DailyTech - EchoStar Agrees to Acquire Sling Media

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Internet EchoStar Agrees to Acquire Sling Media
Wolfgang Hansson (Blog) - September 26, 2007 10:19 AM

9 comment(s) - last by OrSin.. on Sep 26 at 2:17 PM

EchoStar to acquire Sling Media for $380 million in cash and stock

EchoStar Communications Corporation, the third largest pay-TV provider in the county and owner of Dish Network, announced today an agreement to acquire Sling Media. Sling Media, well known for its Slingbox player, is valued at $380 million USD. EchoStar will acquire Sling Media in a cash and stock deal.

The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be complete in the fourth quarter of 2007. EchoStar was an early investor in Sling Media since the company's inception in 2004.

“With today's increasingly mobile lifestyle, EchoStar's acquisition of Sling Media will allow us to offer innovative and convenient ways for our customers to enjoy their programming on more displays and locations, including TVs, computers and mobile phones, both inside and outside of the home,” stated EchoStar CEO Charlie Ergen. “This combination paves the way for the development of a host of new innovative products and services for our subscribers, new digital media consumers and strategic partners."

The CEO of Sling Media, Blake Krikorian, adds, “By combining strategies, resources and technologies with EchoStar, Sling Media will be able to rapidly expand our open multi-platform product offerings, not only for DISH Network subscribers, but for digital media enthusiasts around the globe.”

EchoStar made headlines earlier this year when it was announced an advertising deal with search giant Google. Under the partnership, Google would monitor and analyze advertisements for EchoStar and determine where they should be placed based on audience demographics.

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Sounds fishy...

By mdogs444 on 9/26/2007 10:33:48 AM , Rating: 2

Is it just me, or does it sound like they will be intentionally streaming ads to your slingbox?

RE: Sounds fishy...

By Moishe on 9/26/2007 10:58:19 AM , Rating: 2

It does sounds like that... although I'm not sure if I'd use the word "fishy". I think that it's going to be the standard fare in the future of digital delivered TV.

Slingbox is a great device, but it just needed someone to increase its popularity and lower its price. I like how the big players are really starting to position themselves to deliver TV via non-traditional methods (methods that will actually be useful and user-friendly.)

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RE: Sounds fishy...

By Slingin on 9/26/2007 11:11:48 AM , Rating: 2

There's no way Sling can stream commercials...it would be the content providers' job. And if Sling did something slimey like make commercials appear after a firmware update, you just don't update...the platform & firmware are mature at this point.

re: Cost, $125-150 w/ no subscription fee is a small price to pay for your own TV wherever you are.

Oh, and yes, I'm a total fanboy. Travel for work 115K miles a year and like my home TV.

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RE: Sounds fishy...

By mdogs444 on 9/26/2007 11:19:45 AM , Rating: 2

Well im assuming they can - because they are owners of a satellite communicaitons tv provider, slingbox, and have a contract with an ad based company.

Put all 3 together....

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RE: Sounds fishy...

By Slingin on 9/26/2007 11:34:28 AM , Rating: 1

Don't mean to be a dick, but you are completely and utterly wrong. There is no absolutely no way Sling can interject ads, although with Dish Network it may be another story.

Architecture:

Cable box > Slingbox > Router > Public Internet

So tell me, where do the ads go?

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RE: Sounds fishy...

By mdogs444 on 9/26/2007 12:34:29 PM , Rating: 2

Well if they own dish network - there has to be a reason they would purchase the company who owns slingbox no? Common sense says yes.

seeing as how A)the internet is available to come through satellite & cable communcations into the slingbox, and B)the slingbox is still on your network

There is bound to be some way they could possibly do it. Im not saying for sure that they will, or exactly how they will - if i was, i would be working for them.

But common sense in this case says there is something going on.

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RE: Sounds fishy...

By OrSin on 9/26/2007 2:17:19 PM , Rating: 2

Cable Box > Sling Box> Fireware update > Router > ad inserted> Public Internet

Very easy to add anything that gets connected to internet. The sling box would get the ad added to it and that add would go out with the video. Also the packet can router to anywhere first then re-routed to the final place. They might not even need a firmware. If you need software to view the video then sofeware updates will do it too.

Did you know your ISP can add ads to any webpage. Not sure if they can still doing ti since I block all popup now, but Some pop-up was not from the page you was on but from your ISP.

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GREAT

By bhieb on 9/26/2007 10:56:08 AM , Rating: 2

Good there will probably be a new DVR/Sling receiver avaiable free with 3 months access to new customers, but the one that have been loyally paying for years will have to pay full price of course!