Cable TV was the only option to enjoy watching live channels in the past. Today, many streaming services allow watching live TV without cable. Millions of users gladly use that opportunity. If you are ready to jump on board, you might have narrowed your selection to Sling TV and Paramount+.
That’s where our guide comes into play. Our experts compared both services in each important area for the viewing experience. Keep reading to learn more about both platforms and discover if any meets your expectations!
A quick overview of Sling TV vs. Paramount+
The history of Sling TV goes back to 2015. Today, the estimation is that it has around 2 million users across the United States. The streaming service offers multiple plans to choose from and a curated channel selection for all audience types.
Paramount+ is the successor of the famous CBS All Access. The rebranding occurred in 2021, and the platform is now a mixture of live TV and on-demand streaming service. While the focus is on the latter, there’s a decent offer of live channels to enjoy.
| Sling TV | Paramount+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Orange: $40/month | |
| Blue: $40/month | ||
| Orange & Blue: $55/month | Paramount+ Essential: $5.99/month | |
| Paramount+ w/ Showtime: $11.99/month | ||
| Free Trial Length | None | None |
| Number of Channels | 100+ (with add-ons) | 20+ |
| DVR Capacity | 50 hours | No |
| Device Support | Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast, Air TV, Smart Tvs, Android, iOS, Xbox One | Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Fire TV, Smart Tvs, Roku, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 |
| Simultaneous Streams | 1-3 | 3 |
Paramount is cheaper but Sling has more to offer
If you only observe the price, Paramount+ is far more affordable. It’s great if you want a few TV channels and a generous on-demand library. But if we are talking about live channels, Sling TV offers a far better value for money. It costs more but also delivers more.
You could say the prices of both services are well-balanced compared to what they offer. Ultimately, it depends on your preferences and the channel lineup you expect.
Sling TV pricing
The lowest monthly subscription for Sling TV offers the Orange or Blue package. You’ll receive 30-40+ basic channels plus several exclusive ones for each pricing plan. There’s an option to combine both packages for a better price than buying them separately. You can also pick add-ons customized to different audiences.
Sling Orange
$20 off your first month
- 30+ channels
- ESPN
- Stream on one device
$45.99/month
Sling Blue
$20 off your first month
- 40+ channels
- Local channels in select cities
- News and entertainment
- Stream on three screens
$45.99/month
Sling Orange & Blue
$20 off your first month
- General cable replacement
- 45+ channels
- Stream on three screens
$60.99/month
Here is a detailed Sling TV pricing guide.
Paramount+ pricing
You can get Paramount+ for a fairly low price. It’s even possible to save with a yearly subscription. You get access to over 2,500 movies and 30,000 TV episodes but expect commercial interruptions when enjoying live TV.
The Premium plan is different since it includes your local CBS station and removes all ads. It costs double as much, but many find it worth the money. Apart from that, you can subscribe to Showtime with each of the packages.
You can read our Paramount+ pricing guide to learn more about different plans.
Neither has a free trial
There was a point in time when both Paramount+ and Sling TV offered free trials, but they have since been discontinued.
Sling TV wins in content variety
Sling TV is a clear winner in this category. It’s because Paramount+ only offers live TV content from CBS, and Sling TV includes many other high-quality channels. The number of broadcasting stations it covers is far bigger, and it has add-ons to spice up the selection.
What to watch on Sling TV
Sling TV has around 30-40+ channels included in its basic channel selection. They range from news channels like CNN to movie stations like AMC and TNT. The Orange package will secure three ESPN channels and the Disney channel. Those who pick the Blue pricing plan will get MSNBC, Fox, and several other channels.
Thanks to add-ons, Sling TV grants access to extra sports, news, and other channels. Sports fans will appreciate NBA TV, beIN Sports, and the Tennis Channel. The news package covers worldwide stations. Apart from these add-ons, you can access about 10,000 hours of on-demand content. Check out our Sling TV channel list to see the entire lineup.
What to watch on Paramount+
Paramount+ is the successor of CBS All Access. If you choose the Premium package, you can access the local live CBS station. But even if you go with the essential option, you get access to the CBSN and the CBS Sports HQ. Separate live feeds are available for UEFA Champions League and NFL games broadcasted by CBS.
Other live TV channels focus on showing content made by CBS. You can watch Survivor, Paw Patrol, Reality TV, and other channels. However, the focus of Paramount+ is on-demand service. You’ll find over 30,000 episodes, including originals like The Twilight Zone, Star Trek: Discovery, etc.
Only Sling TV offers DVR space
Sling TV wins in this category since you can watch up to 200 hours of content by using their DVR cloud storage. However, only 50 hours are free and come included with your package. If you want to increase the storage, the upgrade will cost you $5 per month. Learn more about these features in our Sling TV DVR guide.
Unfortunately, Paramount+ is an on-demand service that doesn’t consider DVR a priority. The good news is it supports offline viewing, although the maximum amount is 25 items in a library at the same time. You can check our Paramount+ DVR and offline viewing guide for more information.
Both streamers have great device support
Both platforms offer extensive support for different devices. That’s why it was hard to pronounce the winner in this category. We went with Sling TV since it seems the app is slightly faster than its competitor. The service supports all popular media players, such as Chromecast and Roku. You can play the platform on Smart TVs, mobile devices, and even gaming consoles. Check out the Sling TV device support article for a complete list.
Paramount+ is no less impressive in this area. Whether you want to watch it on Xbox or PlayStation or use Portal TV from Facebook, this service is up to the task. Here’s a detailed Paramount+ device support article to see the detailed list.
Paramount offers more simultaneous streams
It’s a victory for Paramount+ since it offers up to three simultaneous streams without conditions. Whether you watch live TV channels or on-demand content, up to three accounts are available. You can learn more in our Paramount+ guide on simultaneous streaming.
Sling TV offers three streams only with the Blue plan. If you pick the Orange package, you can’t watch on more than a single device. The combined Orange+Blue package supports watching on up to four devices, but you can only use one to watch the channels exclusive to the Orange plan.
Our takeaway: Sling TV is the better live TV option
We are focusing on live TV in this comparison, and there’s no doubt that Sling TV wins the showdown. The service offers more than 100 channels that you can customize to your preference. The fine selection of extras ensures you get the lineup to your taste at an affordable price. You can find anything from live news and sports coverage to entertainment and educational channels.
As for Paramount+, it’s the best choice if you are a CBS fan. You can watch the local station, access UEFA Champions League and NFL games on this network, and enjoy various channels filled with CBS content. Paramount+ is also a great choice if you are looking for the most affordable deals on the market.
Now that you have all this information, we hope it will be easier to decide on which streaming platform is the best fit for you.
Aneeca Younas • Author
Aneeca Younas is a graduated journalist with years of experience writing in different niches based in Oakland, CA. She is a huge movie fan that also enjoys watching sports. That's why she spends hours daily using various streaming services. Over the years, Aneeca profiled herself as an expert in cable-free and VOD platforms.
Kelsey Reynolds • Editor
Kelsey is a content strategist based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Minnesota. Kelsey was drawn to working at Flixed because the team was so open, motivated, and curious. She most enjoys thinking about how to blend programmatic and editorial content to answer readers’ questions as completely and efficiently as possible. When she’s not at her computer, Kelsey can usually be found working in her garden or walking her two dogs in the park.
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