Dish Network (NASDAQ: DISH) has rolled out the first major upgrades to its Sling TV user interface, with Xbox One users receiving an updated player app this week.
"In addition to greater stability, improved streaming and bug fixes on the front- and back-end, you should also notice that the guide looks a little different," said Ben Weinberger, the former Digitalsmiths CEO hired in May as Sling's chief product officer, in a Friday blog post.
"With more than 60 channels and 10,000+ hours of on-demand content now available, it's become necessary to refresh our guide," he added. "With this update, we've created the first step in an experience that makes it easier to find the content you love."
Xbox One viewers will now see program details emerge below each program image. "We've worked hard to get you enhanced cast, crew, season and episode artwork," Weinberger said. "You will continue to see more imagery and data to help you quickly find something great to watch."
He added that upgrades to other Sling TV player apps are pending. The over-the-top pay-TV service also has apps that support Roku, Amazon Fire TV, iOS and Android devices. Sling is also mulling an Apple TV app.
Offering streaming access to leading cable channels including ESPN, TNT, TBS, AMC and HBO, Sling TV has grown faster than most analysts -- even probably Dish itself -- anticipated. Dish hasn't released any numbers, but the industry consensus is that Sling TV has amassed well over 200,000 subscribers since launching in February.
With that better-than-expected demand has come excessive load on the network infrastructure Dish has set up to enable the service. Streaming interruptions experienced earlier this week for Monday Night Football viewing on ESPN provided the latest example of Sling TV engineers struggling to maintain seamless streams of live events.
For more:
- read this Sling TV blog post
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