Orby TV shuts down, redirects customers to Dish

Orby TV, a lower cost satellite TV service launched in 2019, has officially shut down after it signaling last month that the company was in trouble.

The company’s web site has been replaced with a letter to subscribers.

“We are sorry to announce that Orby TV has closed its doors, and the Orby TV service has ended. It was an honor to serve you,” the letter reads.

Orby TV said it has coordinated with Dish Network on a limited time offer for Orby TV customers that will allow them to switch over to Dish for $100 and subscribe to a monthly Dish programming package for $52.99 (which includes a first receiver for free).

RELATED: Satellite TV service Orby stops accepting new customers

In February, Orby TV’s web site replaced its normal customer-facing message with text reading “At this time, we are not activating customer accounts.” The abrupt change was spotted by TV Answer Man’s Phillip Swann, who pointed out that Orby TV’s customer help line featured a similar recorded message and that the company’s Facebook page was down.

The company did not respond to Fierce Video’s requests for more information about the service disruption but an Orby TV customer Facebook page featured posts suggesting that the service was unable to finance its operations.

According to The Desk’s Matthew Keys, Orby TV was running out of money and had instituted employee layoffs before shutting down.

Orby TV launched in 2019 with pay TV service for the lower 48 states in the U.S. The company promised dozens of networks, free local channels, no credit checks or contractual commitments, and packages starting at just $40 per month. The service sold its hardware through Best Buy and select Target retail locations, with some independent dealers, and online.