History of Sling TV in Timeline

Sling TV is a streaming television service launched in 2015 by Dish Network as a virtual multichannel video programming distributor. Targeted towards cord-cutters, it complements on-demand services by providing a selection of major cable channels and OTT-originated content. The service is accessible via smart TVs, digital media players, and apps in the United States and Puerto Rico.

2012: Dish Network Trials OTT Service with DishWorld Launch

In 2012, Dish Network began trialing an over-the-top (OTT) internet television provider with the launch of DishWorld, a service offering access to over 50 ethnic and international television networks, initially available through a Roku app.

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November 2014: Dish Network Plans OTT Service Launch

In November 2014, Dish Network chairman Charlie Ergen announced plans to launch an over-the-top (OTT) service by the end of the year, aiming for a retail price of around $30 per month. This was part of a strategy to diversify revenue streams in a mature MVPD business.

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

On January 5, 2015, Sling TV was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show. The streaming television service, operated by Sling TV LLC (a Dish Network subsidiary), aimed to complement subscription video on demand services for cord cutters by offering a selection of major cable channels and OTT-originated services streamable through various devices.

February 9, 2015: Sling TV Formally Launched

Following an invitation-only beta launch in January, Sling TV formally launched on February 9, 2015. The service, led by Erik Carlson, expanded from its precursor, DishWorld, which was rebranded as Sling International.

April 1, 2015: Dish Announces Addition of HBO to Sling TV

On April 1, 2015, Dish announced the addition of HBO to Sling TV as an add-on pack, as part of a deal with Time Warner that included renewal of carriage agreements for Turner Broadcasting System channels.

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

On April 4, 2015, some Sling TV users experienced outages that disrupted TBS's coverage of an NCAA Final Four game. This prompted criticism on social media regarding the service's technical issues.

April 6, 2015: Sling TV Addresses Outages

On April 6, 2015, Sling TV reported that outages affecting 1,000-2,000 users during the NCAA Final Four game were caused by network server failures due to high traffic. The service rebalanced traffic loads and improved the experience, with plans to upgrade software for automatic switching to backup providers during streaming spikes.

April 9, 2015: HBO Added to Sling TV

On April 9, 2015, HBO was added to Sling TV as an add-on pack, including east and west coast feeds of the primary 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," with options for additional packs like "Colombia" and "España."

July 2015: Sling TV Accuses NBCUniversal of Advertising Refusal

In July 2015, Sling TV accused NBC Owned Television Stations, a division of Comcast's NBCUniversal, of refusing to air advertisements for Sling TV on NBC owned-and-operated stations in major markets, alleging it was a form of protectionism.

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. Dish customers who subscribed to Blockbuster were redirected to Sling to continue accessing film content.

2015: Sling TV Wins CES Awards

In 2015, Sling TV was recognized at CES, winning "Best Home Theater Product", "Best Software/App", and "Best in Show" by Engadget. The awards highlighted its clear goal, pricing, user-friendly interface, and potential to disrupt 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 through a firmware update, enabling users to access Sling content via the device's channel guide. However, due to distribution rights, users could not record channels through the Sling TV app.

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, but excluded Disney-owned networks.

June 30, 2016: Sling Restructures Programming Tiers

On June 30, 2016, Sling restructured its programming tiers, redesignating "Best of Live TV" as "Sling Orange" and the multi-stream package as "Sling Blue". Additionally, it added many NBCUniversal networks.

September 8, 2016: Starz Added as Premium Add-on to Sling TV

On September 8, 2016, Sling TV began carrying Starz as a premium add-on, coinciding with the channel's premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The rollout was celebrated with a seven-day free preview for existing subscribers.

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October 2016: Sling TV Limited Local Broadcast Television Stations

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 to Lineup

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 Cloud DVR Beta Testing

On December 15, 2016, Sling TV initiated invitation-only beta testing for a cloud DVR feature, allowing subscribers to record programs from select channels. Initially, this was available to Roku users, offering 100 hours of storage, simultaneous recording, and automatic deletion of watched recordings to manage space.

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

On February 22, 2017, Dish Network CEO Charlie Ergen stated that he considered Sling TV to now be "a direct replacement for cable and satellite", although it was originally positioned as a complementary service.

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 in markets served by those channels.

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

In April 2017, Sling began offering Showtime as an add-on pack, including access to the primary channel and its on-demand service. With this, Sling became the first over-the-top MVPD streaming service to offer all five major premium networks.

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 Sling

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

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

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

July 24, 2019: Sling TV and Dish Network Removed Regional Fox Sports Networks

On July 24, 2019, Sling TV and Dish Network removed the regional Fox Sports Networks due to failure to reach an agreement with Sinclair Broadcast Group.

December 2019: Free DVR Storage

In December 2019, Sling TV provided all customers with 10 hours of free recording time, with an option to upgrade to 50 hours of storage. Content from some channels, however, could not be recorded due to contractual limitations.

September 2020: Sling Watch Party Announced

In September 2020, Sling TV announced Sling Watch Party, a co-viewing feature enabling people in different locations to watch live TV together, with the unique addition of text and video chat alongside live TV. Guests could join the Watch Party through free Sling TV accounts.

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

September 30, 2020, marked the end of the free access period for guests to join Sling Watch Parties using free Sling TV accounts.

January 2021: DVR Storage Upgrades and Price Increase

In January 2021, Sling TV upgraded all customers to 50 hours of DVR recording time and increased the paid add-on to 200 hours. This change coincided 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 has been discontinued, following a lawsuit held against them by broadcasting organizations.

February 2023: Sling Free Renamed to Sling Freestream

In February 2023, Sling TV renamed its free, ad-supported service from "Sling Free" to "Sling Freestream". The service planned to offer over 210 channels and more than 41,000 on-demand titles, with a goal of reaching over 400 channels, available on LG, Samsung, and Vizio smart TVs.

November 2023: Sling TV Subscriber Count

In November 2023, Sling TV reported having 2.12 million subscribers.

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

As of May 2025, Sling TV reported a total of 1.89 million subscribers.

June 6, 2025: EchoStar Corporation Preparing to File for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

On June 6, 2025, it was reported that EchoStar Corporation was preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection due to factors including FCC suspension and the termination of the Dish Network acquisition by DirecTV.