Replacing your expensive TV package with an antenna just got easier

Sling’s Essentials and Select packages add sought-after sports channels with less bloat than other bundles.

Jared Newman   |   April 22, 2026

Here’s the dilemma that antenna users have faced for years: You couldn’t get extra cable channels like ESPN without paying for a big pay TV package that also included expensive local broadcast channels. That defeated the whole purpose of free over-the-air TV.

Sling’s new Essentials package helps solve that problem. For $20 per month, you get all of ESPN’s cable channels, along with Disney Channel and a grab bag of rerun-centric entertainment channels. It’s $10 per month cheaper than ESPN Unlimited, ESPN’s own standalone streaming service, plus you can bundle Essentials with other Sling packages, including one that covers sports and news from Fox.