Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Dish Network's Sling TV in U.S. District Court in New York, accusing the service of violating licensing agreements through its new short-term subscription packages.
These "Passes" allow users to access Sling's Orange bundle—featuring 34 live channels including ESPN, TNT, TBS, CNN, Disney Channel, and others—for durations as short as 24 hours, without requiring a full monthly commitment. The lawsuit, filed under seal on September 9, 2025, seeks unspecified damages and an immediate injunction to halt the offerings, claiming they cause "irreparable harm" to WBD's business model.
This action mirrors a nearly identical suit filed by Disney (including ESPN) against Dish on August 26, 2025, in the same court. Disney alleges that Sling launched the Passes without prior consultation or consent, breaching distribution deals that mandate monthly subscriptions for access to their networks.
Both companies argue that the short-term model undermines the traditional pay-TV ecosystem, which relies on recurring revenue to fund expensive content like sports rights. For context, Sling Orange's standard monthly price is $45, making the Passes a fraction of the cost for limited access.
Sling TV introduced the Passes in mid-August 2025, timing the launch to coincide with the start of the college football and NFL seasons to attract sports fans seeking event-specific viewing without long-term commitments. The packages are exclusive to the Sling Orange tier and include:
Sling markets these as a "customer-first" innovation, allowing "pay-as-you-want" flexibility for spontaneous viewing, such as award shows or movie nights. Parent company EchoStar has defended the model, stating it "breaks the mold of expensive, rigid bundles" and challenges outdated industry pricing. However, WBD and Disney contend that the Passes exceed the scope of rights granted in their affiliation agreements, which are designed for subscription-based distribution only.