Cable television is at the crossroads of its inevitable evolution. Out of all the major entertainment delivery methods, cable and satellite companies seem to be the slowest to adopt streaming models. TV and Internet are defined as different ways to deliver content. They can be bundled by providers, but distinctly they are different avenues in which content is presented. Dish is looking to buck that trend, it seems, by offering what they are calling a companion to their satellite TV service. Sling TV is an “Over-the-Top” service that will give consumers live streaming TV over the internet. For $20 a month Sling TV customers will be able to watch ESPN, ESPN2, Cartoon Network, and the Disney Channel (among others).
What’s great about this service is that it is scheduled to support a slew of Android powered devices at launch. Amazon’s Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Google’s Nexus Player, and Android in general are on the supported list from Dish. Also eligible for Sling TV support are the Roku, Microsoft’s Xbox One, iOS devices, Mac OSX, and PC powered machines. Just download the app and you’re ready to go.
Dish is targeting millennials with this service. Not everyone wants to be pinched into what services they can or cannot have. Add on packs for things like children’s programming and sports start at just $5 a month. No contracts or credit cards are required, and this service can be stopped and started at any time. The drawbacks so far seem to be the lack of DVR or cloud offerings. Dish is trying to combat this be offering an On-Demandish 3-Day replay feature. That is, anything aired in the last 3 days should be viewable. Let the cord cutting begin. What do you think? Are you in the target demo for Sling TV?
