The rise of the cable-free subscription TV platforms continued on Tuesday with the arrival of the promising Sling TV service on Microsoft’s Xbox One console.
Sling TV, which is owned by satellite provider Dish Network in the United States, offers a bundle of top channels for a relatively low subscription fee of $20 a month.
The arrival on the Xbox One represents the fledgling service’s first transition onto games consoles, following its launch on other streaming devices.
Xbox One users in the U.S. can get a free one month trial when signing up to the Sling TV service, which offers access to premium channels like ESPN, TNT, Food Network and AMC, home of hit shows like The Walking Dead, Mad Men and Better Call Saul.
If you’re thinking of buying an Xbox One via the Microsoft Store or through the Sling TV website within the next five days, you can get three months of free access to the service for your troubles.
There’s no news on whether it’ll be available on the Sony PS4, although it seems unlikely given Sony is about to launch a like-minded PlayStation Vue cloud TV service.
Read more: Sony PlayStation 4 vs Xbox One
The Sling TV rollout comes on the same day rumours intensified regarding Apple’s plans to launch its own streaming service.
A Wall Street Journal report said the firm plans to bring a 25-channel platform to market this fall, with access to content from broadcast networks like ABC, CBS and Fox.
According to the report, the service would be without any content from NBC Universal due to the inability to reach a deal with the parent company and potential rival in the space Comcast.
The company has already stated its intentions by becoming an exclusive launch partner for the HBO Now streaming platform, which will arrive on Apple TV and iOS in April for $14.99 a month.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
