Fubo vs Sling: Which Live TV Service Wins In 2026?
Fubo vs Sling comes down to budget against breadth: Sling is the value pick, starting at $45.99 per month, while Fubo's Essential plan runs $84.99 per month but delivers 200+ channels, broad local station coverage, unlimited DVR, and the deepest sports lineup in streaming. Pick Sling if you want the cheapest path to live ESPN or a lean news-and-entertainment bundle and don't mind limited local channels. Pick Fubo if you want a full cable replacement — locals, regional sports networks, big channel count — and will actually use what the extra $40 a month buys. Both offer their best pricing up front: Sling routinely discounts your first month, and Fubo usually knocks $20–25 off month one.
Pricing At A Glance (July 2026)
- Sling Orange — $45.99/month: about 30 channels including ESPN, ESPN2, and Disney Channel. One stream at a time.
- Sling Blue — $45.99–$50.99/month: about 40 channels including Fox News, FX, USA, and Bravo; costs $5 more in markets where local ABC, NBC, or Fox stations are included. Three streams at a time.
- Sling Orange + Blue — $60.99–$65.99/month: everything from both plans.
- Fubo Essential — $84.99/month: 200+ channels including locals in most markets, unlimited cloud DVR, and streaming on up to 10 screens on your home network. Higher tiers add more channels and 4K.
Prices are current as of this writing but move often — confirm on sling.com and fubo.tv before you subscribe.
Channels And Local Stations
This is the biggest practical gap. Fubo carries local ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox affiliates in most of the country, which means network shows, local news, and NFL Sundays work the way cable did. Sling's local coverage is thin: ABC, NBC, and Fox come only with Blue and only in a limited set of major markets, and CBS isn't offered at all — most Sling households pair the service with a cheap over-the-air antenna for locals. On cable networks, Fubo's 200+ lineup simply includes most of what both Sling plans offer combined, plus a long tail of sports, news, and entertainment channels Sling reserves for paid add-on packs.
Sports Coverage
Both services carry ESPN, but on Sling that means Orange specifically — Blue drops the ESPN family in exchange for Fox and NBC networks, which matters if you're choosing a single $45.99 plan. Fubo was built around sports: alongside ESPN and the broadcast networks' games, it carries regional sports networks in many markets and a wide set of soccer and international sports channels Sling can't match, and select events stream in 4K on its higher tiers. If your must-watch list is mostly one league on ESPN, Sling Orange covers it for a third of the price. If it spans local broadcasts, an RSN, and cable sports networks, Fubo is the only one of the two that actually covers the whole list.
DVR And Simultaneous Streams
Fubo includes unlimited cloud DVR on its standard plans and lets you stream on up to 10 devices at home (with a couple of streams on the go). Sling includes 50 hours of DVR storage with a paid upgrade available, and stream counts depend on plan: one for Orange, three for Blue, four on the combo. A household of heavy simultaneous watchers will feel Sling Orange's single stream immediately.
The Disney Factor
One structural note worth knowing in 2026: Disney now owns 70% of Fubo after combining its Hulu + Live TV business with Fubo in a deal that closed in late 2025. Both services continue to run separately with their own apps and pricing, but they're now siblings — and Fubo's long-term channel lineup increasingly reflects Disney's portfolio. If you're weighing Fubo against its new sibling instead, see our comparison of Hulu + Live TV vs YouTube TV for how the Hulu side stacks up.
Verdict: Which Should You Get?
Get Sling if you want live TV for under $50, you're comfortable adding an antenna for locals, and one or two channel groups (ESPN on Orange, or news/FX/USA on Blue) cover your watching. It's the best cheap live-TV service going. Get Fubo if you're replacing cable outright — locals without an antenna, regional sports, a big family sharing one account, and a DVR you never have to manage. It costs nearly twice as much and earns it only if you use that breadth. Both are contract-free, so the honest answer is to run each for a month — start with the one that matches your budget, and keep our troubleshooting guides for Fubo and Sling TV handy while you test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sling have CBS?
No. CBS isn't on any Sling plan; Fubo carries CBS affiliates in most markets. An over-the-air antenna is the standard Sling workaround.
Can I cancel either service anytime?
Yes — both are month-to-month with no contract, and you keep access through the end of the paid period after canceling.
Which has the better free trial or intro deal?
It changes constantly. Fubo typically offers a free trial and a discounted first month; Sling leans on first-month discounts instead of trials. Check both sites the week you sign up.