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Slingbox, One of the First Live TV Streaming Devices Ever Created, is Permanently Taken Offline

Slingbox, One of the First Live TV Streaming Devices Ever Created, is Permanently Taken Offline

David Satin
David covers the biggest news stories, live events, premieres, and informational pieces for The Streamable. Before joining TS, he wrote extensively for Screen Rant and has years of experience writing about the entertainment and streaming industries. He's a Broncos fan, streams on his Toshiba Fire TV, and his favorites include "Andor," "Rings of Power," and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."
Read full bio ›
David Satin

The Slingbox is no more. The pioneering device, which was one of the first methods to stream live TV ever created, has seen the last of its servers shut down as of Thursday Nov. 10.

“Slingbox is being discontinued due to technology advances within the TV industry,” said a notice sent by Dish to Slingbox customers in October. “The demand for Slingbox has decreased as the ubiquitous nature of streaming devices and services has changed and modernized over the past several years. As a result, we are focusing our efforts on continuing to develop and enhance innovative products for Dish TV and Sling TV to meet the evolving needs for place-shifted viewing.”

Though many in the industry have likely forgotten it, Slingbox was one of the earliest ways to access live TV via a streaming platform. Slingbox, the hardware device, along with the associated Slingplayer app, enabled streamers to watch live TV on their phones, tablets, Macs, and PCs. Sling Media, which was acquired by Dish in 2007, released Slingplayer for Roku in 2013, which allowed streaming on the connected TV device.

The idea sprung from the brains of creators Jason and Blake Krikorian, who were frustrated that they could not watch baseball games while they traveled. This led them to the creation of a device that could use an internet stream to carry live TV programming. Content providers like Major League Baseball hated the device, claiming that streaming content via the Slingbox constituted an illegal transmission of their product, as recently recalled by Variety.

The streaming industry has come a long way since then, and many TV services owe Slingbox a debt of gratitude. Without the adaptive bit-rate technology pioneered by the Slingbox, live TV streaming would have been much more difficult to achieve. Eventually, another company would surely have spent the time and money necessary to create such technology, but the Slingbox method offered the media world a shortcut.

There are now several live TV streaming services available, including DIRECTV Stream, fuboTV, YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV, and Dish’s very own Sling TV, which serves as the spiritual successor to the Slingbox. Subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services are integrating more live TV content into their platforms these days, as well. Company executives at those services may want to take a moment to grieve the Slingbox today. Without it, the streaming landscape could be a very different place in 2022.

David Satin
David covers the biggest news stories, live events, premieres, and informational pieces for The Streamable. Before joining TS, he wrote extensively for Screen Rant and has years of experience writing about the entertainment and streaming industries. He's a Broncos fan, streams on his Toshiba Fire TV, and his favorites include "Andor," "Rings of Power," and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."
Read full bio ›
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DIRECTV STREAM Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $50 Amazon Gift Card when you sign up for DIRECTV STREAM.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Offer Terms

  • Only valid for new DIRECTV STREAM subscribers.
  • Only valid once per household.
  • You must pay and maintain service for at least one month to be eligible.
  • Purchase must be completed on the DIRECTV STREAM website.
  • You’ll receive gift card 4-6 weeks after purchase (~2 weeks after your first month).
  • Cannot be combined with any other promotion and won’t be eligible if you try to use a coupon code or cash back from another site.

Sling TV Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $25 Uber Eats Gift Card when you sign up for Sling TV.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Offer Terms

  • Only valid for new Sling TV subscribers to Sling Orange, Blue, or Sling Orange + Blue.
  • Only valid once per household.
  • You must pay and maintain service for at least one month to be eligible.
  • You must click from The Streamable and complete your purchase on the Sling TV website.
  • You’ll receive gift card 4-6 weeks after purchase (~2 weeks after your first month).
  • Cannot be combined with any other promotion and won’t be eligible if you try to use a coupon code or cash back from another site.

Hulu Live TV Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $35 Amazon Gift Card when you sign up for Hulu Live TV.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Offer Terms

  • Only valid for new Hulu Live TV subscribers.
  • Only valid once per household.
  • You must pay and maintain service for at least one month to be eligible.
  • You must click from The Streamable and complete your purchase on the Hulu Live TV website.
  • You’ll receive gift card 4-6 weeks after purchase (~2 weeks after your first month).
  • Cannot be combined with any other promotion and won’t be eligible if you try to use a coupon code or cash back from another site.