Home / Business and Economy / Disney & Dish Clash Over Sling Passes Legal Battle
Disney & Dish Clash Over Sling Passes Legal Battle
5 Jan
Summary
- Dish filed a counterclaim against Disney over Sling TV passes.
- Sling claims Disney violated antitrust laws and contracts.
- Disney sued Dish over Sling Passes, alleging contract violations.
Dish Network has intensified its legal conflict with Disney by filing a significant counterclaim. This action stems from disputes over Sling Passes, which provide temporary access to live and on-demand content, including ESPN. Dish alleges that Disney has abused its dominant market position and breached contract terms.
The ongoing legal battle involves Sling's innovative one-time passes, launched in August. Disney initially sued in November, seeking an injunction, but this was rejected by a judge who found Disney had not sufficiently proven harm to its ESPN streaming app. Sling argues its passes adhere to license agreements.
Dish's countersuit accuses Disney of anti-competitive practices, including violating antitrust laws like the Sherman Act by allegedly bundling ESPN with less desirable channels. Dish also cites Disney's recent acquisition of Fubo and its ESPN/Fox One bundle as further evidence of monopolistic behavior aimed at artificially inflating prices for sports packages.
