Sling TV, an American streaming television service, has revealed that consumers paying their monthly subscriptions can now pay with bitcoin. Sling TV revealed that it will take seven distinct cryptocurrencies and five Stablecoins through Bitpay, a cryptocurrency payment operator.
Sling TV will Accept Cryptocurrency as Payment for Monthly Subscriptions
Sling TV LLC has announced a partnership with Bitpay, an Atlanta-based cryptocurrency payments company, to take a range of crypto assets for monthly subscription payments. Sling TV is a streaming television service that includes channels that competitor cable companies do not.
The firm is a subsidiary of Dish Network, a direct-broadcast satellite operator that takes cryptocurrency payments for subscription services. Sling topped 2.55 million customers in September 2021.
Sling claims to provide several benefits through providing over-the-top (OTT) services via web browsers, smart TVs, and digital media players. Accepting cryptocurrency shows Sling’s commitment to providing “choice and ease to its check-out experience,” according to the company’s announcement.
Sling TV viewers can pay with Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin cash (BCH), Ethereum (ETH), wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), dogecoin (DOGE), and Litecoin (LTC) to pay for their monthly subscription (LTC). Sling customers can also pay with the stablecoins GUSD, USDC, USDP, DAI, and BUSD.
According to Sling TV’s announcement:
Sling TV viewers can now pay for their monthly subscription with bitcoin starting this week. Users may now choose and pay for their favorite digital streaming service using their favorite digital currency, whether it’s bitcoin, Ethereum, or dogecoin, according to payment provider Bitpay.
Sling, a streaming television provider, is the latest in a long line of businesses to embrace cryptocurrency payments in the previous year. Universal Air Travel Plan (UATP), Sheetz convenience stores, Phillips Auction House, Verifone, Sotheby’s, RM Sotheby’s, American Residential Warranty (ARW), and Tifton gas stations have all implemented crypto payment functionality in the previous year.
According to a Visa survey done in mid-January, one out of every four businesses asked planned to accept cryptocurrency payments this year.
Customers who already have a monthly subscription to Sling TV can now pay with digital currencies. New customers must pay with a traditional payment method once, after which the crypto payment option will be offered to monthly subscribers the next month.
“Sling consumers will be able to prepay for one to six months at a time with Bitpay, but will only be able to make one monthly, manual payment,” Sling’s overview of the new payment mechanism ends.
Sling TV Overview
Sling TV is a Dish Network wholly-owned company that provides a streaming television service in the United States. The virtual multichannel video programming distributor, Consumer Electronics Show, wants to supplement cord cutters’ subscription video-on-demand services by providing a variety of major cable channels and OTT-based services that can be accessed through smart TVs, digital media players, and smartphones.
As of 2015, the service is offered throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. Erik Carlson, who is also the President and COO of Dish Network, is the CEO of Sling TV. DishWorld, the ethnic television provider that preceded Sling TV, was also acquired by Sling TV LLC and renamed Sling International. Following an invitation-only test launch, the service is now available to everyone.