Sling TV, owned by DISH, has unveiled its new gaming platform called “Arcade,” providing users with classic games such as Tetris, Wheel of Fortune, Sweet Sugar, Solitaire Clash, Poker Online, and Doodle Jump.
One standout feature is that Sling TV and Sling Freestream customers can now enjoy playing games while watching live TV content at no additional cost, adding entertainment value during commercials. Unlike Netflix and YouTube, where gaming is limited to paid subscribers, Sling TV offers this unique fusion of TV and gaming.
At launch, Sling TV offers 10 games, with plans to introduce new titles regularly. The games are made available through a partnership with Play.Works, a significant player in connected-TV games with distribution on over 200 million televisions, collaborating with major TV companies like Comcast, Cox, Samsung, and Vizio. Sling may expand its game library through partnerships with other gaming companies or even acquiring independent studios and developers, following Netflix’s strategy in entering the gaming space.
Gary Schanman, DISH Video Services’ Group President, expressed, “Sling is now more than just TV. We aim to provide an enjoyable entertainment experience by blending classic games with our TV programming. No other streaming service offers such a wide array of free entertainment options.”
In a bid to retain subscribers and differentiate itself from rivals, Sling TV will offer a unique and interactive experience through Arcade. Dish’s recent merger with EchoStar reported a decline of 65,000 Sling TV subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2023, totaling 2.06 million. This is a decrease from the loss of 77,000 subscribers during the same period the previous year.
Currently, Arcade is compatible with Amazon Fire TV and Android TV, with plans to expand support to more devices in the near future.
