Remember when cord-cutting and canceling cable were all about saving money? It's no secret that streaming services just keep getting more expensive.Sling TV started at $20 per month and now costs double that, and YouTube TV launched at $35 but slowly ballooned to over $80.Last spring, I canceled my service and went a different route that only cost me around $40 for the entire year.
These days, Sling TV offers different packages, and YouTube TV recently launched new tiers, all with the hope that lower prices will get you to sign up.And while that's great, it's still an expensive streaming subscription.Instead, I've started using the Sling TV Day Pass, which launched last summer and lets you enjoy 24 hours of service for only $5.
As someone who doesn't watch a ton of TV and instead enjoys the occasional sports programming or specific events, this could be the future of streaming.Sling TV's Day Pass is a game-changer Only pay for the days you need Sling TV is wildly popular and provides access to live TV over the internet.I don't want to sign up for a monthly subscription anymore, which is why the day pass is so fantastic.
You gain access to most of its content catalog for 24 hours for only $5.And occasionally, it goes on sale, and you can get it for $1.That's endless live and on-demand TV spanning several channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, TNT, Disney Channel, CNN, AMC, A&E, and others.
And, if you want it for the entire weekend, it'll be $10 instead with a 3-day pass.So, how did I only spend $40 for an entire year? Easy.It's worth noting that I pay for the NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube, which covers most of my sports entertainment.
I also have Netflix, but for everything else, Sling TV comes to the rescue.I used the Sling TV day pass eight times, which only comes out to $40 for the entire year.There were a few specific NCAAF games I wanted to watch.
During the holidays, I signed up again for a few days while extended family was in town visiting.That way, we could watch sports or put on other programming, all while I didn't have to open my pocket for an entire month.Related YouTube TV vs.
Sling TV: What's Best for Cutting Cable? You can cut the price, but say goodbye to endless scrolling.Posts 1 By Lara Vukelich I don't have to spend $45 or $60 on Sling TV, or even $80 a month for YouTube TV.Instead, I pay $5 on the occasional Saturday when I want to watch some college football, or when I have a free day to binge-watch some TV.
The rest of the year, I'm not really consuming much TV aside from Netflix and a few other apps on and off.Being a new dad means I don't have a ton of free time, so why pay for all these channels I never watch anyway? Are you in a similar situation where you don't watch a ton of TV, but still want access sometimes? Or you rely on a few streaming services like Disney+ and HBO Max, but don't want to pay the bloated price for a full streaming platform.In that sense, and for those who only want to watch specific things on rare occasions, the day pass is a total game-changer.
More importantly, this isn't a subscription of any kind.It's not a trial, either.You pay a and get full access to television for 24 hours.
You're not signing up for yet another trial that you'll inevitably forget to cancel.Pay a few bucks, watch a game, and continue on with your life.And once that 24-hour period ends, you can keep watching other content with Sling Freestream.
Sling TV Subscription with ads Yes Simultaneous streams 1, 3, or 4 Live TV Yes, available on all plans Price Starting at $20/month ($5 day pass, $10 weekend pass, and $15 week pass available) Number of live TV channels Starting at 10 channels Its lower price comes with a more limited channel selection, but it offers a little bit of something for the whole family.See plans at Sling TV Expand Collapse Use it for more than sports TV shows, movies, holidays, and more While most of Sling TV's advertisements for the day pass revolve around sports (naturally), that's just one way to take advantage of it.I watched my favorite college football team a few times during big games, and skipped some of the less important matchups.
It's a great way to save money.As you can see above, the day pass includes the entire Sling Orange lineup, which includes 34 popular channels.Anything you want to watch in those 24 hours is fair game.
Binge on AMC during reruns, watch the news and sports with channels like CNN, TNT, or TBS, not to mention Vice, Food Network, History Channel, A&E, and so much more.Instead of carrying a cable subscription or signing up for a live TV streaming platform, I just buy it "A la carte" whenever I want to, or need it.The channel selection is somewhat limited You can't have it all If you're new to Sling TV, the service has two main packages you can choose from: Sling Orange or Sling Blue.
Each one has a slightly different lineup of channels or providers, and that might be a deal-breaker for you.Subscribe to the newsletter for smart streaming savings Get more practical ideas—subscribe to the newsletter for deeper guides on cutting streaming costs, a la carte day-pass strategies, channel and add-on breakdowns, and straightforward ways to decide when paying per-day beats a full subscription.Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
You can unsubscribe anytime.The Day Pass is great, but it's missing a few crucial channels, including USA, Fox Sports, Fox News, MSNBC, Discovery, FX, and several regional channels you'd probably want for sports or local news.You can't have it all for $5, but Sling TV does offer add-ons, like the "Sports Extra" package, which costs an extra $1 for the day.
With a sports or news add-on, you gain access to a ton of additional content for only a buck.Here are a few in the Sports Extra package.SEC Network, ACC Network, SEC Network+ ESPN U, ESPN News MLB Network, MLB Alternate, MLB Strike Zone NBA TV, NHL Network, NHL Alternate Tennis Channel beIN Sports and more By going this route, you're essentially paying $6 for a day, instead of $5, but that's better than $45 for an entire month.
Either way, just know that not all the channels are available, so make sure it has what you want ahead of time.If you currently pay for Sling TV and rarely use it, you're spending around $540 a year for live TV.Or even worse, those spending $83 a month for YouTube TV are spending nearly $1,000 a year.
That's expensive, and these days, money is tight.Instead, buy Sling TV for the days when you actually need or want it, throw in an add-on if necessary, and save some money.I'll probably buy more day passes this year than I did in 2025, but I'm still saving hundreds of dollars.
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