Dish Unveils Sling Service

Dish Network announced earlier this week that there is a new way to watch your favorite television shows: Sling TV. The Internet-only TV offer costs only $20 a month, with access to a number of channels that include ESPN, Cartoon Network, and other channels that were once only available through various packages. This move challenges the traditional cable packages, offering “cord-cutters” a TV package that is simple and over the top.

"I believe it's the launch of a whole new industry," said CEO Joe Clayton to The Verge. This Internet-TV package is aimed at the millennial generation, specifically those who stream shows (think Netflix and Hulu) and those who have never given in to purchasing cable. Dish Network, however, does not want the Sling TV service to replace their current cable services. Rather, they are hoping Sling TV will be supplemental. It is a way in which they hope to “take back TV”.

One of the biggest bonuses of Sling TV is the inclusion of ESPN as one of the dozen channels. Analysts have noted that a major reason that subscribers stick to their cable TV packages is to be able to tune into the sports channels. Sling TV, therefore, might be a way in which viewers can get their sports without having to pay for an expensive cable bundle.

Sling TV will also offer “genre” bundles that can be added on top of the basic dozen channels for an additional $5 more per month. “You can construct a package that meets your needs rather than the traditional pay TV bundle of big, bigger, biggest," noted Roger Lynch, the newly named CEO of Sling TV, to The Verge.

Additionally, none of the Sling TV branding carries the Dish Network name or logo, insinuating that Dish Network does not want Sling TV to jeopardize its abundant customer base. It is simply a way to access the untapped revenue of the 18-35 year old customer base that is notorious for shunning cable.