History of Sling TV in Timeline

Sling TV is a streaming television service owned by Dish Network, launched in 2015. Designed for cord-cutters, it offers a selection of major cable channels and OTT-originated services streamed via smart TVs, media players, and apps. Initially available in the United States and Puerto Rico, its availability has expanded to countries across the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania as of 2025.

November 2014: Dish 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

On January 5, 2015, Sling TV was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show. This 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.

February 9, 2015: Sling TV Formally Launched

On February 9, 2015, Sling TV was formally launched, following an invitation-only beta launch that began in January of the same year.

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 users affected by outages during NCAA Final Four game

On April 4, 2015, some Sling TV users experienced brief outages preventing them from streaming TBS's coverage of an NCAA Final Four game. This led to criticism of the service's technical issues. The date is April 4, 2015.

April 6, 2015: Sling TV addresses outages during NCAA Final Four game

On April 6, 2015, Sling TV explained that the outages on April 4, which affected 1,000-2,000 users, were due to network server failures caused by high subscriber traffic. The company rebalanced traffic loads and stated it would upgrade software to automatically switch to a backup provider during streaming demand spikes. The date is April 6, 2015.

April 9, 2015: Sling Adds HBO

On April 9, 2015, Sling added HBO 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, Sling introduced the Sling Latino service, featuring two add-on Spanish-language programming tiers, "Paquete Total" and "Paquete Esencial."

July 2015: Sling TV accuses NBC of refusing to air advertisements

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. CEO Roger Lynch suggested this was a form of protectionism. The month is July 2015.

November 19, 2015: Blockbuster On Demand Migrates to Sling TV

On November 19, 2015, Blockbuster LLC migrated the Blockbuster On Demand VOD service exclusively to Sling TV.

2015: Sling TV wins multiple awards at CES 2015

In 2015, Sling TV was awarded "Best Home Theater Product", "Best Software/App", and "Best in Show" by Engadget at CES 2015. The awards recognized its clear goal, pricing, intuitive interface, and potential to disrupt traditional pay TV. The year is 2015.

January 5, 2016: Channel Master adds Sling TV app to DVR+ products

On January 5, 2016, Channel Master added a Sling TV app to its DVR+ products through a firmware update. This allowed users to access Sling content via the device's channel guide. However, due to digital distribution rights held by Dish Network, users were unable to record channels through the Sling TV app. The date is January 5, 2016.

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 networks owned by 21st Century Fox, excluding those owned by The Walt Disney Company.

June 30, 2016: Sling Restructures 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".

September 8, 2016: Sling TV Carries Starz as a Premium Add-on

On September 8, 2016, Sling TV began carrying Starz as a premium add-on. The rollout was commemorated with a seven-day free preview of the Starz package to 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.

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October 2016: Sling TV Doesn't Carry CBS, Telemundo, or Affiliates of The CW

As of October 2016, Sling TV did 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

During 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: Sling TV begins beta testing cloud DVR

On December 15, 2016, Sling TV initiated invitation-only beta testing of a cloud DVR feature. This allowed subscribers to record programs from select channels. Initially, it was available to Roku users, offering 100 hours of storage, simultaneous recording, and automatic management by deleting older, watched recordings. The date is December 15, 2016.

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February 22, 2017: Sling TV Considered Direct Replacement for Cable and Satellite

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

April 2, 2017: Comcast SportsNet Channels Added to Sling

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 Offers Showtime as Add-on Pack

In April 2017, Sling began offering Showtime as an add-on pack. With the addition, Sling became the first over-the-top MVPD streaming service to offer all five major premium networks: HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, Starz and Epix.

May 2017: Maker and Polaris TV Removed From Sling

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

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.

March 29, 2019: Sling TV Added MLB Network and MLB Strike Zone

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

July 24, 2019: Sling TV Removed Fox Sports Networks

On July 24, 2019, Sling TV and Dish Network removed the regional Fox Sports Networks, after being unable to come to an agreement with Sinclair Broadcast Group.

December 2019: Sling TV provides 10 hours of recording time

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. Some content was restricted due to contractual limitations. The month is December 2019.

September 2020: Sling TV announces Sling Watch Party

In September 2020, Sling TV announced Sling Watch Party, a co-viewing feature enabling people in different locations to watch live TV together. It uniquely offers text and video chat alongside live TV. Guests could join through free accounts during the beta. The month is September 2020.

September 30, 2020: End of free access to Sling Watch Party

On September 30, 2020, the free access to Sling TV's Watch Party feature ended. During the beta period, guests were able to join through free Sling TV accounts, but this access concluded on September 30, 2020.

January 2021: Sling TV upgrades cloud DVR recording time

In January 2021, Sling TV upgraded all customers to 50 hours of cloud DVR recording time. The paid add-on was increased to 200 hours. This change coincided with a price increase for new subscribers. The month is January 2021.

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 is available.

September 2021: Locast Service Discontinued

As of September 2021, Locast service has been discontinued, following a lawsuit held against them by broadcasting organizations.

February 2023: Sling TV renames free service to Sling Freestream

In February 2023, Sling TV renamed its free, ad-supported service from "Sling Free" to "Sling Freestream." At the time, the service planned to offer over 210 channels and more than 41,000 on-demand titles, with the goal of offering more than 400 channels eventually. It was available on LG, Samsung, and Vizio smart TVs. The month is February 2023.

February 2023: Sling Freestream Renamed

In February 2023, the free portion of the service was renamed "Sling Freestream", which planned 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. It would be available on LG, Samsung, and Vizio smart TVs.

December 2024: Sling Announces 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.

January 2025: Sling TV Subscriber Count

In January 2025, Sling TV had 2.09 million subscribers.

May 2025: Sling TV Subscriber Count

In May 2025, Sling TV had a total of 1.89 million subscribers.

June 6, 2025: EchoStar Corporation Prepares to File for Bankruptcy

On June 6, 2025, it was reported that parent company EchoStar Corporation was preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) suspended EchoStar's ability to plan out strategic decisions for its Boost Mobile subsidiary.