Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has filed a lawsuit against Sling TV, alleging a breach of their distribution agreement. The core of the dispute lies in Sling TV's "day pass" offering, which allows subscribers to access WBD's networks, including CNN, for 24-hour, weekend, or weeklong periods marketed under the name Sling Orange. This mirrors a previous lawsuit filed by Disney against Sling TV, although the specific channels in question differ.
WBD contends that Sling TV's "day pass" offering violates the terms of their contract, which stipulates that its networks can only be offered on a monthly basis. The company sees Sling Orange, with its short-term access option, as a threat to its own streaming plans and existing deals with other pay-TV providers. This is particularly relevant given WBD's upcoming launch of a standalone CNN streaming service. Disney's concerns, in their separate lawsuit, appeared to focus on the impact of Sling Orange’s ESPN offerings on their own direct-to-consumer streaming platform.
Interestingly, Sling TV's competitor, Fubo, offers a "skinny" sports package including ESPN but notably excludes WBD channels. This monthly subscription model apparently doesn't violate any agreements with Disney. The contrast between the Fubo and Sling TV approaches underscores the complexities surrounding streaming rights and distribution agreements. While WBD's channels are widely available through various legacy and virtual MVPDs, the absence of a comparable “skinny” bundle highlights a key point of contention in this current lawsuit.