Comcast and Dish Network team up to offer Sling International on Xfinity X1

By Kris Wouk April 6, 2018

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Comcast and Dish Network may be competitors in the pay TV market, but it doesn’t mean that the companies won’t work together when the deal serves each of their interests, and it seems like a major win for their customers as well. On Thursday, April 5, the Dish-owned streaming service Sling TV announced that Sling International has launched on Comcast’s Xfinity X1 platform.

Sling International offers multicultural content in 21 languages from nearly 400 international networks, with packages starting at $10 per month. Languages available via the service include Arabic, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi, Kannada, Punjabi, Urdu, Bangla, Bengali, Brazilian, French, Italian, German, Polish, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Taiwanese, Mandarin, and English.

Existing Sling International customers will find getting started on the X1 set-top box easy. Just select the newly added Sling International app from the Featured or Entertainment sections in the Apps menu, then sign in with your Sling credentials. Getting to the app is even easier with the voice remote: all you need to do is say “Sling International” into the remote and you’re there. If you’re a Comcast Xfinity customer but are new to Sling International, signing up is easy, as you can do so through the app.

Though it may seem a bit of a shock to see these two companies cooperating, it has actually been a long time coming. The groundwork was laid in 2016, when the two firms first inked a deal. At the time, the plan was to offer all of Sling TV via the X1 platform, but so far, that has not come to pass. This move does seem to indicate that we will eventually see Sling TV on the X1 platform, but it’s anyone’s guess when this may be.

This also points to why this deal is happening. Comcast wants X1 to be an all-in-one entertainment destination for its customers, even if it means working with companies that it competes with in other areas of its business. Netflix, YouTube, and Pandora are some of the other services available on the X1 platform.

If this news leaves you wanting to know more about Sling TV, be sure to take a look at our guide to everything you need to know about the service.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

Audio / Video

Prime Big Deal Days TV Deals 2024: Sony, Samsung, LG and more

Best Prime Day Deals

Update 10/2/24: We've been monitoring the early Prime Big Deal Days offers for about a week now, and we haven't seen much movement. Deals that we saw earlier this week are still live (one of the Amazon Fire TVs below even got a bit cheaper), but not a ton of new, noteworthy ones are popping up. But we're still a week away from the event, so we'll keep monitoring things.

The October 8 and October 9 Prime Day deals may still be a bit away, but we're already seeing a lot of excellent TV deals that are worth picking up. In fact, we're seeing both early Prime Day QLED TV deals and Prime Day OLED TV deals, so there is a huge amount of options out there if don't really want to wait until Prime Day officially kicks off. And, just to make you're life easier, we have specialty selections for every size of TV (50-, 55-, 65-, 70-, 75-, and 86- inch TVs all have plenty of offers), so you can pick the size that's perfect for you.

Audio / Video

Soundcore’s Liberty 4 Pro earbuds debut with a slick smart case and a killer price

Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro.

Soundcore's latest flagship noise-canceling wireless earbuds are packed with all of the latest tech you might expect, including a sleek and smart charging case with its own display screen. But their price is the real headline: The Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro are just $130. While many manufacturers are increasing prices because of inflation, somehow the Liberty 4 Pro are less expensive than the two generations that preceded them. They're available starting October 3 on Amazon in white, light blue, and black color options.

Though they're the latest version of the Liberty Pro family, the Liberty Pro 4 have ditched the stemless designs of the lineup's second- and third-gen models in favor of the stem-based shape Soundcore has used on its other recent models like the Liberty 4 and Liberty 4 NC.

Entertainment

Hulu vs. Netflix: Which one is better for you?

Netflix is shown on a PC, while Hulu is displayed on an iPad 11 Pro.

When it comes to streaming services, you have more options than ever before. Whether you want live TV, the best new original programming, or you're hoping to rewatch your favorite shows, at least one streaming service can get the job done. However, trying to subscribe to everything may not be in the budget. If you want the service that gives you the most bang for your buck, then it's worth comparing the two biggest players in the game: We're talking Netflix and Hulu.

Both services have a massive catalog filled with familiar favorites, recent releases, and new original programming. But there are significant differences between the two that are worth knowing about. For a well-rounded viewing diet you'll probably want both, but if you have to choose, we have the details to help you make the choice that best fits your streaming habits and won't break the budget.