In my hands-on preview of Sling TV last month, I concluded that its long-term success would hinge on two factors: the channel lineup of its highly-anticipated Sports Extra add-on package and addressing its single-stream limitations.
The former has since been taken care of as Sling TV has revealed the channel lineup of its Sports Extra add-on.
For an additional $5 per month, subscribers can unlock nine additional sports channels in addition to the Best of Live TV base package which already includes ESPN and ESPN2. The add-on includes SEC Network, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Buzzer Beater, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN Bases Loaded, Univision Deportes, Universal Sports and beIN Sports.
The Sports Extra add-on leaves little to be desired for all except the most diehard sports fans. As a huge college football fan living in the south, the SEC Network is a really big deal as it is for millions of others in the region.
In fact, I've canceled my cable subscription multiple times in the past only to pick it back up in late August when the college football season starts. With the Sports Extra add-on, ESPN, ESPN2 and access to ESPN's WatchESPN app that all come with the base package as well as local channels via antenna, I personally see very little reason to keep my existing cable subscription as it relates to sports.
The Sports Extra package is currently listed as "coming soon" on Sling TV's website. The service itself is rolling out to interested parties by invitation only although it should be opening up to the general public within a few weeks. Now if they can just address the single-streaming limitation...