If you subscribe to Sling TV, you may still be getting used to the November 2022 price increase that saw the price of the Blue and Orange plans increase to $40 per month and the cost of the combined bundle creep up to $55.
However that $5 increase is already old news for some users, because in five different areas, Sling TV is getting a second price increase.
From March 1, subscribers in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles and the San Francisco bay area will have to pay $45 each month for the individual Orange or Blue plans, and $60 monthly if you're on the combined bundle.
Just a matter of months ago, Blue and Orange cost $35 each, while the combined package was only $50, so this second jump could be a shock for seasoned subscribers.
This price increase isn't without reason, though, and it's being enacted because Sling TV is introducing local programming in those regions. Starting in March, ABC, Fox and NBC's local channels will be available to stream alongside all of Sling's other channels.
For people living outside these areas, there's no change to price, or the channels available to you, with three exceptions. If you live in Fresno, Raleigh or Houston, you'll soon also get access to the three local channels, and you won't actually need to pay for them.
Sling TV is one of the best live TV streaming services, and the reason for this is its competitive price point, as it undercuts lots of big-name rivals. One of the key reasons the costs were low was the lack of local channels, but evidently, Sling is moving away from this business strategy.
At $60 per month for the full Sling TV offering, the price of the service is creeping nearer and nearer those of its rivals. YouTube TV costs $64.99, while Hulu with live TV costs $69.99. That $5 or $10 difference may seem negligible to those who want the extra channels or features.
So far, Sling TV hasn't confirmed whether or not other regions will be seeing price similar increases, but the new change has affected some of the biggest metropolitan areas in the US. At the very least, we could see other big cities get local channels Sling TV doesn't currently offer in the near future.
If you're interested in Sling TV and live in those regions, our advice would be to sign up near the deadline, so you get your first month of subscription at a lower price.
