Just as the year closes, Sling TV confirmed it'll start 2020 with more expensive plans. The Dish Network-owned live TV streaming service announced that Sling Blue and Sling Orange are seeing their prices increase by $5. It's another sign that, despite their flexibility, live TV streaming services aren't as inexpensive as everyone had hoped.
Choose either Sling Blue or Sling Orange, and you'll pay $30 per month. Both plans can be purchased together for $45. Now, Sling TV's top-tier subscription isn't too much less than what other live TV streaming services charge. The good news is that Sling TV responded by adding more channels and one key feature.
Channels joining Sling Blue include CNN, MSNBC, and FOX News. If you're interested in FOX Business Network as well, you'll need to pay for the News Extra add-on package. Big Ten Network, meanwhile, will join the platform ahead of the 2020-2021 college football season.
Disney-owned channels FXM, FXX, and Nat Geo Wild are due out on Sling TV, too. The Hollywood Extra add-on package should gain FXM and FXX, and Nat Geo Wild will land on Heartland Extra. Of course, these add-on packages require additional monthly fees. Sling TV rolled out Longhorn Network and ACC Network to Sling Orange's Sports Extra recently.
Sling TV also confirmed it'll supply all subscribers with ten hours of cloud DVR storage at no additional cost. Customers can use this feature to record shows or movies on any supported device at any time. The cloud DVR storage offers scheduled recordings, fast-forwarding through advertisements, and auto-managed deletion. It certainly feels like Sling TV introduced free cloud DVR storage to mitigate criticism due to the price hikes.
"Sling doesn't own the networks you watch--we have to pay programmers for their channels so that we can provide them to you, and the price of programming has been going up," Sling TV President Warren Schlichting said in a blog post. "Unfortunately, we have to share those rising prices with you, so we can continue to provide you with the same great experience you've come to expect from Sling."
It shouldn't be surprising that Sling TV made this decision. Earlier this year, competitors including AT&T TV Now, Hulu, and YouTube TV raised their prices. Sony did the same before, but it ultimately decided to pull the plug on PlayStation Vue. Subscribers fees are going up, and live TV streaming services need to pass that off to their customers in order to remain profitable. Sling TV, like its competitors, has no other choice.
Existing customers aren't going to be charged immediately. Sling TV's new pricing will take effect on their next bill after January 22. However, anyone who signs up for Sling TV today will pay $30 each for Sling Blue and Orange, or $45 in a bundle. Some of the add-on packages increased, too. We'll see how all of these live TV streaming services hold up in 2020, but future price hikes are likely.