Dish’s grand experiment is called Sling TV, and before going on, we need to point out that it has absolutely nothing to do with the Sling brand you may already be familiar with. There’s no direct partnership with Slingbox or Sling Media, the company that makes those set-top boxes. (Both share a close affiliation with sister company EchoStar, so it’s unlikely there was any real conflict over the naming choice.) So right off the bat, it’s a confusing brand that Dish could’ve done much better with. Another thing: though this is a service designed by and coming from Dish, you wouldn’t know it without being told. The satellite provider’s own logo is nowhere to be seen on branding and marketing materials — a decision meant to underline that Sling TV isn’t meant to compete with Dish’s primary satellite business. It’s a new product meant for consumers that Dish has never been able to sign on. “It is a complementary service, not a supplementary service,” said Clayton at a recent media gathering.
This is exciting and depending on the price point and amount of taxes and DVR functionality might be something that I’ll be trying when the service launches. All at a cost that’s looking around $20/mo.
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