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Sling TV tests a multi-stream service with catches

You'll get some Fox channels with the sharing-friendly tier, but you'll give up other channels in the process.

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

As helpful as Sling TV might be for cutting the cord, its one-stream-at-a-time model has its limits. It rules out your family watching across multiple TVs, for instance, or (gasp) sharing with friends. Thankfully, the Dish-owned service isn't deaf to your requests: it's beta testing a $20 per month multi-stream option that lets up to three people watch at once. Besides giving you more freedom, the move also brings Fox channels that aren't available with a single stream, such as Fox Locals, Fox Sports and FX. You'll also get a few other channels that were either previously unavailable or limited to add-on packages, like Univision (normally an extra).

However, this isn't quite paradise. Going multi-stream currently excludes some channels you may well miss, including tons of content from Disney and ESPN, and prevents you from watching live Fox shows when you're outside of 17 key cities. While you can still add premium channels like Cinemax and HBO, you'll have to think carefully before making the switch. You can sign up for the beta today, though, so give it a shot if single-stream just isn't working for you.