Sling ends short-term channel access passes after legal challenge
Sling TV is ending Sling Pass, a feature that let customers buy short-term access to cable channels without signing up for a full month. Its removal closes a brief attempt to offer more flexible access to services such as ESPN and CNN.
The passes, announced last year, came in day, weekend and week-long options. Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery sued Sling over the feature; a federal judge rejected Disney’s request for a preliminary injunction to block it. Sling said the passes had served millions of customers and that it would continue exploring new ways to offer content.
- Sling TV is discontinuing its short-term cable passes.
- Options included day, weekend and week-long access.
- The feature faced legal challenges from Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery.
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Sling TV is an online service that allows people to watch television channels on the internet. Sling Pass was a feature that allowed customers to buy temporary access to individual channels—such as ESPN or CNN—without committing to a full month of service. Customers could choose day, weekend or week-long passes depending on their needs.
Media companies including Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery sued Sling over the Sling Pass feature. Although a federal judge did not grant an initial request to block the feature, Sling ultimately decided to discontinue the passes.
The feature had proven popular, attracting millions of customers during its availability. Its discontinuation marks the end of Sling's attempt to provide short-term, flexible access to individual cable channels.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Content creators and distributors have legitimate business interests in controlling how their intellectual property is licensed and monetised. The traditional cable bundle model funds production of quality programming, and allowing extremely granular, short-term access without full subscription commitments could undermine established licensing arrangements that support the industry's financial model and investment in content.
The case against
Sling Pass demonstrated genuine consumer demand for flexibility, serving millions of customers who prefer paying only for what they use rather than committing to full monthly subscriptions. A federal judge found the legal challenge insufficient to warrant a preliminary injunction, and consumer choice drives competition and innovation; forcing users into unwanted longer-term financial commitments ultimately reduces market competition and consumer welfare.
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Originally published by The Verge as “Sling TV drops its one-day cable passes”.