CES 2015: Satellite broadcast provider offers cable tv service for Millennials

Las Vegas – Satellite tv broadcast provider Dish Network has announced Sling TV, a low-cost, internet-based television service that enables viewers to stream a selection of cable tv channels on their devices.

The new service costs £13.20 (€16.90, $20) per month, far less than a traditional cable tv package. ‘It is really a service that is targeted at Millennials, both in the content we offer and in the way that we package the service,’ says Sling TV CEO Roger Lynch. ‘For younger people, it’s mobile and it’s also affordable, smaller bundles.’

Although young people are increasingly likely to opt out of paying for cable tv, the ease and convenience of watching live sports on television has kept many from cutting the cord. Crucially, Sling TV includes ESPN and ESPN 2, which could prove decisive in attracting customers.

Sling TV reflects that for Millennials, television content has become increasingly independent of a specific television device. ‘If you think about the content they consume on a service such as Spotify, that content goes with them wherever they travel,’ says Lynch. ‘It’s on the devices they already own.’

Read our Seed and Insight News sections for more from 2015 International CES.