When it comes to discontinuing cable television and making the transition to a streaming service, one of the most important issues to ask is whether or not you will still be able to get your local channels. Regarding Sling TV, the answer is a little bit less straightforward. It is true that Sling TV allows you to get local channels. On the other hand, it may vary depending on the channel, as well as the location in which you reside.
YouTube TV, Hulu With Live TV, and Fubo are some of the rivals of Sling TV, and this stands in striking contrast to their offerings. Additionally, they are available in a far greater number of markets than Sling TV.
Here’s the deal: Sling TV allows users to watch programming from ABC, Fox, and NBC that are currently accessible. How about CBS? It’s too late for you mate. There is absolutely no way to watch it as a stream while using Sling TV. However, rather than providing you with your very own local broadcast network, Sling provides you with various broadcasts from a predetermined list of specified market regions, also known as DMAs of the United States. It is highly recommended that you check out the page on Sling’s website that provides a list of the networks that are accessible from each market. Atlanta, Austin, Texas; Boston; Chicago; Dallas; Fresno, California; Gainesville, Florida; Hartford, Connecticut; Houston; Los Angeles; Miami; Milwaukee; New York City; Oakland, California; Orlando, Florida; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina; San Diego; San Francisco; San Jose, California; Seattle; Tacoma, Washington; Tampa, Florida; Washington, District of Columbia; and Washington, District of Columbia are the DMAs that are listed by Sling TV in the beginning of 2024.
That does cover a significant portion of the United States, but it does not cover a great deal of the country. In light of this, you had best keep your fingers crossed if you are depending on Sling TV to provide, for example, your local news show.
However, there is a method to circumvent this, and that is via a service known as AirTV. A branded over-the-air tuner from Sling TV that enables you to connect an antenna in order to record your local broadcast channels is now available. After you have installed an antenna and connected the cable to the AirTV box, everything will be connected to the Sling TV app. You will search for channels, and if you find them, they will be shown in your Sling TV guide. Because it is a genuine over-the-air alternative, this should really provide you with a greater amount of content than what you would get from any of the streaming providers.
When it comes to local channels on Sling TV, you will discover that the service will exert a significant amount of pressure on AirTV. This is due to the fact that for many individuals, AirTV is the only method they will be able to get local channels. Additionally, it is not a terrible choice. Over-the-air television has been a favorite of ours for a long time since, beyond the initial purchase of the necessary gear, everything that the antenna takes in is completely free.
The disadvantages of all of this are that it is cumbersome, that it requires more purchases, and that it requires more setup. In addition, a great many of people are going to find it perplexing. Sling TV may not come with local channels as soon as you start up the service, in contrast to YouTube TV and Hulu With Live TV, which do arrive with local channels. Even while Sling TV offers local channels, it is possible that it may not have all of the local stations that you need. Additionally, this is before you even begin to discuss the fact that it does not have CBS.
In such case, sure. Sling TV also includes local stations. You may have to put in a little bit of more effort or spend a little bit more money in order to get them.
