Using Slate’s handy cord-cutter’s calculator, we priced out a few streaming packages to see how they stacked up.
The “Up To Speed Around The Water Cooler” Package
The “My Kid’s College Plan Is Pegged To A 3-Team Parlay” Package
NBA League Pass + MLB.tv + NHL Game Center + Sling TV + a digital antenna for over-the-air football broadcasts = $574.94/year This is more live games than you could watch in a lifetime, plus all the screaming ESPN talking heads you can handle. For a cable package that gets you more than just home-market NFL games (and nothing else), you’ll pay more than double.
The “My Wife Is Very Suspicious Of This Cord Cutting Thing” Package
Consider this the “I can’t believe it’s not cable” plan. Now you’re catching Game Of Thrones, Steven Colbert’s debut in Letterman’s seat and all 375 CSI‘s, and still coming in several hundred dollars less than the average cable plan. There are two fixed costs to keep in mind with Sling TV. First, you still need to pay for high-speed internet every month. Second, if you want it streamed to your television, you need to purchase a Roku ($100), which is currently the only set-top box that supports the service. Then again, streaming to your phone and tablet might be all you need — watching TV peacefully from a couch is for guys without kids to chase all over the house. Buy Now $20 per month
