I cancelled my cable subscription a couple of months ago, and while I was able to cruise by with the Netflix, Amazon Video, and HBO Now apps on the Xbox One, I've started to miss live sports. Specifically, the NBA Playoffs are currently underway and my setup felt inadequate. Then I remembered the Xbox One had a Sling TV app. I learned the subscription service offers the channels I need to watch the Playoffs. If you don't have cable, this is a good way of watching the games on your Xbox One.
Sling TV lets you stream live shows and on-demand entertainment without the usual long-term contracts and hidden fees from cable companies. For $20 a month, you can watch over 20 channels including ESPN, AMC, CNN, HGTV, Cartoon Network, History, Disney, and more. More channel packs are available for $5 each.
The 2016 NBA Playoffs started on Saturday, April 16th and runs through a potential Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, June 19th. The games are shown on channels TNT, ESPN, and ABC. Just note that ABC has the exclusive rights to the NBA Finals. Both TNT and ESPN are available with the basic $20 plan on Sling TV, but ABC is part of the Broadcast Extra package which costs an additional $5 per month.
While a Sling TV subscription on the Xbox One sounds incredible, it isn't perfect. Even with a 100Mbps connection at home, I notice some occasional buffering. I can tolerate it though since I can finally watch live sports on my TV without a cable subscription.
Not sure if Sling TV is for you? You can try it for free for 7 days.
Have you cut the cord on cable TV? Are you happy with the entertainment apps and channels provided by the Xbox One? Let us know in the comments!
