Sling TV has discontinued Sling Passes, the short-term subscription option that let viewers buy single days of cable programming rather than committing to a full month. The Dish-owned streaming service confirmed the change in a statement posted on its website, and customers were also notified directly. The removal affects subscribers who relied on the passes to watch channels such as ESPN and CNN without a monthly plan.
The feature, announced last year, came in three configurations: a one-day pass, a weekend pass, and a week-long pass. Sling positioned the passes as a way to watch major cable channels without a traditional monthly subscription. The company said the passes had served millions of customers during their availability.
The product drew swift legal action. Soon after launch, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery sued Sling TV over Sling Passes. A federal judge declined Disney's request for a preliminary injunction that would have blocked the feature while the case proceeded, allowing Sling to keep offering the passes in the interim.
In its statement, Sling said the company was built to give customers ultimate control over their entertainment and that Sling Passes delivered on that promise for millions of users. The company added that it looks forward to continuing to innovate and showing customers new ways to experience the content they love, even though the passes are no longer offered.
The end of Sling Passes narrows the options for US consumers seeking flexible, short-term access to live cable channels. Sling TV operates as a streaming alternative to traditional cable packages, and the passes represented an unusual attempt to sell programming in increments shorter than the monthly subscriptions that dominate the market. The legal challenge from Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery underscored the tension between streaming distributors and the media companies that supply their channels.
Word of the discontinuation was first reported by The Desk, which also reported that the notice went out to customers. Sling's own website statement confirmed that the passes are no longer available. The company did not indicate in its statement whether any replacement offering is planned.
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