Sling TV discontinues its short-term cable passes
Dish-owned Sling TV has ended its Sling Pass feature, which let users buy brief access to cable channels instead of a full monthly subscription. The move follows a lawsuit filed last year by Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery.
Dish-owned streaming service Sling TV has discontinued its Sling Pass offering, which allowed subscribers to purchase short-term access to cable channels rather than committing to a full month of service. The change was first reported by The Desk.
Sling Pass launched last year with three options — a one-day pass, a weekend pass, and a week-long pass — giving viewers a way to watch channels such as ESPN and CNN without a standard monthly subscription.
Legal battle
Shortly after the feature debuted, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery filed a lawsuit against Sling TV over the Sling Pass offering. A federal judge, however, denied Disney's request for a preliminary injunction that would have blocked the feature from operating while the case proceeded.
Company statement
In a statement posted on its website, Sling TV said the service was built to give customers ultimate control over their entertainment and that Sling Passes delivered on that promise for millions of users. The company added that, while Sling Passes are no longer available, it looks forward to continuing to find new ways for customers to experience the content they love. The Desk also reported that Sling TV sent a similar notice directly to customers.
It remains unclear exactly why Sling TV chose to discontinue the feature entirely, or whether the legal pressure from media companies played a role in the decision.
