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  • Sling TV Is in Trouble as Subscriber Losses Mount

    Sling TV Is in Trouble as Subscriber Losses Mount

    Once the undisputed king of live TV streaming, Sling TV is bleeding subscribers to rivals offering better features.

    Sling has long been a favorite choice among streamers looking for a good price and à la carte options. One of the distinguishing characteristics of Sling is its lack of local channels, something that helps keep its prices low. Unfortunately for the company, that hasn’t helped it keep customers.

    According to TechCrunch, the company lost some 77,000 subscribers in Q4 2022 alone, bringing its total subscriber base to 2.33 million subscribers.

    The company recently raised prices, and temporarily lost access to Disney-owned channels over a carriage dispute. The two factors may well have played a role in the company’s subscriber drop.

    In an interview with TechCrunch, however, Sling President Gary Schanman hinted the company may introduce a free tier.

    “Free is part of our thoughts about how we think about that engagement with the customer. We want a lifelong relationship with the subscriber where they see value in what we provide — and [free content is] a piece of that,” Schanman said.

    If the company does deliver on Schanman’s musings, it could go a long way toward helping Sling regain its crown.

  • Disney Channels Are Back on Dish and Sling TV

    Disney Channels Are Back on Dish and Sling TV

    Dish Network and Sling TV customers once again have access to Disney-owned channels after the two companies reached a tentative agreement.

    Contract renewal negotiations between Dish Network and Disney broke down when the two companies could not come to an agreement on price. As a result, Dish and Sling TV customers lost access to t, ABC Owned Television Stations, ESPN networks, Disney channels, Freeform, FX networks, National Geographic channels, and BabyTV.

    According to a statement provided to WPN, Disney and Dish have reached a “handshake” agreement that sees the channels restored, at least temporarily.

    “We have reached a handshake agreement with DISH/Sling TV, which properly reflects fair market value and terms for The Walt Disney Company’s unparalleled content,” the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution spokesperson said. “As a result, we are pleased to restore our portfolio of networks on a temporary basis while both parties work to finalize a new deal.”

    Hopefully, the two companies will be able to hammer out the final terms and keep the channels available permanently.

  • Dish Network and Sling TV Lose Disney-Owned Channels

    Dish Network and Sling TV Lose Disney-Owned Channels

    Dish Network and its Sling TV streaming service have lost Disney-owned channels as a result of a contract dispute.

    Contract disputes are an almost everyday occurrence in the TV industry, with networks and streaming services often going to the brink, or even over it, in an effort to negotiate better terms for themselves. Disney and Dish have found themselves in such a spot, with the two companies unable to reach an agreement regarding their contract renewal.

    As a result, ABC Owned Television Stations, ESPN networks, Disney channels, Freeform, FX networks, National Geographic channels, and BabyTV have been dropped from Dish and Sling TV.

    “After months of negotiating in good faith, DISH has declined to reach a fair, market-based agreement with us for continued distribution of our networks,” a Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution spokesperson said in a statement to WPN. “As a result, their DISH and Sling TV subscribers have lost access to our unrivaled portfolio of live sports and news plus kids, family and general entertainment programming from the ABC Owned Television Stations, the ESPN networks, the Disney-branded channels, Freeform, the FX networks, the National Geographic channels and BabyTV. The rates and terms we are seeking reflect the marketplace and have been the foundation for numerous successful deals with pay TV providers of all types and sizes across the country. We’re committed to reaching a fair resolution, and we urge DISH to work with us in order to minimize the disruption to their customers.”

    It remains to be seen whether the two companies will be able to reach an agreement that will see the channels restored.

    In the meantime, the situation is another example of how streaming TV is failing to deliver on its promise. Once upon a time, the concept was touted as a way for consumers to save money and pick and choose the channels they want to watch.

    The reality has been far different, with increasing prices, unwanted bundles, and companies that fail to put the consumer first.

    Hopefully, the situation will be resolved sooner rather than later.

  • DirecTV Prices Going Up in January

    DirecTV Prices Going Up in January

    DirecTV is raising its streaming and satellite TV packages starting in January.

    DirecTV was spun off from AT&T in August, and now competes with the likes YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, and fuboTV streaming services, while still competing with Dish Network for the satellite market. Unfortunately for DirecTV customers, the company is planning on raising prices across both of its services in January.

    According to The Verge, satellite TV customers will see their plans go up anywhere from $1 to $10. Meanwhile, streaming TV customers will see increases ranging from $4 to $10.

    Many providers often give up channels rather than increase prices. YouTube TV recently announced it would drop its price by $15 if it loses Disney-owned channels. In contrast, DirecTV said in a statement seen by The Verge that its prices were increasing because it is committed to offering the most robust packages. 

    “While competitors continue to shrink their offerings, your DirecTV team maintains a steadfast commitment to carrying the most robust channel line-up in the industry and unrivalled [sic] leadership in premium sports and news content,” the company wrote. “In addition, we continue to invest in providing better customer service, releasing new technology upgrades that will enhance our signal reliability, and launching improved features. We are also delivering greater flexibility to watch what you want, when you want it, from virtually anywhere in the U.S.”

  • Sling TV and Dish TV Lose Some Regional Sports Networks

    Sling TV and Dish TV Lose Some Regional Sports Networks

    In the ongoing saga of streaming services and content providers, Sling and its parent Dish have lost some regional sports networks (RSN).

    RSNs are some of the most coveted, and yet most elusive, channels. Virtually every streaming service has had and lost RSNs at some point. Sling and Dish are the latest to lose some of those channels. Dish will lose access to the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), and both companies will lose access to NBC Sports Washington, NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California.

    “The current RSN model is fundamentally broken,” said Brian Neylon, Group President, DISH TV. “This model requires nearly all customers to pay for RSNs when only a small percentage of customers actually watch them. As the cost of these channels continues to escalate, we no longer think it makes sense to include them in our TV lineup.”

    The disagreement stems from MASN and the NBC RSNs wanting payment based on all customers, rather than those customers actually using the channels. Sling and Dish argue that this is an antiquated model that’s no longer appropriate in the age of a la carte streaming packages.

    “Our proposal to offer sports fans access to RSNs is simple, and provides choice and value to all of our customers,” added Neylon. “It would allow DISH TV and SLING TV customers to choose to subscribe to the RSN channels they want — such as the regional MASN and NBC sports networks — on an a la carte basis, similar to premium subscription channels. With this updated RSN model, no customer would be forced to pay for content they don’t watch, and the RSNs would determine the price customers would pay for their channels.”

  • Sling TV Raises Prices, Adds DVR Storage

    Sling TV Raises Prices, Adds DVR Storage

    One of the best deals in streaming is getting a bit more expensive, as Sling TV is announcing a price hike combined with larger DVR options.

    Streaming TV services have been raising prices across the board. YouTube TV announced increases in July, Hulu in November and fuboTV announced a pricing bump when it struck a deal to carry Disney’s catalog. In fact, price increases among streaming providers have become so common that T-Mobile specifically advertised “no exploding plans” when it unveiled its TVision streaming service.

    Long considered one of the cheapest streaming options available, Sling TV is joining the ranks of its competitors in raising prices. The company has announced that new customers will be charged $35 for either the Sling Orange or Sling Blue plans, up $5/mo over previous pricing. When bundled together, the two packages will cost $50 per month, also an increase of $5.

    Many of the company’s various extra packages are also increasing $1 or $2 per month. Existing customers will not seen any price increases through July 2021, as part of the company’s 1-Year Price Guarantee.

    “Unfortunately, we are forced to raise prices because the television networks keep charging us more, but we fight hard to get the best deal for our customers. The proof of our commitment is apparent, as SLING TV is still the best deal in the market, keeping our prices much lower than cable and other live streaming services. SLING TV customers can rest assured that we’ll continue to offer the best combination of live news, sports and entertainment cable channels at the best value,” said Michael Schwimmer, group president, SLING TV.

    Fortunately, the company is also addressing one of its biggest pain points, namely the size of its included DVR service. Previously Sling only offered 10 GB for free, with 50 GB available for $5 extra. With other services starting at 100 GB and going up to 1,000 GB, or even unlimited, Sling’s DVR options were anemic, to put it mildly. With the new plans, all customers will now have 50 GB of DVR storage for free, with $5 bringing that up to 200 GB.

    “A robust DVR feature is a must-have for a premium entertainment experience — customers have told us they want more, and we delivered,” said Schwimmer. “By more than quadrupling DVR for all customers at no charge, SLING TV continues to provide the best value for pay-TV in the industry.”

  • ViacomCBS Channels Coming to YouTube TV

    ViacomCBS Channels Coming to YouTube TV

    ViacomCBS has struck a deal with YouTube TV to bring 14 of its channels to the popular streaming service.

    YouTube TV is one of the newer TV streaming services, joining Sling TV, fuboTV, Hulu With Live TV and others. The service has quickly become a favorite with a well-rounded combination of channels, features and price. One glaring omission was some of the ViacomCBS stations, such as Comedy Central, MTV, CMT, Paramount Network and more. With today’s announcement, that omission has finally been fixed.

    BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, TV Land and VH1 will be available this summer, with BET Her, MTV2, MTV Classic, Nick Jr., NickToons and TeenNick coming on at a later date.

    “We are thrilled to have reached an expanded agreement with YouTube TV that recognizes the full power of our newly combined portfolio as ViacomCBS,” said Ray Hopkins, President, U.S. Networks Distribution, ViacomCBS. “Google has been an excellent partner, and we look forward to bringing even more of our entertainment networks to YouTube TV subscribers for the first time.”

    “We’re excited to launch ViacomCBS’ portfolio on YouTube TV this summer, ” said Lori Conkling, Global Head of Partnerships at YouTube TV. “Our expanded partnership delivers on our promise to offer a premium portfolio of content to our YouTube TV subscribers, as well as across the YouTube platforms.”

    The announcement is good news for current YouTube TV subscribers and will likely help the service gain even more.

  • YouTube TV Loses Fox Regional Sports

    YouTube TV Loses Fox Regional Sports

    YouTube TV is notifying users that it has lost the rights to Sinclair-owned channels, including Fox Regional Sports and the YES Network.

    Sinclair stations have been steadily disappearing from streaming services over the last couple of years. The now defunct PlayStation Vue lost Sinclair channels in May 2018, only to gain them back five months later. Sling TV lost access in July 2019, and fuboTV lost access on January 1, 2020. With YouTube TV now losing the channels, that leaves AT&T TV Now and Hulu + Live TV as the only two streaming services that still have access to them.

    At this point, it’s anyone’s guess if Sinclair-owned channels will return to any of the streaming services that have lost them. As TV streaming continues to grow, at some point Sinclair will hopefully start feeling the loss in viewership and renegotiate new deals.

    In the meantime, here’s a copy of the email YouTube TV is sending out:

    Hi there,

    Our goal with YouTube TV is to offer you the content you love, delivered the way you want.

    To make this happen, we need to enter into deals with our partners. Unfortunately, we have been unable to reach an agreement with Sinclair to continue to carry the FOX Regional Sports Networks and YES Network.

    Starting February 29, 2020, you will no longer be able to watch live, on demand, or recorded content from your local FOX Regional Sports Network or YES Network.

    Please know that we do not take this decision lightly. We value your membership and will continue to strive to build the best streaming experience possible.

    Sincerely,

    The YouTube TV team

  • HBO and Cinemax Coming to YouTube TV

    HBO and Cinemax Coming to YouTube TV

    YouTube TV has scored a win against its streaming TV rivals with a deal to bring HBO and Cinemax to its service.

    The TV streaming wars are heating up as companies fight to gain and keep subscribers, not just from traditional TV and cable companies, but also from each other. Hulu, Sling TV, fuboTV, CBS All Access, Disney+ and Apple TV+ are all vying for content, networks, channels and programming.

    YouTube TV just inked a deal with WarnerMedia to bring HBO, Cinemax and the upcoming HBO Max to YouTube customers. HBO’s content has been available to Hulu, Amazon Prime and AT&T Now subscribers for some time. The deal rounds out YouTube TV’s lineup and helps the service better compete with its rivals. The deal also ensures YouTube TV continued access to WarnerMedia’s other channels, such as TBS, TNT, truTV, CNN, HLN, Turner Classic Movies, Adult Swim and Cartoon Network.

    “As consumers’ media consumption habits continually evolve and the landscape becomes more and more dynamic, our goal remains constant, and that is to make the portfolio of WarnerMedia networks available as widely as possible,” said Rich Warren, president of WarnerMedia Distribution. “YouTube has been a valued partner for a number of years, and we’re pleased to not only extend our existing agreement, but also make HBO and Cinemax – and soon HBO Max – available to YouTube TV customers for the first time.”

    When HBO Max debuts, it will not be accessible directly in YouTube TV, but customers will be able to use their YouTube TV credentials to log in.

  • Sling TV Improves Channel Lineup, DVR and Recording; Raises Prices

    Sling TV Improves Channel Lineup, DVR and Recording; Raises Prices

    Sling TV announced a major update to its streaming TV plans, including the addition of new channels, improved features and higher prices.

    According to a post on the company’s site, the streaming service is adding FOX News, MSNBC and CNN’s HLN to Sling’s Blue package. In addition, some of the service’s add-ons are being upgraded as well, with the Big Ten Network (BTN) added to the sports offerings. FXM and FXX are being added to Blue’s Hollywood Extra, and the Nat Geo Wild channel is coming to Blue’s Heartland Extra package.

    The company is also improving their DVR service, finally including at least some DVR capability for free. The current DVR add-on is being rebranded as “Cloud DVR Plus,” and will still offer 50 hours of recording, along with the ability to save recordings indefinitely so they aren’t deleted when the available space is used up.

    As part of the update, Sling is also raising prices by $5 a month. The Orange and Blue plans are both $30 a month, with the bundle coming in at $45. The company points out this is the first time it has raised prices on the Blue package since its launch, and the first price raise on the Orange package since June of last year.

    While it’s certainly good to see one of the oldest streaming services continue to evolve, bolster programming and add features, it would be nice to see more than 50 hours of DVR. Hulu currently includes 50 hours free, while offering up to 200 hours for an extra cost; YouTube TV offers unlimited DVR; and fuboTV includes 30 hours, with 500 hours available as an upgrade. With that kind of competition, 50 hours seems positively anemic, especially for an extra fee.

  • Comcast’s New Cordcutting Service Has a Lot of Catches

    Everyone’s looking to give people more cordcutting options these days – even the guys providing the cord.

    Comcast has just announced a new streaming service, which it hopes to make available to the entire country by early next year. It’s called Stream, and it will launch in beta in Boston at the end of the summer and then jump to Chicago and Seattle.

    Like Dish’s Sling TV, Comcast’s Stream lets users watch live TV from a handful of major networks (about a dozen, says Comcast) – including HBO. It will also offer “thousands of on demand movies and shows to watch home or away and even comes with access to TV Everywhere and a cloud DVR.” It will cost $15 a month, which is exactly what HBO charges for HBO NOW, its standalone streaming service.

    Ok, so here’s the catch(es):

    – You have to be a Xfinity internet customer to use Stream, which means that Comcast is offering a cordcutting TV service but only for those who use its cord. Not all that surprising, but Comcast is the first major provider to throw its hat in the web TV ring so it is notable.

    – You can only stream on laptops, tablets, and phones. As of now, Stream offers no way to stream on TVs.

    – Stream will only work in your home.

    – The only cable network that Stream can boast in HBO. All of the other networks are broadcast, which anyone can stream for free, in HD, with a $25 antenna. Stream doesn’t have ESPN, and as we all know sports are a huge reason why people stick with old school cable. Competitors like Sling TV have sports packages that include multiple ESPN and other sports networks.

    “It’s an exciting time to be a TV fan – there is more quality content than ever and seemingly limitless ways to keep up with all the shows and movies people are talking about. We’ll continue to experiment by creating offerings like Stream, so that users can choose the service that works best for them. So if you love TV and spend most of your time with the screen in your lap as opposed to the one on the wall, Stream may just be the thing for you,” says Comcast VP of video services Matt Strauss.

    There’s plenty to be meh about with Comcast’s new offering, but it is just another in a growing set of options for cordcutters. If you get your broadband with Comcast already, and you’re thinking about cutting the cord and snagging HBO NOW, for instance, this option could be more attractive as it also throws in some other networks and bonus content.

    But for now, Comcast’s web TV offering looks to be too restrictive – especially when compared with some of the other options out there.

  • HBO Is Now on Sling TV, Just in Time for Game of Thrones

    HBO Is Now on Sling TV, Just in Time for Game of Thrones

    Cordcutters rejoice. If you’re looking for a (legal) way to watch Sunday night’s Game of Thrones premiere, you now have another option.

    Last week Dish’s live TV platform Sling TV announced that it would soon be offering HBO to subscribers of its basic package – for an extra $15 per month.

    Today is the day. HBO is now live on Sling TV.

    “We continue to give TV lovers the content they want on the devices they already own,” said Roger Lynch, CEO of Sling TV. “We know Sling TV is the only way most of our customers can watch HBO shows like Game of Thrones live. Adding HBO’s live and extensive on-demand content to our lineup highlights our continued commitment to bringing customers the very best programming.”

    If you pony up $15 extra for HBO on Sling, you’ll gain access to HBO’s main channel live, as well as HBO’s entire library of content – “the same VOD library HBO provides on its other platforms,” says Sling. So if it’s available on HBO GO and HBO NOW, Sling TV has it.

    Sling also says it’ll “provide its customers with access to three streams of HBO, in addition to the single-stream dedicated to its core and add-on packages.” That multi-stream functionality will be rolling out to customers over time.

    It’s been a big week for HBO and cordcutting. On Monday, HBO’s new standalone streaming platform HBO NOW launched on Apple devices. It’s important to note that Sling TV isn’t getting HBO NOW – that’s still an Apple exclusive for now. Sling TV is offering HBO content directly through Sling TV itself.

  • HBO Comes to Sling TV, Giving Cordcutters Another Option

    It doesn’t appear that Apple has totally cornered the cable-free HBO market after all.

    Dish’s Sling TV has announced that HBO is coming to the subscription-based live TV service, making it the first and only internet TV platform to offer live HBO. Sling TV customers who sign up for HBO will get the one live HBO channel, as well as all the on-demand content (similar to HBO GO or the new HBO NOW). It’s important to note that Sling TV isn’t getting HBO NOW – that’s still an Apple exclusive for now. Sling TV is offering HBO content directly through Sling TV itself.

    “You don’t need me to tell you what a big deal this is, both for us and for our customers: HBO delivers hit shows and movies that TV viewers crave, and with this addition Sling TV becomes the only streaming service that offers both HBO and ESPN without a cable subscription,” says Sling TV CEO Roger Lynch.

    HBO will cost $15 on Sling TV, which is the same as a subscription to HBO NOW. In order to qualify for the $15 HBO, you must also subscribe to Sling’s “Best of Live TV” core package. That package includes channels like ESPN, ESPN2, AMC, A&E, TNT, History Channel, TBS, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, Cartoon Network, and IFC. It costs $20 per month.

    There’s no hard date for when HBO will launch on Sling TV – “next week” is a specific as the company gets. But it will be before the big season premiere of Game of Thrones on April 12.

    Just another option for cordcutters – and with more and more people realizing that cable is just too much of a burden on their bank accounts, that is never a bad thing.

    Image via Game of Thrones, Facebook

  • Xbox One Gets Sling TV, Extended Free Trial

    Subscription-based live TV service Sling TV has just hit its first gaming console – and it’s the Xbox One.

    You can now grab the Sling TV app in the app store.

    All Xbox customers get a free one-month trial – which is three weeks longer than the basic free trial Sling TV currently offers. Not only that, but if you don’t yet have an Xbox One and were thinking about getting one – now’s a pretty good time. The purchase of a new Xbox One at Microsoft stores and microsoftstore.com in the US now comes with three free months of Sling TV.

    Dish’s Sling TV offers a basic package of 17 channels for $20 per month which includes ESPN, ESPN2, AMC, TNT, TBS, CNN, and Adult Swim. It also offers $5 per month add-on packages, focusing on extra sports channels (like ESPNU), kids channels, news channels, and more.

    Post by Sling.

    “We built Sling TV with millennials in mind, and that includes gamers. Xbox has been at the forefront of gaming and technology for years, so it made sense to bring Sling TV to the passionate Xbox user. For many millennials, Xbox One is already the center of their living room experience, and we want to reach these fans to show there’s a better way to get live TV that doesn’t require a long-term commitment, high programming costs, additional wires or hidden fees,” says Sling TV CEO Roger Lynch.

  • Apple Wants to Give Cordcutters Live TV Too: Report

    Apple Wants to Give Cordcutters Live TV Too: Report

    Apple, who has had a fair amount of success selling hardware that lets users stream TV shows and movies, is now considering stepping into the role of content gatekeeper.

    A report from Re/code, citing various industry executives, says that Apple is currently in talks with some TV programmers about crafting its own pay-TV service.

    According to the sources, it would look something like Sling TV – Dish’s new offering.

    What Dish’s Sling TV does, and presumably what any Apple web-TV product would do, it allow people to stream a smaller amount of TV programming – for instance a dozen channels as opposed to the hundreds you get with traditional cable. Of course, the point of such an endeavor would be to capture the attention of the cordcutting crowd, who have ditched cable (due to its hefty price and inflexibility) but still want to be able to watch some traditional live TV.

    For Dish, one of the big draws is ESPN. Sports are what cordcutters usually miss the most.

    It’s important to note that if this were to occur, it would be a hell of a long way down the road. From Re/code:

    Apple has shown programmers demos of the proposed service, sources say. But talks seem to be in the early stages, which means terms like pricing and timing aren’t close to being ironed out. Several programmers say they’ve yet to start talks with Apple at all.

    Still, Apple has the method for distributing TV programming. It makes sense, as least from a logistical standpoint, that Apple is strongly considering taking control of some of the content that its users watch.

    Image via Rob DiCaterino, Wikimedia Commons