Dish Network Launching IPTV Service Payable in Bitcoin

Dish Network, rebranded as Dish, will unveil a new internet television service (IPTV) at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show.
Dish Network, rebranded as Dish, will unveil a new internet television service (IPTV) at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show.

Dish Network, rebranded as Dish, will unveil a new internet television service (IPTV) at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show.

The service will operate separately from standard Dish lineups. Users will be able to buy packages that allow them to stream their favorite shows over the internet, if they have an existing cable or satellite subscription.

The new program by Dish is available for streaming on computers, IOS and Android devices, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast. Several channels will be offered at launch, with others added at a later date. Subscriptions cost US$20 per month.

Dish, a Colorado based company, decided to accept Bitcoin in May 2014, and planned to begin accepting payments by the third quarter of the year. They use Coinbase to process payments. The company user base comprises more than 14 million subscribers, and many of them are Bitcoin enthusiasts. Bernie Han, Dish executive vice president and chief operating officer, said:

"We always want to deliver choice and convenience for our customers and that includes the method they use to pay their bills. Bitcoin is becoming a preferred way for some people to transact and we want to accommodate those individuals."

The new service does not have a launch date, but updates will be posted on the SlingTV website. Internet viewing is becoming more popular than traditional cable, according to Wired Magazine. While the internet has only a slight lead in the number of viewers, the gap is growing steadily. Dish’s adoption of Bitcoin as a payment option shows that the company understands that Bitcoin enthusiasts are also frequent internet users.


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