Sling TV removes sling day pass and short-term options

Sling TV, the streaming service owned by Dish Network, has removed the Sling Pass feature, which allowed users to subscribe to specific channels for short periods. This change eliminates the sling day pass and other brief subscription options that provided access to sports and news networks without requiring a monthly commitment. The removal comes after the feature faced legal challenges from major content providers regarding how their channels were being sold.

Quick summary

• Sling TV discontinued the Sling Pass, which offered 24-hour, three-day, and seven-day access options.
• The sling day pass provided one full day of access to channels like ESPN and CNN for as little as $5.
• The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. Discovery filed lawsuits against Dish Network over the feature.
• A federal judge previously denied a request by Disney for a preliminary injunction to block the passes.
• Customers are now directed to monthly packages, such as Sling Essentials and Sling Select, starting at $20 per month.
• Dish Network parent company Echostar stated the feature helped increase Sling TV subscribers by 159,000 in Q3 of last year.

What happened

Sling TV has ceased the offering of its Sling Pass, a feature designed for sports and news fans to access specific programming for a limited time. The sling day pass was priced at $5 for 24 hours of access to networks such as ESPN and CNN. Other options included three-day or seven-day passes, depending on the price the customer was willing to pay.

In a note to customers, Sling TV stated that while the passes are no longer available, the service was built to give customers control over their entertainment and the passes delivered on that promise for millions. The company added that it looks forward to continuing to innovate and showing customers new ways to experience content. Dish Network has not provided further comments beyond this communication and updates to its website.

The company's website now points users toward other available offerings. These include slimmer channel packages such as Sling Essentials, which offers ESPN, and Sling Select, which includes Fox News and the NFL Network. Both of these monthly subscription plans start at $20 per month.

How we got here

The Sling Pass was marketed as a solution for viewers who wanted to watch professional or college sports events without signing up for a long-term bundle or a full cable TV replacement. According to executives at Echostar, the parent company of Dish Network, the feature was directly responsible for a boost in subscribers during the third quarter of last year, adding 159,000 customers over three months. Sling TV generally serves around 2 million customers, placing it ahead of services like Philo, Frndly TV, and Fubo.

The feature faced opposition from programmers shortly after its launch. The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. Discovery accused Dish Network of violating agreements regarding the distribution of their channels. These companies argued that the Sling Pass could deprive them of regular revenue because the channels were sold outside of conventional monthly plans.

• Last year: Sling TV launches Sling Pass with day, weekend, and week-long options.
• Post-launch: The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. Discovery file lawsuits against Dish Network.
• Legal ruling: A federal judge rules against Disney's request for a preliminary injunction to block the feature.
• Current status: Sling TV removes the Sling Pass and promotes monthly subscription packages.

Who is involved

The primary entity is Sling TV, a streaming service owned by Dish Network. The service caters to approximately 2 million customers, which is fewer than the total Dish Network base but competitive among similar streaming providers. The company provided the official statement regarding the removal of the passes.

The other involved parties are the content programmers, specifically The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros. Discovery. These companies own the networks that were available through the passes, including CNN and ESPN. They contended that the short-term access model violated the terms of their distribution agreements with Dish Network.

Explainer

In the television industry, programmers are the companies that create and own the content, such as Disney or Warner Bros. Discovery. Providers, such as Sling TV, are the services that pay fees to these programmers for the privilege of reselling access to the channels to the end consumer.

These distribution agreements typically rely on a model where programmers recoup fees from providers based on monthly subscriptions. The dispute in this case centered on the fact that the sling day pass allowed access outside of these conventional monthly plans, which the programmers argued affected their expected revenue streams.

Impacts and why it matters

The removal of the Sling Pass eliminates a low-cost entry point for casual viewers who only needed access to specific events. Users who relied on the $5 sling day pass for one-off sports games or news coverage must now opt for monthly plans starting at $20 if they wish to access those channels.

The situation highlights the tension between flexible, short-term consumer pricing and the traditional licensing models used by major media conglomerates. While the feature drove subscriber growth for Sling TV, the legal challenges from content owners underscore the control programmers maintain over how their intellectual property is packaged and sold.

What comes next

Sling TV has not announced a specific replacement for the short-term passes. The company stated it intends to continue innovating to find new ways for customers to experience content, but no dates or new features were detailed in the customer note.

For now, the company is focusing its customer base on its existing monthly tiers. Users seeking access to ESPN, Fox News, or the NFL Network are being directed to the Essentials and Select packages via the updated website.