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.
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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.
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.
