Cutting the cable, lets talk options and media setups

Is it true that in order to see college games or NFL games on ESPN that I already have to have the service on my satellite provider? Or do I pay a monthly fee like with HULU or Netflix?
I paid $25 for SlingTV + Sports Package and got every ESPN channel, SEC network and access to everything else on ESPN3. Any device, including PCs at the office worked for me. At the end of the season, I cancelled the $5 sports package. I'm thinking about turning off the SlingTV until the fall, too.