The Cheapest Way to Stream ESPN? Dish’s Sling TV Debuts $20 Monthly Package With ESPN, ESPN2 and Handful of Other TV Channels
by Todd Spangler · VarietyDish Network‘s Sling TV is giving you a way to watch ESPN — for less than Disney.
Sling TV has launched Sling Essentials, a new internet-streaming TV package touted as having the “unbeatable price” of $19.99/month for ESPN, ESPN2 and 10 other entertainment channels. The company boasts that it “offers the most cost-effective way to livestream ESPN and ESPN2.”
Disney offers the stand-alone ESPN Unlimited service for $29.99/month, which in addition to everything on the ESPN and ESPN2 linear networks includes ESPNU, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes, SECN, SECN+, ACCN, and ACCNX — plus thousands of additional live sporting events per year.
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But if all you want are ESPN and ESPN2, Sling TV’s Essentials comes in at one-third that price. The package’s full 12-channel lineup is: ESPN; ESPN2; Disney Channel; Freeform; Game Show Network (GSN); Lifetime Movies (LMN); Hallmark Movies & Mysteries; Bounce TV; MeTV; Start TV; Grit; and Heroes & Icons (H&I).
“Sling Essentials is the ultimate live-streaming solution for viewers who want premium content without a bloated bundle,” Sling TV senior VP Seth Van Sickel said in announcing the package. “By delivering an unbeatable price for ESPN alongside top family and classic TV networks, Sling TV remains the industry leader in affordable entertainment.”
Separately, Dish and Disney are currently engaged in a legal fight over Sling TV’s short-term subscription plans, which start at $4.99 for 24-hour access to 34 channels (including ESPN and ESPN2). Last year Disney sued Dish over the Sling Passes (which include one-, three- and seven-day plans), alleging they violate the terms of the companies’ carriage deal. In November, a federal judge ruled in Dish’s favor, denying Disney’s request to block the short-term streaming plans. Then in January, Dish countersued Disney, alleging the media company is violating antitrust laws to squelch competition and breached the terms of its contract with Dish.
The new Sling Essentials plan, available to users in the U.S., includes 50 hours of DVR storage; an unlimited DVR add-on option is available for an additional $5 per month. Customers also can purchase additional programming packs like Sports Extra, News Extra, Kids Extra, Entertainment Extra or Latino Extra.
In addition, the company is offering a $34.99/month bundle of Sling Essentials plus Sling Select (which includes Fox News, FS1, NFL Network and National Geographic). The Sling Select package is regularly $19.99/month.