Sling is providing free TV from 5PM to midnight each night, as part of a new initiative to encourage Americans to stay home. Starting today, new Sling TV customers can register for the service, which the company is calling “Happy Hour Across America.” Don’t worry Sling isn’t asking for a credit card, so you won’t have to worry about canceling later on.
There are still catches beyond the time restrictions. This isn’t Sling Orange, so you’ll miss out on Disney and ESPN. Sling adds that it might contact you about TV services, so don’t be surprised if you get marketing messages later. And while the provider hasn’t set a firm end date, it’s clear this is a “limited time offer.” You’ll eventually have to subscribe if you want to keep this going in perpetuity.
Even so, it’s a fairly aggressive gesture. Sling is no doubt hoping that some of these free viewers will turn into paying subscribers, but it’s also giving away some choice material during the very hours when people are most likely to watch. It might not have had much choice if it wanted to remain competitive. Roku and many other platforms have seen surges of demand during coronavirus lockdowns. If Sling didn’t entice people to watch, it risked being drowned out by competition that frequently has its own freebies.
