The streaming space is getting increasingly crowded—and expensive. Once you subscribe to the services that have your favorite shows, you could end up paying more than you did for cable. But there are still plenty of TV channels you can stream for free, including the more than 500 that are available through Sling Freestream. Here’s how to access the free streaming service without a credit card, or even creating an account.
What is Sling Freestream?
Similar to Roku, Sling Freestream is a free, ad-supported streaming service with more than 500 live TV channels, plus more than 40,000 on-demand TV shows and movies. It works the same way as other streaming services, but doesn’t require a credit card or a paid Sling subscription to use. In fact, you don’t even need to sign up for an account (more on that in a minute).
While you can get a one-month free trial of Sling’s paid Premium Pass, that is separate from Freestream, which is always free and not a trial. In other words, if you’re asked for your credit card info, you’re in the wrong place.
If you want confirmation that you’re in the right (i.e. free) place, look for the Freestream logo with “Always FREE TV” written below it when you open the app or visit the website.
Credit: Screenshot/Sling TV
How to watch Sling Freestream without an account
It’s free to set up an account, but if you’d rather skip that step, you have that option.
To access the free channels, visit watch.sling.com or sling.com/freestream and click the orange box that says “Stream Free” on your browser of choice; or download the Sling app on your smart TV, phone, tablet, or other device. That will take you to the Freestream home page.
Credit: Screenshot/Sling TV
How to create a Sling Freestream account
Though you don’t need a Freestream account, having one allows you to save your favorite channels and shows, create profiles for different users, and activate parental controls. It also means Sling will keep track of what you watch and use the information to make personalized recommendations.
To create a Freestream account:
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Visit this website.
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Enter your email address, a new password, and your billing ZIP code—no other credit card or payment information required.
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Click the white box that says “Start Streaming.” Ignore the orange “Get This Deal” box, unless you want to add a paid subscription to your account.
Credit: Screenshot/Sling TV
To confirm that you have Freestream access, go to Settings > Account on your device. It should say “Freestream” under “Services.”
Credit: Screenshot/Sling TV
If you already have a paid Sling subscription, you can use the Freestream filter on your guide—or scroll to the bottom of the page—to find the channels included in this service.
What can you watch on Freestream?
You can find the 500+ live TV channels by selecting “Guide” at the top of the screen (next to “On Demand”). From there, you can scroll through them alphabetically, or broken down into categories like News, Lifestyle, True Crime, and Kids.
There are a handful of national and local news channels, a lot of professional and college sports channels, and a wide range of others, including the Architectural Digest Channel, Stories by AMC, MTV Pluto, Non-Stop ’90s, and Scream Factory TV.
There are also some less traditional channel offerings, like the Supermarket Sweep Channel (dedicated entirely to episodes from the show’s original 1990-2003 run), ALF (it exclusively shows episodes of the 1980s live-action sitcom about a lovable Alien Life Form and its companion animated series), and the Teletubbies Channel (where it’s literally always time for Teletubbies).