This spring Sling TV bolstered its line-up by adding The Weather Channel’s geo-targeted Local Now service to its “Best of Live TV” subscription package at no additional cost. This makes the over-the-top TV service the first pay-TV provider to offer Local Now, which includes local, geo-targeted updates on news, weather, sports and traffic.
In addition, The Weather Channel announced last week that it is launching a mobile app for all Weather Channel TV subscribers, and later this summer, it will launch Local Now on another web-based TV service, said Digiday. Currently, The Weather Channels’ Local Now is available on Amazon Fire TV Stick, Fire tablets, Android smartphones and tablets, Android TV platforms, current-generation Roku players and TV models, Xbox One, Macs and PCs. At launch, the service was accessible to Sling TV customers in 207 designated market areas (DMAs) in the U.S.
“Local Now is an innovative new service that gives our customers the ability to immediately catch up on local news, traffic, weather and sports and stay connected to their communities,” said Roger Lynch, CEO of Sling TV in an announcement. “Our customers have been asking for local content since our launch, and we anticipate expanding our local offering as the service evolves.”
The Weather Channel’s CEO Dave Shull also commented on the deal.
“For the first time your news is available instantly on demand. Local news when you want it and where you are. The old television broadcast news model is outdated for the emerging world of OTT. We are proud to be part of Sling TV as they lead the charge,” Shull said.
According to Digiday, each 10- to 15-minute Local Now broadcast is updated periodically throughout the day, and when needed, The Weather Channel will break in with live news, giving Sling TV something that other OTT providers aren’t offering – timely, local content.
Sling TV’s “Best of Live TV” package offers more than 20 channels for $20 per month. The package includes ESPN, ESPN2, AMC A&E, TNT, History, Viceland, TBS, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, Disney in more. The subscription on-demand video service also offers add-ons like HBO for an extra $15 per month and Cinemax for $10 a month.
Insider Take:
We are fascinated by the rapid growth of the OTT market. What started with streaming video services like Netflix and Hulu has branched into an entire industry with a vast sea of offerings including Amazon Prime, CBS All Access, WWE Network, Sling TV, Starz, ShowTime, Seeso and many others. While some of the movie services offer duplicate content, the way these companies differentiate themselves is through exclusive content.
Some specialize in specific genres like Seeso (comedy) and WWE Network (wrestling), while others like Sling TV try to hit a broader audience with more variety. While local news and weather may not convince a cord-never to sign up for Sling TV, the combination might appeal to a cord-cutter who is trying to break away from traditional TV but who would still like to access local content. For The Weather Channel’s customers who prefer to watch TV on the go, the mobile app is a great addition.
Another best practice to note is that Sling TV started its OTT service out slowly in early 2015, and it went from its original skinny bundle to include other bundles and add-ons that addressed customer demand. The service is evolving over time, as Sling TV and The Weather Channel learn what works and what its audiences want. These are great examples for other subscription companies to follow.
