Chord Cutting Has Reached Critical Mass

[KendrickPanther]

All I have to say....

 

 

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/now-sling-delivers-espn-for-20-a-month-no-cable-109160711214.html

 

 

 

Finally, you’re going to be able to watch ESPN online without paying your cable company for a hundred bizzaro channels you don’t care about. Starting tomorrow, Dish Network will start taking customers for a $20/month, online-only service called Sling TV. 

 

 

 

What You Get

Sling’s basic $20/month no-contract-required service gets you ESPN and ESPN2 (plus WatchESPN access), CNN, the Cartoon Network (including Adult Swim), TNT, TBS, the Food Network, HGTV, the Travel Channel, the Disney Channel, and ABC Family. 

A $5/month “Kids Extra” option adds Baby TV, Boomerang, Disney Junior, Disney XD, and Duck TV, while the $5/month “News & Info Extra” throws in Bloomberg TV, Cooking Channel, DIY, and CNN’s HLN. And that’s it; you don’t need to rent a cable or satellite box.

 

http://www.sling.com/

 

 

I personally have about 6 months left on my contract. Then I will take a deeper look at this. But It's what we've all been waiting for. 

[Panthro]

$20 for 12 months on a 2 year deal.

I'm done signing 2 year contracts

[cookinbrak]

20 bucks for 11 channels, 5 of which I don't watch. Please explain how that isn't "paying for channels I don't want".

[chknwing]

posted awhile back 

[Bronn]

chord? really?

[MCP]

$20 for 12 months on a 2 year deal.

I'm done signing 2 year contracts

I thought it was a no contract deal, where did you see the 2 year contract stuff?

[Chimera]

I thought this thread was about beheadings

[Panthro]

I thought it was a no contract deal, where did you see the 2 year contract stuff?

 

Wow I may be completely wrong.

[KSpan]

A step in the right direction.

[Chimera]

I'll trade ya HGTV and the Travel Channel for the Smithsonian Channel

[KendrickPanther]

A step in the right direction.

 

Yes this is my point. Once Sling takes off competitors will come in and cable providers will have to make concessions to consumers. 

 

I think this is why the Cable companies are spending 700m a year lobbying against net neutrality. If consumers make the switch to streaming services, ISPs want to protect their profit margins.

 

Even if you don't like the channels listed this is a step in the right direction and gives you leverage against your cable provider when they try to charge you an extra 7 dollars in the form of a bill notice fee.

[Goondal]

Still too much, but it is getting better. HBOGo w/o a cable subscription i a huge hit to cable as well.

 

What they need is to channels in different bundles.  ESPN may be in a "highest rated" package but then also in a "sports package" so that different types of viewers can both get it if they want.  Right now on cable you buy ESPN and a bunch of crap, then to get the other sports networks you buy another package

 

Offer the channels individually or in bundles (at a discount).  All I want is HBO, Showtime, and sports.  I watch nothing else...ever

[pstall]

I sent a suggestion to create a wildcard bundle. You pay 5 bucks and each month that particular bundle is different channels.

I read this same article yesterday and it is a good first step.

[Hotsauce]

So I got Sling today, ESPN, ESPN2, and HGTV alone are worth &20 in my opinion.

App works well. There isn't an app on Apple TV yet, hopefully there will be one soon! I had to mirror from my phone, but it was very laggy and kept crashing.

Roku app works great! It's kind of a weird interface, will take some getting used to.