Local TV. It’s what kept Apple TV from moving forward. It’s likely what’s keeping PlayStation Vue from quickly spreading into all major markets. Striking deals with local affiliates of the big broadcast networks has proven tricky, as so many different entities have rights (and palms out) that it’s nearly impossible to get everyone on the same page to offer local live streams.
But it looks like Sling TV is starting to have a bit of success in the area. Today the live streaming service announced that they are launching live local broadcast feeds of two Spanish channels: Univision and UniMas. This marks the first time local feeds will be offered by Sling TV.
Other Changes to Sling TV’s Latino Package
Sling TV also rolled out a couple more updates including:
- The addition of SupereNe, a cartoon channel, to the Espana and Espana Extra packs ($7 per month). This station has a mix of old and new cartoons in Spanish. It’s for children 4 to 12.
- Sling Latino website updated, adding new features to allow viewers to personalize their entertainment experience.
Will They Add Local Feeds of English Channels
PlayStation Vue is doing it in select markets. CBS is offering live streaming with CBS All Access in some markets. Will Sling TV follow? It’s hard to say. CEO Roger Lynch has made it known that he’d like to add local networks, although he wouldn’t want to force them on viewers. So they’d likely be offered in a separate add-on package. However, Sling TV doesn’t currently offer any of the big over-the-air networks. So it’s not clear if the networks are open to the idea with them at this time.
But having added local feeds of Univision and UniMas leads us to believe that it has to be in the works. This is the logical first step, right?
Sling TV is scheduled to have a press conference at CES. What will they announce? Maybe, just maybe, there’s something big on the horizon. Perhaps local channels aren’t as far away as we think.
