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Sling TV to Let New Users Watch for Free During Primetime Hours

New users can now get free access to the Sling TV Blue package from 5pm EST to midnight each day. The promotion also has no end date at the moment.

 & Michael Kan Principal Reporter

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Running out of stuff to watch? Well, Sling TV is now letting new users tune into the streaming service for free during primetime TV hours. 

On Tuesday, the company announced the “Happy Hour Across America” promotion to entice people in the US to stay at home during the pandemic. The deal will unlock access to the Sling TV Blue package every night from 5 pm EST to midnight. 

"Since we can't serve you a beverage or basket of hot wings, we're introducing a new kind of happy hour — TV 'on the house' every night," Sling TV president Warren Schlichting said in the announcement. 

A spokesperson for Sling TV told PCMag there’s currently no end date set for the promotion. The company is also hoping the happy hour special will keep viewers informed about COVID-19. In the past month, news consumption on Sling TV has shot up by 164 percent. 


All the channels on Sling TV Blue. All the channels on Sling TV Blue.

The Sling TV Blue package will give you access to more than 50 live TV channels, including CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, TNT, TBS, and the Cartoon Network. For full 24/7 access, you’ll need to pay $30 a month. 

The company, which is owned by Dish Network, has created a dedicated webpage to the promotion. No credit card is required. You simply need to sign up with an email address and password. Unfortunately, the promotion is only available to new users. So no luck for old subscribers to the service. However, Sling TV has made some of its content offerings, including access to ABC News Live, free for all users in response to the pandemic. 

Looking for something else to watch? The good news is other streaming services have also been offering extended trials and free deals. Check out our guide to learn more.

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About Our Expert

Michael Kan

Michael Kan

Principal Reporter

My Experience

I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.

Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.

The Best Tech I've Had:

  • My first video game console: a Nintendo Famicom
  • I loved my Sega Saturn despite PlayStation's popularity.
  • The iPod Video I received as a gift in college
  • Xbox 360 FTW
  • The Galaxy Nexus was the first smartphone I was proud to own.
  • The PC desktop I built in 2013, which still works to this day.

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