Dish formally unveils Alliance Group sales unit

After quietly introducing a new business unit built to support ISPs with call centers and video service offerings, Dish Network formally unveiled its Alliance Group with a press release today. 

“Dish provides ISPs with an economical path to delivering video and other value-add services to their customers,” said Perry Crider, manager of Dish Alliance Group, in the statement.

“By working with the Dish Alliance Group, our partners can focus on selling broadband internet with help from Dish’s marketing and sales channels, and rely on our video expertise to bring an outstanding TV experience to customers.”

In January, FierceCable reported that Dish quietly launched a new business unit that will seek out strategic enterprise partnerships for Dish video services with broadband-only service providers. Dish is looking for bundling partners not only for its linear satellite service but also for its Sling TV virtual MVPD platform and its complimentary AirTV OTT player. 

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In addition to providing internet service providers with the ability to bundle video services, Dish said it will offering them access to the following services:

  • Marketing: Dish Alliance Group creates co-marketing opportunities for partners, giving ISPs the ability to further monetize their broadband-only customer base and meet customer demand for leading video programming and technology.
  • Sales: Through its call centers, Dish will market broadband services from Alliance Group partners to video customers looking for the best internet options in their area.
  • In-Home Services: Dish is offering access to its national installation workforce, which is comprised of professionally trained and certified technicians using the latest tools and equipment.
  • Dish Business: ISP partners have the flexibility to market Dish video services to commercial enterprises, including bars, restaurants, offices, hotels, hospitals, apartments and condos. 

Dish is faced with a fast-eroding user base for its linear satellite TV service, a problem that is only partly offset by its fast-growing vMVPD service, Sling TV. With no other services to bundle, Dish has to cede the portion of the market that wants bundled “double,” “triple” and “quad-play” pricing and service efficiency. So, partnering with companies—notably smaller cable operators—that don’t want to get their balance sheets dirty amid the increasingly expensive business of pay TV program licensing makes sense. 

“Many broadband companies offer their own video solution but increasing programming costs and a large number of internet-only customers have left many looking for alternate video solutions,” said the Dish marketing page touting the new division.