[Infowarrior] - Sling TV launches nationwide, adds AMC

[Richard Forno]

(I was one of the first to sign up during private testing and think it's well worth it for ESPN.  --rick)

Sling TV launches nationwide, adds AMC

By Cecilia Kang February 9 at 9:29 AM  
 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2015/02/09/sling-tv-launches-nationwide-adds-amc/

Sling TV launched its streaming service on Monday, saying that it will soon add AMC to its basic $20 online bundle of channels, which would make it the most complete offering of sports, news, premium shows and lifestyle channels for the Internet.

The streaming service by Dish Network doesn’t require a cable or satellite subscription, and for $20 a month it is seen as a disruptive force to the traditional paid television industry. Unlike the cable industry, the service doesn’t require long-term contracts or credit checks and can be canceled at any time.

Sling TV includes ESPN, ESPN 2, TNT, TBS, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel and CNN. At a later date, the basic package will include AMC, whose popular shows include “Walking Dead” and “Better Call Saul,” a premium channel that some analysts said was missing to make it a complete online offering.

Dish Network and its network partners have downplayed the risk Sling TV and other streaming service will pose to the traditional cable bundle. Disney’s ESPN is seen as the lynchpin to the cable bundle, but executives there say they believe Sling TV will mostly appeal to the estimated 11 million younger consumers who have never subscribed to cable and likely won’t in the future. ESPN has also put a limit on its participation in Sling TV, people familiar with the company’s thinking have said. ESPN is testing the popularity of the service but has put a cap on how many online-only consumers it will take on.

“There has been a remarkable expression of consumer interest since we first announced Sling TV one month ago,” said Roger Lynch, chief executive of Sling TV. “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.”
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It's better to burn out than fade away.