Sling TV launches $15/month deal just as DirecTV Now gets clear of promo prices

Sling TV announced a deal Wednesday offering its base service packages for $15 per month for the first three months just as DirecTV Now is completely purged of similar promo pricing on its platform.

Sling TV is positioning the 40% discount as a consolation for U.S. taxpayers who are receiving less than they had hoped on their tax returns this year.

“As of Feb. 1 this year, people are receiving $170 less than in 2018—that’s almost 100 lost cups of coffee. We know tax season can be harsh on your wallet, which is why we’re offering a new way to save you money,” wrote Sling TV in a blog post.

The limited time offer means new subscribers can get Sling Orange or Sling Blue for $15/month, or both packages combined for $25/month.

RELATED: DirecTV Now loses 267,000 subscribers as AT&T clears out promo pricing

Dish Network is clearly hoping to get more subscribers onto its Sling TV service—which has seen its growth rate stall in recent months—as the company’s satellite TV service continues to lose subscribers at a rapid rate. During the fourth quarter, Dish lost 381,000 satellite subscribers and added 47,000 new Sling TV subscribers.

Sling TV currently has 2.42 million subscribers, which puts it ahead of DirecTV Now’s approximately 1.5 million subscribers. According to analyst firm MoffettNathanson, Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV ended 2018 with about 1.7 million subscribers and about 1 million subscribers, respectively.

As Sling TV rolls out a new $15/month offer, DirecTV Now is still reeling from the effects of moving a sizable portion of its subscriber base off promo pricing. The move resulted in DirecTV Now losing 267,000 subscribers during the fourth quarter.

During a Morgan Stanley investor conference, AT&T CFO John Stephens today said that his company has stopped doing “really aggressive, expensive promotions” that were offering full DirecTV Now packages for $10 or $15.

“We’ve gotten through all those. We stopped offering those in the third quarter and we’ve converted those 500,000 customers that were on those promotions to other services while some decided to leave. If we have any [promotional price subscribers] left, it’s virtually none on that service,” Stephens said.