Sling TV has just joined the (rather slim) ranks of live streaming TV services that offer 4K resolution, and it’s doing so without imposing any additional charges.
Sling will kick off its 4K streaming with the 2024 MLB All-Star Game on Fox Sports tonight, while upcoming 4K sporting events include the 2024 Paris Olympics on NBCUniversal’s USA Network and professional football games on FS1 and ESPN.
While Sling’s new 4K streaming capabilities won’t cost anything extra, there are some caveats, including the fact that Sling’s 4K support is (for now, anyway) limited to “supported” Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices.
This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best live TV streaming services.
Specifically, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, the 4K Max, and the Fire TV Cube will offer 4K streaming through Sling. Supported Roku devices include the Streaming Stick 4K+, the Streambar, the Ultra, the Express 4K+, and 4K Roku TVs.
Left out in the cold are Apple TV and Google Chromecast users, as well as those with Nvidia Shield streaming players. Sling says “additional 4K streaming devices” will be added in the “coming months.”
Also left out of the Sling 4K streaming party is Sling’s own cloud DVR, although that functionality is “coming soon,” the company says.
Sling’s first 4K streaming event, the 2024 MLB All-Star Game, will stream in “select markets” starting at 8 p.m. ET on July 16—tonight.
The 4K MLB stream will be available to all Sling Blue subscribers.
For $45 a month, Sling Blue offers a mix of sports (minus ESPN) and general-interest programming plus access to local live stations, while the $40/month Sling Orange adds ESPN channels but loses the local affiliates and many of the non-ESPN sports channels. Sling Orange plus Blue goes for $60 a month.
Sling’s 4K offering is a bit unusual in that it’s not charging extra for the privilege. YouTube TV, for example, offers 4K streaming only as a $9.99/month add-on.
Starting at $72.99 a month (not counting the 4K add-on), YouTube TV is considerably more expensive than Sling; that said, YouTube TV offers a wider selection of live TV channels than Sling does.
Meanwhile, Hulu + Live TV doesn’t currently offer 4K streaming.
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer, TechHive
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he has covered everything from smart speakers and soundbars to smart lights and security cameras. Ben's articles have also appeared in PC Magazine, TIME, Wired, CNET, Men's Fitness, Mobile Magazine, and more. Ben holds a master's degree in English literature.