Sling TV is revolutionizing the pay-TV landscape by offering flexible mini-subscription options, allowing fans to enjoy their favorite sports and entertainment without long-term commitments.
Sling TV Introduces Flexible Subscription Options
Sling TV is slicing up the traditional pay bundle, offering mini-subscriptions by the day, weekend, or full week starting at $4.99.
Addressing Sports Fans’ Needs
Timed with next week’s start of the season and the NFL soon to follow, this launch addresses an ongoing pain point for sports fans. Instead of forcing customers to sign up for a regular Sling subscription, which starts at $45.99 a month (with half off upon sign-up), the company is providing a way to hop on and off for major games, tournaments, or series. This flexibility also applies to award shows like the Oscars or other entertainment and news programming.
Subscription Pricing
Access for a single 24-hour period (the Day Pass) costs $4.99, with the Weekend Pass priced at $9.99 and access for a 7-day week at $14.99.
Limitations of Sling TV
One significant caveat about EchoStar-owned Sling (the streaming cousin of satellite TV provider Dish Network) is that it does not currently offer CBS stations. Anyone looking for a sporting event on the network would need to secure a premium add-on via Paramount+.
Company Insights
Seth Van Sickel, SVP, Product and Operations at Sling TV, stated in an interview that programming partners were briefed about the company’s plans for short-term subscriptions. Regarding subscriber numbers, which EchoStar reports quarterly, Van Sickel mentioned the company would “report accordingly” on financials. As of June 30, Dish and Sling together had 7.1 million subscribers.
Innovative Approach
This initiative is the latest jab at the status quo by the company, although the TV component of EchoStar has diminished amid a broader pivot to wireless. About a decade ago, the company launched the Hopper, a DVR that automatically skipped ads, which pleased many customers but frustrated broadcast networks. Multiple media companies sued over the technology, resulting in a settlement in 2016.
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Challenges with Carriage Deals
Charlie Ergen, co-founder of Dish and chairman of EchoStar’s board, was known for his aggressive approach to negotiating carriage deals. The CBS outage stemmed from this, and prominent networks like HBO and Univision have gone dark for long periods due to Dish’s firm stance with programmers.
Changing Landscape of Pay-TV
The mini-plans come as overall pay-TV penetration has retreated to 1980s levels as millions in the U.S. continue to cut the cord. Sports programming remains a cornerstone of the bundle, but major rights have increasingly spread to platforms like YouTube, Netflix, Amazon, Apple, and Roku. Dish rival DirecTV recently created genre-specific packages, including one specifically for sports, but that plan costs $70 a month.
Empowering Fans
“This launch is about putting control back in the hands of the fans,” Van Sickel said, emphasizing that programming is available “without having to sign a long-term, binding contract.”
Customizable Add-Ons
Along with the launch of the Day Pass, subscribers can also add Sling Extras, add-on channel packages that allow customization by category. Current Sling Extra packages include Sports Extra, News Extra, Entertainment Extra, Hollywood Extra, Lifestyle Extra, Heartland Extra, and Kids Extra. Fans can add Sling Extras to their passes for $1 on a Day Pass, $2 for a weekend, and $3 for a week.
