Cutting the cord from cable no longer means sacrificing access to live television. Streaming TV services like Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV now offer cable-like channel packages delivered over the internet at more affordable monthly prices. With channel offerings, features and pricing tailored to different needs, determining the right streaming TV service for your household requires some comparison shopping.
That‘s why I‘ve put together this comprehensive guide examining Hulu + Live TV vs Sling TV. My goal is to arm you with the facts to evaluate which service aligns closest with your channel priorities, budget and streaming capabilities to deliver the cord-cutting experience you want. While both Hulu and Sling have merits, one emerges as the better choice for most mainstream viewers. Let‘s dig into the details…
Streamers Crave Choices – And Streaming TV Delivers
The rise of on-demand streaming from Netflix, Hulu and others has fueled an irreversible shift of audiences abandoning traditional pay television. eMarketer reports that over 6 million US households cut the cord in 2021 alone, bringing totals to over 31.2 million cord-cutting households representing a 27.5% share of all households.
Yet the demand remains to view live programming like sports, news and current shows. Enter subscription streaming television services providing cable-like live channel packages. The convenience of streaming continues tempting more viewers to forego costly cable contracts holding services like Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV at the forefront of this accelerating trend.
Hulu Marries Broad On-demand Library with Live TV
As a pioneer of ad-supported on-demand streaming starting in 2007, Hulu established itself as the premier destination for next-day access to top shows on broadcast and cable TV – essentially a DVR without the hardware.
After building an extensive streaming library with over 80,000+ TV episodes and movies, Hulu took live television streaming head-on by launching Hulu + Live TV service in 2016. Backed by media giants like Disney, NBCUniversal and Fox, the service beams over 85+ live channels side-by-side its deep on-demand catalog.
Hulu + Live TV quickly grew subscribers, ending Q1 2022 with over 4 million customers drawn in by its unique marriage of robust on-demand and live programming.
Dish Spins Off Its Sling TV in 2015
Satellite TV provider Dish Network, recognizing the shifting viewing habits from linear programming to on-demand streaming, launched its Sling TV service in February 2015. This followed a beta test of an international focused streaming service called DishWorld starting 2012.
Rather than shy from streaming services like other traditional TV providers, Dish chose to compete by delivering its own low-cost live streaming alternative targeting younger viewers. The focus rested squarely on popular cable channels absent costly broadcast networks and local channels.
Sling TV quickly captured over 2 million subscribers by emphasizing affordability and flexibility with its skinny channel bundles. However, achieving sustained profitability remains an ongoing battle.
Below we dive deeper across seven key comparison points between Hulu + Live TV vs Sling TV.
Channel Lineups: Hulu Leads in Quantity, Sling Stresses Quality
Hulu + Live TV includes over 85+ live channels spanning popular cable networks for news, sports, movies and entertainment plus local broadcast affiliates from ABC, Fox, NBC and CBS in most US markets. With add-on options like HBO Max, SHOWTIME and STARZ packing even more channels, Hulu shouldn‘t leave any household short on options.
Conversely, Sling TV takes a less is more approach. The service splits channel offerings across two main packages, Sling Orange and Sling Blue, each priced at a $40 monthly base. Sling Orange focuses on family and sports channels like ESPN and Disney, while Sling Blue caters to entertainment, news and lifestyle programming. Combining Sling Orange + Blue bumps available channels past 45+.
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| Live Channel Comparison | Hulu Live | Sling Orange | Sling Blue | Sling Orange + Blue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Available Channels | 85+ | 30+ | 40+ | 45+ *with duplicates |
| Sports | ESPN, FS1, TBS, TNT | ESPN, FS1 | ESPN, FS1, NFL Network, TBS | – |
| News | CNN, Fox News, MSNBC | – | CNN, Fox News | – |
| Entertainment | A&E, FX, Discovery, Bravo | AMC, TNT, IFC | Bravo, FX, HGTV, TNT | Most channels from both packages |
| Local Broadcasts | ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC | – | – | – |
That positions Sling as a better fit for viewers less concerned by overall quantity and more interested in saving money without superfluous channels bloating costs. But Hulu aligns better for households wanting the widest blend of channels or covet easy access to local broadcasting.
Pricing Breakdown Favors Sling TV
Affordability stands at the crux of any good cord-cutting service. Sling TV maintains clear advantage in this department by starting at $40 per month – nearly half the cost of Hulu + Live TV‘s $70 monthly fee. In an era of soaring inflation straining budgets, saving over $360 per year makes a substantial impact.
Diving deeper does reveal clever pricing strategies by both providers. Hulu comes bundled with full access to its ad-supported on-demand service saving you another $7 per month for that subscription. Upgrading to the no ads plan within Hulu + Live TV costs $83 monthly but eliminates commercials from the on-demand library.
Sling TV aggressively undercuts Hulu‘s pricing in part by excluding costly local broadcast affiliates. But the ability to toggle between its Orange and Blue plans for $15 more per month unlocks flexibility to score key channels missing from the rival package.
Long term value does lean towards Hulu + Live TV for packing unmatched content breadth in one bill. Yet frugal streamers living without CBS or NBC can sling major cable channels for far less using Sling TV.
Cloud DVR Functionality
Ability to record and time shift live television ranks highly for experienced cord cutters. Hulu and Sling again take divergent approaches:
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Hulu + Live TV subscribers enjoy 50 hours of DVR storage with no storage caps on recorded content. The catch comes in Hulu only saving recordings for 9 months before purging them automatically from the cloud.
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Sling TV also starts at 50 hour of DVR capacity but offers paying $5 more to expand to 200 hours of storage. While Sling lacks unlimited storage, they won‘t actively delete recordings as long as capacity exists – occasionally removing only the oldest saved shows first if needing space for newly requested recordings.
The value comes down to your recording habits. Avid show recorders will safeguard more content long term on Sling. But average users should find Hulu‘s 9 months of unlimited storage suffices to watch most saved shows without running up against caps. Either way, streaming television finally frees you to schedule recordings without worrying about physical DVR limits!
Video Streaming Quality
As broadband internet continues improving across more American cities, video quality as emerged a vital consideration for streaming TV. Hulu and Sling again take unique approaches:
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Hulu impresses by now enabling streaming in 1080p high definition on nearly all platforms for its expansive on-demand library. Live television maxes out at a very solid 720p HD, but you still enjoy crisp clarity.
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Sling TV comparably streams most live content at 720p HD quality – including primetime shows and live sports. Video pops nicely on big screens. On-demand programming does get presented in 1080p HD in instances where provided by programmers.
I‘ve tested both services across tablets, phones, web browsers and connected television. Hulu gets the edge delivering buttery smooth video in any scenario. But Sling also held up well with minimal buffering or pixelation even streaming live NBA games wirelessly on my older Roku.
Bottom line – streaming quality shouldn‘t disappoint with either provider. But media enthusiasts wanting the best video fidelity will see benefits from Hulu + Live TV streaming select content up to 4K when available.
Simultaneous Streaming allowance
Growing reliance on mobile devices shapes how streaming TV gets viewed inside households. With so many shows to keep up on and family members often off in separate rooms, ability to stream across multiple devices ranks highly.
In this category, Sling TV introduces valuable flexibility to their service tiers:
- Sling Orange allows 1 stream
- Sling Blue enables 3 simultaneous streams
- Sling Orange + Blue unlocks up to 4 concurrent streams in your home
By comparison, Hulu + Live TV‘s base package gets limited to 2 simultaneous streams. You must pay an extra $10 per month to enable Unlimited Streams if needing extra coverage for bigger families or roommates.
Sling TV‘s scaling approach proves smart for both smaller and larger households. Solo streamers happily save money on Orange plan while still affording extra streams by upgrading packages. Hulu‘s flat rate works for average needs but gets costly fast if requiring 3 or more streams.
Extra Streaming Perks
Beyond just live television, consumers want the most value from streaming media subscriptions. Hulu pulls ahead in this category on extras:
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Hulu + Live TV plans include full access to Hulu‘s entire 75,000+ episode on-demand library of network and cable shows with ads – or without ads by paying more.
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You also receive complimentary subscriptions to both Disney+ and ESPN+ packed within your Hulu + Live TV plan. That‘s thousands more movies & shows without an extra charge.
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Sling TV takes a different tactic by remaining laser focused as a live (and on demand) TV provider. But their packages now natively integrate access to over 10,000 hours of shows and movies. No paying extra to stream past series from channels you already pay for via Sling!
I do give Sling credit for continuing advancing integrated streaming features to become a more robust entertainment hub focused on television. Yet Hulu goes farther bundling unlimited on-demand content and those Disney/ESPN apps boosting overall value.
Local Channel Availability
Historically, streaming TV struggled matching cable‘s local broadcast network coverage. TV fans couldn‘t easily cut the cord while losing primetime shows on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox along with local news and sports.
Thankfully streaming services evolved by forging agreements with affiliate groups representing hundreds of stations across 210 US markets. Live local channels now come included with packages eliminating extra equipment:
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Hulu + Live TV subscribers today enjoy live local station feeds from ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC in most United States regions. Just enter your ZIP code when signing up to determine your eligibility.
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Sling TV takes a different approach by only offering national cable networks to achieve lower pricing tiers. So don‘t expect live local broadcasting here.
However, Sling helpfully lists which free over-the-air channels you can pick up with a good HD antenna in your area to supplement their cable lineup. Integrated guide listings make jumping between Sling and OTA channels breeze.
So Hulu again wins on access to critical local feeds. Yet savvy cord cutters mixing Sling with OTA broadcasting can also customize a complete live television solution that finally leaves cable obsolete.
Drumroll please! When closely evaluating Hulu + Live TV vs Sling TV across these crucial categories from channel selection and video quality down to availability of local stations, Hulu + Live TV stands as the superior mainstream cable replacement delivering the optimal balance of breadth & value.
The 85+ live channels spanning sports, news, entertainment and broadcast networks open doors to satisfy most television lovers. Hulu smartly doubles down by packaging unlimited on-demand shows/movies alongside popular Disney+/ESPN apps for one reasonable price.
Sling TV does better tailor its cleverly designed channel packages toward entertainment enthusiasts fine without CBS or NBC. And if you‘re feeling handy to augment with OTA TV antennas, Sling gives you major cable and streaming access at nearly half the cost.
Yet Hulu continues distancing itself from competitors as the unified television solution tightly integrating a world class on-demand library with a robust live streaming package. For most viewers ready to quit cable without losing live ESPN, HGTV, their local ABC station and more, Hulu + Live TV checks all the boxes.
I hope mapping out the key pros and cons and distinctions between Hulu vs Sling TV streaming plans provides clarity deciding which service best fits your household needs and budget! Feel free to reach out with any other questions.
