After a huge third quarter in 2021 in which they added 117K subscribers, Sling TV lost 70K subscribers in Q4 of last year. In total, the company now has 2.486 million subscribers, which is up just 12K from the 2.474 million that they had at end of 2020, but below the 2.6 million that they had at the end of 2019.
In comparison, Hulu Live TV is likely the largest Live TV Streaming Service with 4.3 million subscribers, while YouTube TV has an estimated 4 million subscribers. Sling TV is still larger than fuboTV with 1.1M subscribers, Philo with 800K, and AT&T TV with 646K subscribers (as of their final report in Q4 2020).
In January, Sling TV raised prices for new subscribers to $35 per month, while including a 50-Hour DVR. They have expanded this price increase to existing subscribers starting with their first bill in August.
Sling TV began rolling out an overhauled interface in June 2021 which focused on simpler navigation, better personalization, an improved grid guide, and easier access to content.
One bet that didn’t pay off for the company was their integration with Locast to power their local channels. The partnership was shut down in September and currently, Sling TV only offers local FOX and NBC affiliates in owned-and-operated markets.
Last month, Sling TV President Michael Schwimmer left the company to take the role of President of Global Platform Strategy at Univision.
Sling TV
Sling TV is a live TV streaming service that helps users save money with the option of two distinct plans. The $40/month “Sling Orange” plan offers about 30 channels, including Disney Channel and ESPN. The $40/month “Sling Blue” plan offers about 40 channels, including Fox and NBC local channels.