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Sling TV's free streaming comes to Android and Amazon devices
Sling TV offers cord-cutting cable packages and movie rentals, but until recently you needed a subscription starting at $25 per month. Earlier this year, however, it unveiled a free streaming option for select episodes of Hell's Kitchen, Project Runway and other shows, but only on Roku devices. Now, Sling TV is rolling out the same deal on Android and Amazon smartphones, tables and TVs, letting you enjoy limited programming without an account.
Sling adds social TV and movie viewing to its Oculus Go app
If you can't be with your buddies to yell at the screen at the same time during a game or watch a movie together, Sling has a new social watching option in store for you. The co-watching feature is rolling out in beta on Oculus Go -- Sling arrived on the virtual reality headset in December.
How to watch the Super Bowl: A cord-cutter’s guide
We all know you don't have to be a fan of American football to watch the Super Bowl. The NFL's Big Game, which this year will be played between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams, goes beyond the sport. Even if you don't like who's playing (we're looking at you, Tom Brady), the Super Bowl is the perfect excuse to get together with friends and enjoy a day full of seven-layer dip, chicken wings and, of course, booze. Thankfully, in 2019, the NFL is making it easy for everyone in the US to watch Super Bowl LIII, even if you don't have a cable or satellite account.
Sling TV adds personalized recommendations, starting on Apple TV
Sling TV is introducing an arguably overdue feature for insatiable viewers: personalized recommendations. As of January 17th, Apple TV users will receive custom-tailored suggestions for live and on-demand programs, whether it's a channel, a movie or a sports match. You can find it in the My TV section in a carousel alongside favorites.
Sling TV debuts free streaming option on Roku
Sling TV is trying a new way to reach potential users with a free option of its streaming platform. Through a "browse as guest" option, newcomers to Sling will be able to check out episodes from some shows (including Billions, Shameless and Ray Donovan) at no cost, though it seems only one episode is available for each of those series. You can also subscribe to standalone channels, such as Showtime, without having to pony up for a Sling package. Sling is rolling the feature out on Roku starting today, and plans to bring it to more devices in the future.
Sling TV rolls out improved UI features on Apple TV
Apple TV users are getting some new Sling TV features that will make it easier to find and watch shows. Sling said the updates are geared towards being more "content-centric" and they include changes to the main guide, content information views and remote capabilities.
How to stream New Year's Eve 2019 countdowns
If you'd rather stream New Year's Eve celebrations in North America than venture outside, you'll have plenty of options... including a novelty or two. The most notable example comes from Times Square itself, which will show the New York City ball drop for 2019 in all its glory. However, you can also watch well-known game streamer Ninja play in Times Square using Twitch. You're covered if Fortnite is more to your taste than champagne, in other words.
Sling TV, ESPN and Fox Now arrive on Oculus Go
Back in June, Oculus launched Oculus TV, a way for you to watch shows and movies from a string of partners on a virtual 180-inch display. Now, Sling TV, ESPN and Fox Now are joining the fray, so you'll have more ways to watch live TV, sports and movies through the wireless headset.
Sling adds Discovery, Science to its lineup
Sling TV's line up of available channels is getting bigger. The streaming TV service is adding nine new channels from Discovery Networks that offer live and on-demand content, including the flagship Discovery Channel and MotorTrend. The best news for Sling subscribers: some of the channels will be added to your package for free.
The best ways to stream live sports
If you're a sports fan, there's nothing quite like kicking back on the couch, cracking open a cold one and watching your favorite team rise triumphant over the other guys. For the longest time, it was thought that the only way to have such an experience was via a TV coupled with a cable or satellite subscription. That's because, for the most part, sports are best enjoyed live, and watching live TV hasn't always been the province of cord cutters. Things have changed in the past few years, however. Not only can you now stream most live sports on your computer or your smartphone, but you don't even need a cable or satellite provider to do so, which can potentially save you plenty of money. Yet the process is less easy than you'd think -- it depends a lot on what sport you're into and which teams you support -- and there are occasionally local blackouts to contend with as well. But with the cord-cutting movement gaining momentum recently, it's now a lot easier to watch live sports online than it's ever been, as long as you know what to look for. For the purposes of this guide, we decided to focus on the five major sports that are most often watched live -- American football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, and domestic and international soccer -- though we also offer information about other sports like tennis and golf where relevant.
Dish and Sling TV lose Univision channels in price dispute
It just became a bit harder to watch Spanish-language TV in the US, whether or not it's online. Dish and Sling TV have lost a trio of Univision stations (including its main channel, UniMás and Galavisión) after the two failed to end a carriage pricing dispute before a contract ended. As always in these TV squabbles, the two have been hurling vicious accusations at each other in an attempt to win public sympathy.
Sling TV adds à la carte channels, free shows and a rate hike
Sling TV pitches itself as a service for cord cutters, but there's always been one holdover: you've had to subscribe to a bundle of channels you don't necessarily want. Today, though, even that requirement is going away. Sling has introduced a new "experience" that offers access to some content without a bundle-based subscription. There are now certain channels and services available à la carte, for starters. You can subscribe to services like Showtime ($10 per month), CuriosityStream ($6) and the NBA League Pass ($29) on their own. The variety is rather low with just eight channels available so far, but Sling promises more in the months ahead.
How to watch the World Cup 2018
For soccer (er, football) fans everywhere, the next four weeks are going to be all about the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. The globe's biggest sporting event, which takes place every four years, is kicking off Thursday, June 14th, when host nation Russia takes on Saudi Arabia at 11AM ET. And yes, we know the USA team won't be there, but football is bigger than just one nation. So even if you won't get to cheer on the Stars and Stripes this year, there's still plenty to look forward to at the World Cup.
Hulu’s live TV service surpasses 800,000 subscribers
During an interview with CNBC today, Hulu CEO Randy Freer said that the company's live TV service had surpassed 800,000 subscribers, with April being the best month yet for gaining new customers. The live service launched just over a year ago and in January, sources familiar with the company's numbers told CNBC that the live offering had around 450,000 subscribers at the time.
Sling TV expands Cloud DVR to Chromecast, Xbox One and smart TVs
Sling is expanding its Cloud DVR service to more devices. Now, you can use the DVR with the Chrome browser, Chromecast, Xbox One, LG Smart TVs and 2016 and 2017 models of Samsung Smart TVs. The company has been rolling out the service to more devices since last year. With the $5 per month service, you can record up to 50 hours of TV shows and movies, record multiple programs at once and protect certain recordings from being deleted. There are some limitations to the service. You can't, for example, record live content on Disney and ESPN channels -- you can see the list of channels that can't be recorded here.
Sling TV users can add NBA Team Pass to follow their favorite squad
Weeks ago, Sling TV added NBA League Pass as a $30 monthly additional package subscribers can purchase to follow out-of-market games. But if they only care about one team, the over-the-top provider has them covered now, too. Today, users can add on the Team Pass for $18 per month for those who already pay for a Sling Orange, Sling Blue and/or Spanish-language service package. This lets fans follow one out-of-market team across the regular season with live games, full replays and audio broadcasts.
Sling TV offers League Pass to expand its NBA streaming options
A day after Sling TV revealed that it counts 2.2 million subscribers, the over-the-top internet service announced that it's added new add-on options to watch NBA games. Users can access NBA League Pass today to watch out-of-market games, and in the coming weeks they'll be able to subscribe to Team Pass to follow a single club.
Sling TV touts 2.2 million subscribers as cord cutting continues
With how popular cord-cutting is, you'd think more services would be keen to share their subscriber stats. Dish pulled back the curtain today and revealed that its Sling TV service has some 2.2 million folks paying for the service. That's compared to just over 11 million Dish satellite customers. Those numbers don't mean a ton on their own, but when you compare them to AT&T's DirecTV Now numbers you can get a sense of where each are at. Last October, the telco reported that its streaming service had 787,000 subscribers. Of course, Sling TV has been around around a year longer, so that's to be expected.
The best subscriptions and gift cards to buy as (last-minute) gifts
Need a last-minute gift? No one will argue if you buy them a gift card to a streaming service. Included in our holiday gift guide are all the usual suspects: Apple Music, Amazon Prime, Netflix in UHD, Hulu, Sling TV and HBO Now. (And there were many others that we considered that didn't quite make the cut, but that still make for solid options.) Assuming you order soon, you also still have time to pick up a streamer with which your loved one can actually enjoy these services. We recommend two in particular: the Apple TV 4K at the high end, and the Roku Ultra in the $100 range.
Sling TV now streams directly on your 2017 Samsung smart TV
If you bought one of Samsung's 2017 smart TV models, you can go ahead and ditch the device you're using to pipe in Sling TV. The live TV streaming company announced today that its app is now available directly those models, which will nix the need for separate streaming gadget or set-top box. You'll need to have either a Sling Orange or Sling Blue subscription, though there is a free 7-day trial period if you're newly signing up. You'll also need to install the app on your set by searching for "Sling TV" in the Samsung Smart Hub and then log in to your account in order to get started.