Dish TV’s New Skinny Bundle

Dish TV Channels

The new version of online Sling TV service, which is a part of Dish Network, includes 21 Century Fox channels, but excludes prime channels like ESPN and ABC. This is one of the latest moves by Dish Network that came as a shocker to many.

The new Dish Network package is slimmer, but does not include many previously clubbed channels. The offered pickings include Fox’s broadcast station in 17 regions, FX channel, and Fox’s regional sports networks including Yes Network.

The new Sling TV also lets viewers watch the entire episodes of Simpsons and other popular shows on demand like Empire. Moreover, the new version gives the ability to stream live programming at the same time.

According to Sling TV Chief Executive Officer Roger Lynch: “We are having to limit channels; it is the most difficult part of our negotiations. All the programmers want all their networks in the basic package. But that is not what we are aiming for. We don’t want to replicate the big pay-TV bundle. We want to do something more a la cart-like.”

Dish Network

The skinny bundle offered by Dish Network is one of several online TV packages in the market. There is also a speculation that even Amazon is thinking of selling smaller packages of TV networks online. Even Verizon Communications is selling slimmed down packages at discounted prices, where AT&T is planning to introduce 3 web-based bundles in the upcoming months.

“As media consumption patterns continue to evolve in today’s multi-channel, multi-platform universe, we believe our core brands are more relevant than ever, and we welcome the introduction of a new TV service that reflects this vision,” Peter Rice, CEO of Fox Networks Group, quoted in an email.

However, consumers can still subscribe to the previous package of Sling TV which would cost the same and which include many of the same channels like AMC Networks and Time Warner’s CNN, TBS, and TBT.

In early 2015, Englewood, a Colorado based service provider, started Sling TV thinking of it as a more affordable option for customers who do not subscribe to a cable or satellite service. According to analysts, it has more than 600,000 subscribers at the moment.