Sling TV teamed up with Fox Networks Group for the launch of a new service Wednesday that lets users watch up to three streams at the same time in or outside of their homes.
The beta multi-stream service costs $20 per month, which is the same price as Sling TV's single-stream offering, and features a wide range of sports, entertainment, and local programming from Fox Networks Group.
With the option to stream up to three channels, Dish Network's Sling TV is banking that it will be able to better compete against Sony's PlayStation Vue OTT service, which features up to five streams. Vue launched a new "slim" package in 203 markets last month. Sling TV will also be going up against three DirecTV OTT offerings from AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) that are slated to launch later this year. (See AT&T Intros New OTT Video Services and Sony Extends Reach of OTT Service Across the US.)
The multi-stream service includes content from Fox Broadcasting Co. , Fox Sports, FX, National Geographic and Fox's regional sports networks. Customers can also tailor their content with "Extra" multi-stream content from AMC Networks Inc. , A&E, Home Box Office Inc. (HBO) , Turner Broadcasting System Inc. , Scripps Networks , EPIX and Univision . Sling TV shows a comparison of its multi-stream and single-stream services on its website.
New Sling TV customers can trial the multi-stream service free for seven days with no annual contract or long-term commitment. Sling TV's single-stream service includes content from Disney and ESPN Networks, which are missing from the multi-stream offering.
"Since launch, our customers have asked for more channels and multiple streams. We believe our new multi-stream service, anchored by a strong lineup of Fox content, including top franchises like Empire and The Americans on FOX and FX, as well as access to Major League Baseball in 15 markets, including the New York Yankees, is the first step in answering their requests," said Roger Lynch, CEO of Sling TV.
Lynch said that based on customer feedback from the beta phase, Sling TV would add more features, functionality, and channels to the multi-stream service. Down the road, customers will be able to use their Sling TV credentials to log in to the Fox Now, FXNow, Fox Sports Go and Nat Geo TV applications.
There's also an element of local content in the multi-stream service. Customers who subscribe to the beta multi-stream service will have access to local Fox broadcast content, live and on-demand, in the following 17 markets at no additional cost: Atlanta; Austin; Charlotte N.C.; Chicago; Dallas; Detroit; Gainesville, Fla.; Houston; Los Angeles; Minneapolis; New York; Orlando; Philadelphia, Pa.; Phoenix; San Francisco; Tampa, Fla.; and Washington D.C. Sling TV expects to add more local content from Fox affiliates in the future on a market-by-market basis.
— Mike Robuck, Editor, Telco Transformation