How Sling TV Handles CBS Sports Coverage
Sling TV doesn't carry the main CBS broadcast network in most markets, which immediately creates a gap if you're looking for NFL on CBS, NCAA basketball, or other CBS Sports productions. What Sling Blue does include is the CBS Sports Network channel, and that's where Sling TV Cbs Sports Catch All The Action Live content lives. The catch is that CBS Sports Network has a different programming schedule than the main CBS affiliate, so you won't automatically get every live game that airs on your local CBS tower. Subscribe to Sling Blue at $40 per month. That plan includes the CBS Sports Network in most zip codes. You can add the Sports Extra package for an additional $11, which brings in CBS Sports Network's international feed and some supplemental coverage, though it still won't give you the primary CBS broadcast. Use the Sling app on your phone, tablet, or streaming device. Navigate to the CBS Sports Network channel and look for programming labeled "Catch All" or similar simulcast presentations during active sports seasons. The interface isn't particularly intuitive about this. I spent weeks thinking the channel wasn't carrying any live sports until I realized the grid guide just doesn't label things clearly. The workaround was browsing the CBS Sports Network page directly on their website, noting the game times, then checking what was actually airing on the channel at that moment. Sling's listing sometimes shows "sports" generically without specifying the event.
There's a specific problem that comes up around March during NCAA basketball tournament coverage. CBS Sports Network simulcasts games that are also on the main CBS network, but Sling sometimes routes you to the wrong feed or shows a pre-game show when the actual contest is running. The fix is to open the CBS Sports Network page inside the Sling app rather than just clicking the channel icon from the guide. The in-channel guide tends to be out of sync by about 15 to 30 minutes compared to what's actually on screen.
What This Actually Gets You
CBS Sports Network on Sling Blue covers college football through the ACC Network partnership, some college basketball, NASCAR, golf, and occasional NFL-related programming. The "Catch All" presentation was CBS Sports Network's way of broadcasting multiple lower-profile games simultaneously during busy weekend windows. It was most relevant during college football and basketball seasons when dozens of games happen on the same afternoon and no single broadcast channel could show them all. The production value on these simultaneous feeds isn't great. You're looking at multiple picture-in-picture layouts or scrolling ticker-style graphics. Audio is usually the home team radio broadcast on one feed and the away team radio on another. If you want to switch between games, you toggle channels. There's no true multi-view player built into the CBS Sports Network feed itself that lets you watch all games at once within a single stream. That functionality exists on the NFL Game Pass and some other platforms, but CBS Sports Network doesn't offer it natively. A counter-intuitive thing most people miss: having the CBS Sports Network feed doesn't give you priority access to the games you actually care about. The channel schedules coverage based on production capacity and partner obligations, not viewer demand. A random mid-major conference game might get the main feed while a more high-profile matchup gets tucked onto a secondary segment of the Catch All layout. Check the weekly schedule on cbs sports.com before you tune in, and don't assume the marquee game is the one that's easy to find.
Get the Full Details
.jpg?format=pjpg&quality=60&auto=webp&width=1200)
Common Pitfalls
Local CBS is the big one. If you want Sunday NFL games or Saturday college football from major conferences, Sling Blue without a local antenna or Paramount+ subscription won't deliver those. CBS Sports Network often re-broadcasts highlights or studio analysis of those same games later in the day, but the live game itself stays on the local affiliate. This is the single most common complaint I see from people who thought subscribing to Sling was enough for their Sunday football habit. It isn't. Another issue is CBS Sports Network not being available in every Sling channel lineup. Some smaller markets and certain rural areas only get the national feed without the regional sports integration. The channel number varies by location too. It's usually somewhere in the 140 to 160 range on Sling Blue, but if you're in a market where the channel lineup is compressed, it could be elsewhere. Search for it in the app rather than guessing. Stream quality is another factor. CBS Sports Network on Sling typically maxes out around 720p or 1080i depending on your plan and connection. The simultaneous multi-game formats don't scale well at high resolution because each game window is small on your screen anyway. If you're watching on a phone, it's fine. On a 65-inch TV, you'll be squinting at eight different games in separate quadrants. Not worth the effort.
What to Do Instead
If your main goal is live NFL and major college football on CBS, the combination of an over-the-air antenna plus Paramount+ streaming subscription will cover virtually everything the main CBS network broadcasts in your area. The antenna handles the local live feed, and Paramount+ catches any games that might be subject to blackouts or streaming restrictions. CBS Sports Network on Sling becomes a supplement for additional college sports coverage, not a replacement for the main network. For the Catch All style multi-game experience specifically, neither Sling nor Paramount+ replicates it perfectly. The CBS Sports Network feed still exists but has scaled back that programming format significantly in recent years. What remains is mostly standard single-game coverage with some simulcast windows during peak college sports weekends. Manage your expectations accordingly, check the schedule before committing to watch, and accept that Sling TV Cbs Sports Catch All The Action Live is more of a niche offering than a comprehensive sports solution.