Observed Signal · Feb 25, 2026 · Legal Ruling · Source: State of Streaming · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Sling TV $1 Day Pass After Court Ruling
Sling TV, owned by Dish Network, cut the price of its Day Pass to $1 after a federal judge denied Disney's request to block Sling's short-term Day, Weekend, and Week passes. Judge Arun Subramanian found Disney had not demonstrated irreparable harm and interpreted the carriage agreement's definition of 'subscriber' as flexible enough to include short-term users. Sling framed the price cut as a consumer-choice victory; Seth Van Sickel, Sling TV’s senior vice president, called the $1 Day Pass a thank-you to customers. Warner Bros. Discovery has filed a similar lawsuit against Dish, and the current carriage deal between Dish and Disney is set to expire within a year. Sling is promoting the pass for major sports events where unbundling is most contested.
Court ruling enables short-term streaming passes and a public $1 promotion, accelerating unbundling debates that affect carriage agreements, sports rights monetization and CTV/streaming distribution strategies across the industry.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Sling TV reduced its Day Pass price to $1 following a federal court decision.
- A federal judge, Arun Subramanian, denied Disney's motion to block Sling's short-term passes, finding Disney had not shown irreparable harm.
- Sling TV is owned by Dish Network.
- Seth Van Sickel, Sling TV’s senior vice president, publicly announced the $1 Day Pass following the ruling.
- Warner Bros. Discovery has filed a similar lawsuit against Dish; the Dish–Disney carriage deal expires in under a year.
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Disney Sues Sling TV Over Pay-Per-Day Passes
Disney has filed a lawsuit against Sling TV alleging that Sling’s new short-term streaming passes (daily/weekly access to channels like ESPN for as little as $5) violate a carriage agreement that requires monthly subscriptions and were launched without Disney’s consent. Sling TV called the lawsuit “meritless” and said it will defend its ability to offer flexible access options. The dispute echoes a prior 2015 legal fight in which Disney sued Verizon over flexible channel packaging. Sling has been losing subscribers—more than 100,000 in a recent quarter—making short-term passes an apparent strategy to attract casual viewers. The suit signals a broader industry clash over how traditional bundle contracts will adapt to new, more flexible streaming business models; Disney also faces a separate antitrust lawsuit from Fubo related to sports streaming plans.
Sling Discontinues Short-Term Passes
Sling TV has discontinued its short-term 'Sling Passes,' which allowed users to subscribe for one to seven days. Introduced in August 2025, the passes included Day, Weekend, and Week options, priced at $4.99, $9.99, and $14.99 respectively. The launch aimed to attract cord cutters during football season, but faced legal challenges from Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery, who sued Sling's parent company DISH for breach of contract over the unapproved packages. The lawsuits likely influenced the decision to retire the passes, though no official reason was given. Sling now returns to its standard lineup: Orange, Blue, combined Orange & Blue, and the newer Basic plans ($19.99/month).
Sling TV's Future Uncertain After DISH Bankruptcy Filing
Sling TV — one of the first over‑the‑top live multichannel services, launched February 9, 2015 — faces an uncertain future after its parent’s prepackaged Chapter 11 filing. DISH DBS Corporation (an EchoStar subsidiary) filed for Chapter 11 on June 30, 2026 after a delay in closing a large spectrum sale to AT&T left the company short of cash to repay $2 billion in notes. Sling peaked near 2.6 million subscribers around 2020 but reported 1.707 million subscribers as of the end of June 2026. The restructuring aims to clean the balance sheet and wind down DISH’s wireless build; industry observers expect EchoStar may consider selling or spinning off DISH satellite and Sling assets once the process concludes.
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