I know we all like to make fun of the Xbox One’s ‘TV! TV! TV!’ and ‘iPad for the living room’ multimedia app focus, but hear me out on this one- Sling TV is now out for the Xbox One, and this is a pretty damn big deal, especially since for now, it will remain exclusive to Xbox One as far as game consoles go.
Why is this a big deal? Because Sling TV is absolutely perfect for cord cutters. It offers all sorts of major content –AMC, Adult Swim, TNT, TBS, along with major sports fixtures on ESPN and ESPN2 – for a subscription, bypassing the cable providers entirely. It has the first mover’s advantage in the space too. Unlike existing solutions, which require separate subscriptions to Hulu, Amazon, Netflix, HBO, Crunchyroll, and so on, this could feasibly be the one stop for popular TV.
So it being exclusively on Xbox one is a big deal to the average American customer – it means when Mom and Dad are weighing the pros and cons of which console to purchase for their household, this might likely factor into their purchase.
Microsoft is clearly recognizing its worth, as it is promoting Sling TV in a big way. All Xbox One owners get 30 days of Sling TV free. In addition, if you buy a new Xbox One within the next week from a Microsoft Store, you get three months of Sling TV free.
That’s actually pretty darn nice. Sony should launch PlayStation Vue soon.
