Back in August, Sling TV introduced new streaming packages that no other live TV streaming service had offered before. It launched a Day Pass, Weekend Pass, and Weekly Pass, allowing viewers to watch live TV channels for only the time they need. So, if you want to catch a specific football game, you can do so without paying for the service for an entire month.
Sling TV's 24-hour Day Pass costs $5, its Friday-to-Sunday Weekend Pass $10, and its seven-day Week Pass $15. Each pass grants access to all the channels in Sling's Orange plan, which costs $46 a month.
However, Disney decided it didn't like Sling TV's new passes and tried to block them in court shortly after they launched, claiming that its new low-cost plans "violate their licensing agreement." Sling TV responded to Disney's legal action, calling it "meritless" and asserting it would "vigorously defend our right to bring customers a viewing experience that fits their lives."
Now, nearly three months later, Disney has lost its attempt in court to block Sling TV's short-term passes, with a federal judge in New York denying Disney's request, stating that the contract doesn't specify "a minimum subscription length" and that Disney didn't prove the passes were causing "irreparable harm" to its business and that court intervention was not needed (via Cord Cutter News).
"Disney hasn't shown it has lost customers due to the Passes," Judge Subramanian explains in their 11-page ruling. "The networks are being distributed in the same platform, in the same manner, that they always have, but to a broader array of Sling customers."
Sling TV
- notable shows
- South Park, Deal or No Deal, Baywatch
- notable movies
- The Babadook, It Happened One Night, Star Trek: The Motion Picture
- Originals
- No
- Live TV
- 500+ channels
Sling is celebrating its victory by offering $1 TV
Sling TV and Disney's agreement is up for renegotiation in 2026
To celebrate its court victory over Disney, Sling TV is temporarily reducing the price of its Day Pass from $5 to $1, starting now and lasting through November 30. So, if you want access to over 34 live TV channels for 24 hours, Sling TV's Day Pass for just $1 is hard to beat, and it includes access to a variety of channels like ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, CNN, TNT, TBS, and the Disney Channel.
"The court's decision is a win for consumers and a validation of what Sling stands for," said Seth Van Sickel, Sling TV's senior vice president. "For too long, traditional 'big media' companies have intentionally stifled innovation and forced customers to pay for more content than they want or need…. The $1 Day Pass is our way of saying thank you to the customers we fight for every day."
While Sling TV has won its day in court, its current licensing agreement with Disney expires in less than a year and will need to be renegotiated soon. Given Disney's grievances with its short-term passes, it's likely to be a point of contention during negotiations, and Sling TV may have to bargain to retain it.
For now, though, Sling TV's Day Pass, Weekend Pass, and Weekly Pass are available, and you can grab its Day Pass for just $1 until November 30.