Sling TV: number of subscribers 2013-2023

Streaming service Sling TV launched by Dish Network reportedly had around 2.1 million subscribers at the end of 2023. Sling TV is one of the leading vMVDPDs in the United States. Virtual multichannel video programming distributors refer to services which aggregate live and on-demand television and transmit such content over the internet. 

Sling TV subscribers – additional information

Sling TV is a U.S.-only live TV streaming service and a subsidiary of Dish Network. The platform was introduced as an alternative to cable TV and video-on-demand services. Unlike other streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+, Sling TV subscribers can access live TV content of more than 20 channels, such as ESPN, TNT, Food Network, Bloomberg and AMC, over the internet. Sling TV aims to stay competitive in the growing streaming market by differentiating itself from on-demand services. Sling TV is rather a collection of popular live-streaming channels, previously only available on cable TV.

The competitive streaming landscape

Since its release, Sling TV has rapidly gained space in the streaming market. The number of Sling TV subscribers increased from 54 thousand in 2014 to over two million by the end of 2023. However, the service still has some way to go to catch up to some of the market leaders such as Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Max. Netflix, the clear leader in the market, had around 80 million streaming subscribers in the United States and Canada in 2023.