Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

Executives Bow Out of Sling Media

By

About a year ago, Sling Media was acquired by satellite television provider EchoStar in a deal worth $380 million. Now, the company says five of its key executives are departing the company, including co-founders Blake and Jason Kirkorian, president Jason Hirschhorn, chief creative officer Ben White, and sales VP Greg Wilkes.

Sling Media makes the well-regarded SlingBox, SlingCatcher, and SlingPlayer Mobile, devices intended to enable users to watch their home television feeds (as well as access their digital content libraries, music, and recorded programming) from anywhere in the world via broadband Internet. When EchoStar bought the company, the deal included an agreement to keep Sling Media’s executive team in place; that agreement has now expired and Sling’s leadership is moving on.

Recommended Videos

During the last year, the company has worked on integrating Sling technology into set-top boxes; the company just took Best of Show awards at both Macworld and CES for its new DVR and iPhone products.

Editors’ Recommendations

Geoff Duncan
Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
Sling TV channels, plans, pricing, extras, and more
Sling TV on a TV.

When it comes to live TV streaming services, Sling TV is one of the best, offering up the channels you want while not breaking the bank. While it isn't the most simple of streaming services, it is an option that is worth it for anyone looking to balance their budget, or if you don't need every channel out there. It's built on two tracks — Sling Orange and Sling Blue. You can get one of the tracks for a paltry sum, or both for a little bit more. (Which is what Sling really encourages you to do.) While there is some overlap between the two, neither of them has the full catalog that its competitors like YouTube TV can offer.

To augment their smaller catalog, it has its own slate of optional add-ons, which Sling TV calls Extras. Each one costs a few dollars more each month, which can quickly add up to the same price range of services like YouTube TV, Hulu Plus Live TV, and Fubo, it's all about your ability to choose to have those add-ons — or not.

Read more
The Digital Trends guide to FAST streaming services
Amazon Freevee.

When it comes to the best streaming services, your mind probably goes right to video-on-demand (VOD) services like Netflix, Disney+, or Amazon Prime Video. They're super popular, and have tons of paying subscribers. However, they aren't the only streaming services worth checking out.

If paying for too many streaming services is biting into your budget, then it might be time to check out free advertising-based streaming television (FAST). But what are these magical "free" TV services? Let's find out.
What is FAST TV?
Think of it like the streaming version of broadcast TV, or watching cable at home. Shows have a set schedule, and everyone using the service is watching the same thing, using ads. Unlike live TV streaming services that you pay for, such as YouTube TV or Hulu with Live TV, there's no up-front cost to the consumer. Everything on these services is supported by advertising — you just won't have access to the "good" channels like you would with paid streaming services.

Read more
Fubo is testing out multiview on Roku devices
The Fubo app is displayed on a Roku device.

Fubo today announced that it's testing multiview in beta form on some Roku devices. That's the feature by which you can watch up to four things at once, though that initially will depend on which Roku device you have. The bigger deal is that unlike with some other services (looking at you, YouTube TV), you're able to watch any channel in multiview — not just specific channels picked for you.

In an email to Digital Trends, Fubo said the beta multiview feature would support up to four streams at once on the Roku Ultra, and two simultaneous streams on the Roku Express 4K, Roku Express 4K+, Roku Streaming Stick 4K, and Roku Streaming Stick 4K+. More devices will be added later, Fubo said.

Read more