Jun 28, 2018 - Economy & Business

Sling TV adds price hike, a la carte channels

Screenshot of NCAA basketball.

Photo: Sling TV

Sling TV is raising the base price of its core packaging and creating an à la carte service the company said in a press release.

Why it matters: Sling has been there for cord-cutters since the beginning of over-the-top TV service. Now in order to compete with Hulu, YouTube TV, Amazon Channels and DirecTV Now, subscribers are now free to watch the "free-tiered content" and buy add-on packages without the base subscription, including pay-per-view.

The details:

  • Its baseline package (Sling Orange, 30 channels) is now $25 instead of $20 per month.
  • Existing Sling Orange customers will not be able to keep its old pricing.
  • Optional add-on channels will still be $10 a month.
  • Three new on-demand networks launched today: Dove Channel, Outside TV Features and Stingray Karaoke.

The big picture: Sling's new à la carte content is to compete with Amazon Channels.

  • Amazon Channels has more than half of "direct to consumer video subscriptions," per Digiday.
  • Viewers choose networks like, Showtime and NBA League Pass instead of bundling.
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