Why You Can Trust CNET Sling TV now totally free during primetime, no credit card required
New users can watch live news and more than 50 other channels every night at no charge.
- Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.
- Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.
Live TV streaming service Sling TV has been rolling out a bunch of promotions in response to coronavirus stay-at-home orders nationwide, and the newest one could be its best yet. The company now lets new users stream every channel in its Sling Blue package for free during seven primetime hours, starting at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT) to midnight wherever you are, every night.
Called "Happy Hour Across America," the promotion is available to "those new to Sling TV," according to the company's press release. That means you'll need to create an account with a username and password to watch. Unlike most other free trials, however, you don't have to give any credit card details.
Read more: Best free TV streaming services: HBO, Roku, Sling TV, Pluto TV, Tubi TV
Sling TV Blue streams over 50 live channels, including news networks CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, BBC America, Cheddar, Newsy and Local Now. It also delivers live Fox and NBC stations in major cities including New York, LA and Chicago, as well as numerous national networks like TNT, History, National Geographic and Nick Jr. The service includes a cloud DVR and allows up to three simultaneous streams. Sling Blue is CNET's Editors' Choice for budget live TV streaming services and costs $30 a month for a full subscription.
You can watch on pretty much any screen with the Sling TV app, including TV devices like Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast or Xbox One. You can also watch on Apple or Android phones using the app or via sling.com on phones and PCs using the Chrome, Safari or Edge browser. A solid internet connection is required.
Coronavirus updates
Sling rebranded its free TV program in March, which initially added free news from ABC New Live and Fox News and then expanded to offer local Fox stations for free. Since then it has offered a 14-day free trial and then a seven-day version, both without requiring credit cards.
Sling says viewership of its news channels has risen by 161% over the last month and characterizes the promotion as a public service to families practicing social distancing.
