While it seems every week a new streaming service has been adding a Watch Party feature, Sling TV is trying to bring it to Live TV. The company announced a new featured called “Sling Watch Party” that will let customers text and video chat with their friends, while watching Live TV at the same time.
At the outset, it is available only on Google Chrome browsers, so you won’t be able to stream on your streaming player. When you host a Sling Watch Party, all users must have access to the same level of programming.
So if you want to share a channel like ESPN on Sling Orange, the person joining the Watch Party must have Sling Orange as well. This also means that if you have an extra pack like Sports Extra, all participants would need to have access to that add-on to stream something like NFL RedZone.
Once you join a Sling Watch Party, you can connect in real-time with up to three guests via chat or video. The host can control the Watch Party by pausing or rewinding on on-demand content. Each guest can control the volume of the stream and the video chat.
How to Start a Sling Watch Party
Sign in to your Sling Account
Select a Show and Click “Create Watch Party”
Share your Invite Link
Co-viewing experiences have been a major trend during the pandemic, with services like Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, while third-party services like Netflix Party and Scener have filled the void for Netflix and HBO respectively. Disney is also launching a co-viewing feature for Disney+. For live content, Yahoo Sports! added the ability to live stream NFL games with your friends this season.
For a limited time, you can create a Sling TV account and join any Watch Party through September 30th. So if you want to watch NFL RedZone with your friends, this would be a great time to try it out.