscribers will not see the price hike take effect until their next bill on or after Saturday, Dec. 3. The new price hike will see the cost of Sling Orange and Sling Blue pay TV packages jump from $35 per month to $40 per month. The Sling Orange & Blue package will increase to $55 per month, up from its previous $50 per month price tag, though the company noted that the price is still a $25 savings over the individual Orange and Blue packages.
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“Raising prices for our customers is not something we take lightly. We recognize that historically high inflation is impacting our customers every day and our goal is not to be another burden to your wallet. During these challenging times, Sling will continue to deliver the lowest price combined with an industry-leading user experience, flexibility and ease to watch top channels such as CNN, ESPN, FOX News, NFL RedZone, TNT, FOX Sports 1, and many more,” Sling TV president Gary Schanman wrote in a blog post. “However, Sling doesn’t own the networks you watch – we pay programmers for their channels, and the price of programming continues to rise. We’re deeply committed to keeping costs low and continually work with programmers to provide service you can rely on, which is why we haven’t raised prices in nearly two years, maintaining a generous cost advantage compared to our competitors.”
Schanman added that the company’s “focus on value and innovation has never been stronger,” and Sling TV, the first app-based TV service allowing subscribers to stream live TV, has “a robust list of new features” set to roll out sometime in the future. Schanman said those upcoming features include the addition of more than 150 new channels, new User Profiles, and auto Binge Watching capabilities. Schanman concluded the post by promising that Sling TV “remains the best value in live streaming television and we will continue offering innovative features and popular content at a fair price.”
Launched in 2015, Sling TV offers more than 800 live channels and thousands of hours of on-demand content. With the price hike, Sling TV will remain the least expensive streaming option. The new $40 price tag is lower than YouTube TV’s starting price of $64.99 per month, and the starting prices of both fuboTV and Hulu + Live TV, which cost $69.99 monthly.
