EchoStar Snaps Up the Slingbox

My first question is a selfish and overly paranoid one: What does this mean for me as someone who owns and loves a Slingbox--and uses it with Dish's archrival, DirecTV? (I just got back from Madrid, where I was very happy to be able to watch TiVo'd episodes of Keith Olbermann via Slingbox rather than CNN International on the hotel's TV.) It seems like a safe bet that current Slingboxes, and probably all future models, will continue to work with DirecTV and cable operators--Dish would be crazy to cut out the vast majority of the world who subscribes to a pay TV service that isn't theirs.

(On the other hand, it might be very smart to build satelite set-top boxes with built-in Slingbox capability, so one gadget in your living room would get you Dish programming on your TV, on your notebook, and on your phone.)

I'm curious, too, whether a Sling that's part of EchoStar will be regarded any differently by the entertainment industry than it was as an independent company. When the Slingbox first appeared, there was plenty of speculation that Hollywood would sue the company's pants off. That hasn't happened, although Major League Baseball has publicly grumbled about the device. I dunno the dynamics of the relationships involved enough to hazard a guess as to whether the acquisition means that Sling is more or less likely to run into legal hassles.

Of course, EchoStar itself is a relatively small company as entertainment titans go, and a scrappy one, too. I hope it lets Sling be Sling rather than watering down the product to avoid ticking off content owners...and that whatever happens, existing Slingboxes like mine keep on doing exactly what they do now,

Comments

Hey Harry,
Cool to hear about your recent experience Madrid.
I fully expect Charlie and the gang to let Sling be Sling. Hope to have more news for you soon.
Keep on slinging in a free world,
Blake

slingblake

September 25, 2007

5:29 AM PT

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