Dish Network’s streaming TV platform Sling TV is rolling out a new feature that allows subscribers to play interactive games alongside live television programming.
The feature, called Arcade, is rolling out to users this week and is included with Sling’s base TV packages called Sling Orange ($40 per month) and Sling Blue ($40 per month). The games are also available to customers who use Sling’s free, ad-supported platform Sling Freestream.
“Sling continues to put its subscribers and users first; we want people to not only love the flexibility and control, but we want the entire experience to be fun and engaging,” Gary Schanman, the Group President of Dish Video Services, said in a statement.
“Sling is now more than just TV,” Schanman continued. “We want people to enjoy their entertainment just as much as we do. The new Arcade offering combines some great classic games with our great TV programming. No other streaming platform gives you access to more entertainment options for free.”
The Arcade feature was developed in partnership with Play.Works, which offers access to about a dozen games through Sling TV’s app for Amazon Fire TV and Android TV (Google TV). The games available to Sling TV subscribers on those platforms include:
- Centipede
- Coin Toss
- Doodle Jump
- Neon Rider
- Pixel Dash
- Poker Online
- Solitaire Clash
- Sweet Sugar
- Wheel of Fortune
- Tetris
“Play.Works continues to innovate on TV and Arcade is another example of this,” Jonathan Boltax, the CEO of Play.Works, said on Wednesday. “Play.Works catalog of games built from the ground-up for TV drives retention and usage.”
A spokesperson for Sling TV said the Arcade feature will come to other platforms in the near future. In addition to Amazon Fire TV and Android TV (Google TV), Sling TV has apps available for Roku, Apple TV, Xbox One and TVs made by Samsung, LG and Vizio.
The launch of Arcade on Sling TV and Sling Freestream comes one day after Dish said it was expanding an invite-only rewards program that rewards Sling TV subscribers with the chance to win thousands of dollars in prizes based on how much television they watch.
The Sling TV rewards program operates as a win-and-watch sweepstakes initiative that automatically enters customers into a drawing for prizes based on how much TV they watch in a given day or week.
“We want more of our subscriber base to fall in love with it the way others have. We are increasing the payouts and prizes and inviting more people to play,” Schanman affirmed on Tuesday. “We want to make sure our customers and users have a voice and help drive what our program looks like.”
Unlike Arcade, the Sling TV rewards program is only open to eligible subscribers who have a pay TV package through Sling TV, including Sling Orange or Sling Blue. During the program’s second phase, one grand prize winner will take home $10,000 in cash, while 20 people will score $500 and another 125 subscribers will get one month of Sling TV for free.
Subscribers can earn up to 70 entries per day, increasing their chances of winning the more they stream content through Sling TV, the company said.
