Sling TV, Dish Network’s live streaming TV service, today said that it’s raising monthly rates by $5 and adding new channels including Fox News and MSNBC.
Sling Orange and Sling Blue are now each $30 per month; subscriptions to a bundle of both Sling Orange and Sling Blue are now $45 per month. Sports Extra is now $15 per month with Sling Orange and Sling Blue; Sports Extra remains $10 as an add-on to Sling Orange or Sling Blue. The 4 Extras Deal is now $12 per month, and the Total TV Deal is now $25 per month with Sling Orange + Sling Blue. Total TV Deal remains $20 per month as an add-on to either Sling Orang or Sling Blue.
The rate hike arrives as Sling Blue gets Fox News, MSNBC and HLN and as all Sling TV subscribers get access to a new free cloud DVR feature. Cloud DVR Free includes 10 hours of DVR storage and works across all linear channels. Sling TV's existing Cloud DVR offering is now branded "Cloud DVR Plus" and provides 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage for $5 per month, as an optional service add-on to any Sling TV base subscription.
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Sling TV is also introducing Fox Business Network into the Sling Blue News Extra and launching Big Ten Network ahead of the 2020-21 college football season. The service will launch FXM and will also add FXX, including the linear feed, to Sling Blue Hollywood Extra and add Nat Geo Wild to Sling Blue Heartland Extra.
"Sling TV delivers unmatched value in streaming, while maintaining the flexibility and choice our customers know and love," said Warren Schlichting, executive vice president and group president, Sling TV, in a statement. "We have worked hard to maintain stable pricing, even as we have added more content and more features."
Sling TV’s decision to raise prices comes on the heels of similar moves from its competitors. Most recently, Hulu with Live TV raised the price of its base package by $10, bringing the cost up to $54.99 per month. As Hulu, Sling TV, YouTube TV and others raise prices to meet increasing content and operating costs, Sony’s PlayStation Vue is preparing to shut down early next year.