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Xbox One to get new Sling TV service

This week, Dish unveiled a potential cord-cutting television package called Sling TV. Among the outlets it's set to debut is Microsoft's Xbox One.

Ozzie Mejia

January 7, 2015 6:00 AM

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One of the biggest reveals at this year's International Consumer Electronics Show has been a new service called Sling TV. Unveiled by Dish Network, Sling TV offers a handful of live television networks delivered across an Internet connection for $20 a month with no monthly commitments. The service can be utilized across a number of ways, including an app expected to come to Xbox One.

"Sling TV is an over-the-top, television service that will deliver live sports, lifestyle, family, news and information channels, Video-On-Demand (VOD) entertainment, and the best of Internet video for $20 per month," reads the Xbox Wire announcement. "With Sling TV, there’s no commitment, contract, credit check, hardware installation, or hidden fees. Confirmed channels include ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, Food Network, HGTV, Cartoon Network, and Disney Channel with more to come. And Xbox One will be the exclusive gaming console when it launches in the coming weeks."

Shacknews briefly got a glimpse at the Sling TV service during this week's CES event, going hands-on with the Xbox One version of the app. The app does indeed deliver television content, along with a variety of recent movies available on demand. With the Xbox One app working so intuitively, it immediately gave the impression that this could be the ultimate service for cord-cutters and a potential game-changer for television. It would also further establish the Xbox One as an entertainment center, potentially making it a go-to for TV viewers without the hassle of an external set-top box. A Sling TV rep on-hand added that more channels were expected to hit the Sling TV service in the future, including a full sports package.

Xbox Live members are set to get a free extended trial of Sling TV when the service arrives in a couple of weeks. The service is also set to come to iOS and Android.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?