Dish makes Sling TV available to all, adds AMC and WatchESPN access
Dish Network announced on Monday that its new over-the-top web television service, Sling TV, is now open for business and will include content from AMC --?the television home of Breaking Bad and Mad Men --?as well as access to WatchESPN apps for all customers.
Following a three-week incubation period, signups are live and interested consumers can now visit Sling.com to secure a free 7-day trial. The base package --?which includes ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, ABC Family, Disney Channel, CNN, El Rey and Galavision?--?costs $20 per month, with no long-term commitments or cancellation fees.
"There has been a remarkable expression of consumer interest since we first announced Sling TV one month ago," Sling TV CEO Roger Lynch said in a release. "We believe Sling TV is a game-changing service that enhances the existing television landscape. Now underserved audiences have access to the best of live TV at an affordable price."
AMC will be added to the base package "in the coming weeks." AMC Networks' other channels, including BBC AMERICA, BBC World News --?both of which AMC is responsible for distributing in the U.S. --?IFC, SundanceTV and WE tv, are also included.
In addition, subscribers can now use their Sling TV login to authenticate with ESPN's WatchESPN apps on mobile devices and the Apple TV. This is available at no extra charge for access to ESPN and ESPN2, while subscribers to the $5-per-month Sports Extra pack will also unlock SEC Network, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, ESPN Buzzer Beater, ESPN Bases Loaded and ESPN Goal Line.
Other available add-on packages include News & Info Extra, which brings HLN, Cooking Channel, DIY Network, and Bloomberg, as well as Kids Extra, which adds Disney Junior, Disney XD, Boomerang, BabyTV, and DuckTV.
AppleInsider took a first look at Sling TV during the service's beta period, and came away impressed with its generally excellent video quality and content selection. We will have a more in-depth evaluation of the service later on.
Following a three-week incubation period, signups are live and interested consumers can now visit Sling.com to secure a free 7-day trial. The base package --?which includes ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, ABC Family, Disney Channel, CNN, El Rey and Galavision?--?costs $20 per month, with no long-term commitments or cancellation fees.
"There has been a remarkable expression of consumer interest since we first announced Sling TV one month ago," Sling TV CEO Roger Lynch said in a release. "We believe Sling TV is a game-changing service that enhances the existing television landscape. Now underserved audiences have access to the best of live TV at an affordable price."
AMC will be added to the base package "in the coming weeks." AMC Networks' other channels, including BBC AMERICA, BBC World News --?both of which AMC is responsible for distributing in the U.S. --?IFC, SundanceTV and WE tv, are also included.
In addition, subscribers can now use their Sling TV login to authenticate with ESPN's WatchESPN apps on mobile devices and the Apple TV. This is available at no extra charge for access to ESPN and ESPN2, while subscribers to the $5-per-month Sports Extra pack will also unlock SEC Network, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, ESPN Buzzer Beater, ESPN Bases Loaded and ESPN Goal Line.
Other available add-on packages include News & Info Extra, which brings HLN, Cooking Channel, DIY Network, and Bloomberg, as well as Kids Extra, which adds Disney Junior, Disney XD, Boomerang, BabyTV, and DuckTV.
AppleInsider took a first look at Sling TV during the service's beta period, and came away impressed with its generally excellent video quality and content selection. We will have a more in-depth evaluation of the service later on.
Comments
Forget live-only access. I have a frigging several-gigabyte workstation in my pocket with access to high-speed Internet nearly everywhere. With OTA, cable or satellite, we can pause or record to a scrappy TiVo for later replay, rewind, FF, etc. So why not on our computers and mobile devices? espn3.com is viewable live and in replays on my computer, so this $20/month is to watch it on my iPhone but live only. What a sad joke.
I guess I'll just have to screen share with my Mac, where ESPN3 is available. The audio doesn't come through, but that's not a huge loss, especially as concerns ESPN's color commentary.
ESPN3 (which includes replays) is available on Apple TV with a Sling TV subscription but not on iPhone/iPad.
What is so scary to ESPN about accessing ESPN3 on mobile devices?????
It strikes me that Dish should pay us to watch on mobile, since there's no skipping commercials.
Imagine if JFK had set our sights on building a serviceable Spruce Goose instead of going to the Moon. That's how Sling TV feels on iPhone/iPad.
Very cool- now why can't I watch Amazon Prime on my ATV if I can on my iPhone?
The Amazon Video app for iOS has had AirPlay mirroring for at least a year now.
Eddie Cue messed up somewhere in the middle by going after Traditional distributors (Puzzling strategy!) instead of persevering on negotiations with Content Owners.
What kind of value is Apple going to provide me by giving a better UI for my comcast/Time-warner subscription?..By putting those subscriber-only watch apps on Apple-TV??
Apple putting an overlay on existing eco-system (like what they did with Apple-pay) with out disrupting the model of the existing players wouldn't work in TV, as they found out after wasting couple of years.
I would be all over this -- it's almost perfect, but is hampered by one fatal flaw: you can only access the service with one device at a time. So if I wanted to watch a game on ESPN downstairs, my wife couldn't be watching something on AMC upstairs in the bedroom.
Hell, I would even put up with sticking bunny ears on our HDTVs for local channels, but the one device restriction makes this a non-starter in my household.
This SHOULD have been Apple's TV version 1.0 (of course with a better packaging/experience)!
Eddie Cue messed up somewhere in the middle by going after Traditional distributors (Puzzling strategy!) instead of persevering on negotiations with Content Owners.
What kind of value is Apple going to provide me by giving a better UI for my comcast/Time-warner subscription?..By putting those subscriber-only watch apps on Apple-TV??
Apple putting an overlay on existing eco-system (like what they did with Apple-pay) with out disrupting the model of the existing players wouldn't work in TV, as they found out after wasting couple of years.
Except that's not the same thing because I may want to web search on my iPhone while watching which would didconnect AirPlay.
Wrong. Just turn AirPlay on and go about your business on your phone. Just don't close the app completely, let it run in the background. Works like a champ!
But then that will drain my iPhone battery and I don't want to do that!
You could possibly get two separate accounts, then you can both watch what you want. Just pay $40-50 instead of $20-25/mth.
Hell, I would even put up with sticking bunny ears on our HDTVs for local channels
I highly recommend it! Over-the-air broadcasts work great and the substantial money saved can be better used elsewhere--not to mention your time can be better used elsewhere.
At that point... it's time to examine what good ol' cable TV would cost.
If your basic-expanded cable package with 60+ channels costs $50 a month and lets you watch on multiple TVs and lets you have DVR and On-Demand... suddenly the $20 a month for 15 "live only" channels on SlingTV doesn't look so hot.
I get what SlingTV is trying to do... but it seems to come with a lot of caveats.
But then that will drain my iPhone battery and I don't want to do that!
Then why were you even making the argument that you couldn't do it in the first place?! Trolls and idiots will never cease to amaze me...
A lot of people (I was one) pay $100+ per month for cable & DVR, etc. many pay $130+. So, $40-60 for this or similar seems good to me. And they do not offer DVR, but it does say you have up to 3 days to watch a program that's already aired - not equal to DVR but a fair exchange for the low price. You will never get everything for $20-30.
It is not basic cable, basic cable from most providers does not include ESPN and all the TNT/TBS channels like HGTV etc.
It's early give them a chance to add more channels and features. You can't 100% judge a service or product on version 1.0. By that standard Appletv, google maps, cable tv itself was not very good at first launch. This may not be good for you, but for a lot of cable cutters or people who don't need 300 channels and only watch 20-30 of them this is going to be a good option.
Very cool- now why can't I watch Amazon Prime on my ATV if I can on my iPhone?
Airplay to the AppleTV, problem solved!!