The ever-changing streaming landscape would seem to have a new first, the shortest, cheapest plans yet.
In what the company is calling an “industry first,” Sling on Tuesday announced the launch of low-cost, short term plans — including a $5 day pass, $10 weekend pass and $15 week pass, all of which are considerably cheaper than the company’s lowest-cost monthly plan ($46/mo). Per the company’s announcement, the plans would seem to only cover the networks included on Sling Orange (the ESPN networks, TNT and TBS, etc.) and not Sling Blue, which includes Fox Sports.
So far, the only way to dip into the cable bundle without making a long-term commitment has been to sign up for a free trial. The Sling plans essentially allow the company to monetize those who may have otherwise opted for a free trial and canceled without being charged.
While sports leagues are particularly valuable to streamers for their ability to reduce churn over the course of five and six month season, it is increasingly apparent that one-off viewing is of value as well. Netflix has cornered the market on standalone events like the NFL’s Christmas Day games, and the Sling plans seem most likely to be used by viewers who just want to watch one specific game or on one specific day.
It is also the case that the traditional MVPDs have no choice but to get creative at a time when networks are creating and bundling their own streaming services. It does not seem like a coincidence that short-term plans were announced one day after Disney and Fox announced plans to bundle their respective direct-to-subscriber apps — ESPN and Fox One respectively — for a discount of $40/mo — lower than the $61/mo required to access both ESPN and Fox networks on Sling.
The short-term passes will ultimately not make much of a dent in the appeal of that bundle, as again it does not appear as if they even include Fox Sports networks. Nonetheless, the broader strategy is unmistakable — if the networks are going to be undercutting the streamers on price, the streamers will have to get creative.
