History of Sling TV in Timeline

Sling TV, launched in 2015 by Dish Network, is a streaming television service designed for cord-cutters. As a virtual multichannel video programming distributor, it complements on-demand services by providing a selection of major cable channels and OTT-originated content. This content can be streamed via smart TVs, digital media players, and mobile apps. Sling TV is available in the United States and Puerto Rico, offering an alternative to traditional cable subscriptions.

2012: Dish Network Trial Run of OTT Service

In 2012, Dish Network began to trial run an over-the-top internet television provider with the launch of DishWorld, a service which provided access to over 50 ethnic and international television networks, initially available through an app for Roku digital media players.

November 2014: Dish Network Plans OTT Service Launch

In November 2014, Dish Network chairman Charlie Ergen announced plans to launch an OTT service by the end of the year, aiming for a retail price of around $30 per month.

January 5, 2015: Sling TV Unveiled at Consumer Electronics Show

On January 5, 2015, Sling TV was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show. The virtual multichannel video programming distributor aimed to complement subscription video on demand services for cord cutters, offering a selection of major cable channels and OTT-originated services that can be streamed through smart TVs, digital media players and apps. The service became available in the United States and Puerto Rico in 2015.

February 9, 2015: Sling TV Formally Launched

On February 9, 2015, Sling TV formally launched, following an invitation-only beta launch that began in January. The service was led by Erik Carlson, who also served as the President and COO of Dish Network.

April 1, 2015: Sling TV to Add HBO

On April 1, 2015, Dish announced that it would add HBO to Sling TV as an add-on pack as part of a wide-ranging deal between Dish Network and Time Warner.

April 4, 2015: Sling TV Outages During NCAA Final Four Game

On April 4, 2015, some Sling TV users experienced brief outages during TBS' coverage of an NCAA Final Four game, leading to criticism over technical issues.

April 6, 2015: Sling TV Addresses Outages

On April 6, 2015, Sling TV stated that network server failures caused by high subscriber traffic led to outages during the NCAA Final Four game. They rebalanced traffic and improved the experience, planning to upgrade software for automatic provider switching.

April 9, 2015: HBO Added to Sling TV

On April 9, 2015, HBO was added to Sling TV as an add-on pack, consisting of the east and west coast feeds of the primary linear channel and on-demand access to HBO's programming content.

June 4, 2015: Sling Latino Service Introduced

On June 4, 2015, the Sling Latino service was introduced, featuring two add-on Spanish-language programming tiers, "Paquete Total" and "Paquete Esencial."

July 2015: Sling TV Accuses NBCUniversal of Refusing Ads

In July 2015, Sling TV accused NBC Owned Television Stations, a division of Comcast's NBCUniversal, of refusing to air advertising for Sling on NBC stations in major markets, with CEO Roger Lynch stating "Comcast has a demonstrated history of shutting down ideas it doesn't like or understand, predictably to its benefit and at the expense of consumers."

November 19, 2015: Blockbuster On Demand Migrated Exclusively to Sling TV

On November 19, 2015, Blockbuster LLC migrated the Blockbuster On Demand VOD service exclusively to Sling TV, redirecting Dish customers to switch to Sling to continue accessing its film content.

2015: CES Awards for Sling TV

In 2015, Sling TV was named the CES "Best Home Theater Product", "Best Software/App", and "Best in Show" by Engadget for its goal, pricing, intuitive interface, and potential to end traditional pay TV.

January 5, 2016: Sling TV App Added to Channel Master DVR+ Products

On January 5, 2016, Channel Master added a Sling TV app to its DVR+ products via firmware update. Users could access Sling content through the device's channel guide, but could not record channels due to distribution rights.

April 13, 2016: Sling TV Introduced "Multi-Stream" Package

On April 13, 2016, Sling TV introduced a "multi-stream" package, allowing up to three users to stream different channels through a single subscription account. The package included several networks owned by 21st Century Fox, excluding networks owned by The Walt Disney Company.

June 30, 2016: Sling TV Restructured Programming Tiers

On June 30, 2016, Sling restructured its programming tiers, redesignating the "Best of Live TV" single-stream tier as "Sling Orange" and the multi-stream package as "Sling Blue". Additionally, the service added most of the NBCUniversal family of networks, as well as BBC America, BBC World News and Vibrant TV.

September 8, 2016: Sling TV Began Carrying Starz

On September 8, 2016, coinciding with the channel's September 10 premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Sling TV began carrying Starz as a premium add-on, with a seven-day free preview for existing subscribers. The service also added the six regional Pac-12 Networks to its "Sports Extra" tiers, and added support for Windows 10 users through the launch of an app for the operating system.

October 2016: Sling TV Channel Availability

As of October 2016, Sling TV does not carry CBS, Telemundo, affiliates of The CW and MyNetworkTV, member stations of PBS and its affiliated networks, and most independent stations.

October 2016: Sling TV Added Six Additional Channels

In October 2016, Sling TV added six additional channels to its lineup: Game Show Network, AXS TV, HDNet Movies, NHL Network, Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries.

December 15, 2016: Cloud DVR Beta Testing

On December 15, 2016, Sling TV began invitation-only beta testing of a cloud DVR for select channels, initially for Roku users. The DVR allowed 100 hours of recording, simultaneous recordings, and automatic storage management.

February 22, 2017: Dish Network CEO Considers Sling TV a Direct Replacement for Cable

On February 22, 2017, Dish Network CEO Charlie Ergen stated that he now considered Sling TV to be "a direct replacement for cable and satellite."

April 2, 2017: Comcast SportsNet Channels Added

On April 2, 2017, Comcast SportsNet California, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Comcast SportsNet Chicago and Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic were added to Sling.

April 2017: Sling Began Offering Showtime as Add-on Pack

In April 2017, Sling began offering Showtime as an add-on pack, including its primary linear channel and multiplex services, and access to Showtime's on-demand service; Sling became the first OTT MVPD streaming service to offer all five major premium networks.

May 2017: Maker and Polaris TV Removed from Service

In May 2017, Maker and Polaris TV were removed from Sling service.

June 14, 2017: El Rey Network Moved to Comedy Extra Add-on

On June 14, 2017, Sling TV moved the El Rey Network from the Orange package to the Comedy Extra add-on, but the channel remained in the Blue package.

March 29, 2019: MLB Network and MLB Strike Zone Added to "Sports Extra" Package

On March 29, 2019, Sling TV added MLB Network and MLB Strike Zone to its "Sports Extra" package.

July 24, 2019: Regional Fox Sports Networks Removed

On July 24, 2019, Sling TV and Dish Network removed the regional Fox Sports Networks due to a lack of agreement with Sinclair Broadcast Group, which acquired the networks from Disney.

December 2019: Cloud DVR Storage Update

In December 2019, Sling TV provided all customers with 10 hours of recording time on their Cloud DVR, with an option to upgrade to 50 hours of storage. Some channels were excluded due to contractual limitations.

September 2020: Sling Watch Party Announcement

In September 2020, Sling TV announced Sling Watch Party, a co-viewing feature allowing simultaneous viewing and text/video chat. Guests could join with free accounts during the beta period.

September 30, 2020: End of Free Access for Sling Watch Party Guests

On September 30, 2020, free Sling TV accounts no longer provided access to Sling Watch Party.

January 2021: Cloud DVR Storage Upgrade

In January 2021, Sling TV upgraded all customers to 50 hours of Cloud DVR recording time. The paid add-on was upped to 200 hours with unlimited length of time to keep, coinciding with a price increase for new subscribers.

February 2021: Sling Added Local Stations from Locast

In February 2021, Sling added local stations to its guide from Locast in the 36 markets where that service was available.

September 2021: Locast Service Discontinued

As of September 2021, Locast service was discontinued, following a lawsuit against them by broadcasting organizations, thus stopping the addition of local stations to Sling.

February 2023: Sling Free Renamed to Sling Freestream

In February 2023, Sling TV renamed its free ad-supported programming service from "Sling Free" to "Sling Freestream", planning to offer over 210 channels and 41,000 on-demand titles on LG, Samsung, and Vizio smart TVs.

February 2023: "Sling Freestream" Renamed

In February 2023, the free portion of the service was renamed "Sling Freestream". At the time of the announcement, the plan was to offer users over 210 channels and more than 41,000 on demand titles, with additional content to be added throughout the year and an eventual goal of offering more than 400 channels.

November 2023: Sling TV Subscriber Count

In November 2023, Sling TV had 2.12 million subscribers.

December 2024: Sling Announced Price Increase

In December 2024, Sling announced they would be increasing their prices by $6/month for the first time in almost 2 years, on their Orange and Blue base packages.