Sling TV joined the growing number of television providers to attract people with free content while encouraging them to stay at home to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. The online service, which serves as a cable substitute for cable cutters, offered free programming during prime time to non-subscribers. Sling TV Group President Warren Schlichting issued a statement on the subject, according to CNET.
“Since we cannot serve you a drink or a basket of hot wings, we are introducing a new type of happy hour – television” at home “every night,” said the Schlichting statement. “Like a true happy hour, television is often a shared experience. So grab your favorite refreshment, connect with friends and family and prepare for these group discussions. The statement also noted that consumption of news on its platform has increased 164% since the pandemic.
The agreement takes effect on Wednesday and provides free access to Sling TV’s Blue TV channel from 5 p.m. midnight local time. To register, visit the special Happy Hour section of their website. No credit card is required, but users will need to download the Sling TV app on their preferred device to access it.
Among the channels on offer are AMC, just in time for the season 5 finale of You better call Saul, as well as FX, HGTV and Bravo, to name a few. In total, the package includes 50 live channels, a free cloud DVR and more than 50,000 on-demand programs available for free during quarantine.
This move is similar to a number of other streaming platforms that have granted extended free trials or access to their content without a subscription. Earlier in April, HBO released over 500 hours of its original content available for free, including beloved series like The Sopranos, Thread and even Game of Thrones.
There have been some drawbacks to the increased dependence on streaming as more than a billion people worldwide isolate themselves. Companies like Netflix and Disney + have reduced their broadcast quality in some countries to keep up with demand, while YouTube has also lowered its default setting for the time being.
As of Wednesday, there were 636,350 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University. Currently, guidelines on social isolation, which include staying six feet from everyone outside your home and wearing face masks when venturing out in public, are in place during the month of April .
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