Sling TV vs YouTube TV:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, YouTube TV had more branded searches than Sling TV among live TV streaming services in the United States. YouTube TV had about 7.5 million branded searches, while Sling TV had 673,000. YouTube TV made up 70.9% of all live TV streaming service searches we track, and Sling TV accounted for 6.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about live TV streaming services, both Sling TV and YouTube TV appeared in all five answers. YouTube TV was mentioned before Sling TV in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
YouTube TV, about 11 searches for every 1 for Sling TV
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
YouTube TV, named ahead of Sling TV in 4 of 5 answers
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Top live TV streaming services in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both Sling TV and YouTube TV showed up in all five answers. YouTube TV was listed before Sling TV in four of them.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- YouTube TV1st
Sling TV2nd
Hulu3rd
Philo4th
Fubo5th
DIRECTV STREAM6th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- YouTube TV5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Sling TV5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Philo5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Fubo4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Hulu4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- DIRECTV STREAM2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about live TV streaming services
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which live TV streaming service should I get in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best live TV streaming services in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the cheapest live TV streaming service in the US with sports?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“live tv streaming”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cable alternatives”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 22, 2026.
Is Sling TV or YouTube TV more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Sling TV and YouTube TV by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six live TV streaming services we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for YouTube TV, Sling TV. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | YouTube TV | Fubo | Sling TV | Hulu | DIRECTV STREAM | Philo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 59.8% | 14.6% | 9.8% | 9.8% | 3.6% | 2.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 51.9% | 19% | 10.4% | 12.7% | 3.8% | 2.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 59.4% | 14.5% | 9.8% | 9.8% | 3.6% | 3% |
| Jan 2026 | 59% | 17.6% | 9.6% | 7.9% | 2.9% | 3% |
| Feb 2026 | 67.7% | 11.1% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 3.3% | 2.9% |
| Mar 2026 | 58.8% | 14.3% | 6.5% | 14.3% | 3.5% | 2.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 63.2% | 15.5% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 3.3% |
| May 2026 | 67.3% | 13.5% | 7.4% | 5% | 3.3% | 3.5% |
| Jun 2026 | 65.4% | 19.5% | 5.9% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 2.7% |
| Jul 2026 | 64% | 19.1% | 5.8% | 4.7% | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Aug 2026 | 64.7% | 15.8% | 7.1% | 5.8% | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| Sep 2026 | 70.9% | 14.2% | 6.4% | 4.3% | 2.3% | 1.9% |
How has the Sling TV and YouTube TV comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- YouTube TV was ahead of Sling TV in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sling TV’s share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States moved from 9.8% to 6.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.2M to 673K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, YouTube TV’s share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States moved from 59.8% to 70.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 7.5M.
How did search popularity change for United States live TV streaming services in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, YouTube TV gained share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States, from 64.7% to 70.9%.
In September 2026, Sling TV lost share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States, from 7.1% to 6.4%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Sling TV’s and YouTube TV’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Sling TV
1 branded search term
- sling tv
YouTube TV
1 branded search term
- youtube tv
Other head-to-heads among live TV streaming services
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