As far as the television viewing public is concerned, live sports broadcast has got to be the last bastion where cable TV can impose its authority. With the advent of streaming services like Netflix and the upcoming standalone service from HBO, there is still no greater way to enjoy a live sports broadcast other than a cable TV subscription.
However, satellite cable provider Dish Network may just have the perfect change changer announced during their CES presentation. On Monday at CES in Las Vegas, Dish finally unveiled its very own internet streaming service, the Sling TV. Offered for only $20 per month, subscribers to this service can get unlimited streaming access to live various live programs, video-on-demand, and the highly elusive channel when it comes to internet streaming, ESPN.
Sling TV CEO Roger Lynch said in a statement "Live television, including ESPN, for $20 per month with no commitment or contract, is a game changer. The arrival of Sling TV lets consumer, who've embraced services like Netflix and Hulu, take more control of their video entertainment experience."
Sling TV may have opened the door for a newer market when it comes to streaming services. Up until today, most streaming services, Netflix for example, only streams contents from their own library. Streaming services has for year now snubbed contents from other networks. Most notable of this is CBS' "All Access" and the much anticipated standalone service to be offered by HBO.
This good thing about Dish Network's is that it has the choice to make deals with other networks thus expanding its content. This brings a lot of possibility for the company to come up with bundled packages just like a typical cable subscription. With the ever increasing prices of both internet streaming services as well as traditional cable subscription, Dish Network's Sling TV might just be the perfect middle ground to attract customers that other pay-tv services are losing.
