Sling TV may be one of our favorite cable alternatives, but it's not the only way Sling lets you cut the cord. It also offers you Freestream, a free ad-supported television (FAST) streaming service that lets you watch tons of shows and movies for free.
And now, it's getting a dozen new channels all at once. As reported by Cord Cutters News, Freestream has added 12 new channels this week, giving the free streaming service over 430 channels in addition to over 41,000 on-demand shows and movies.
Many of these 12 new channels are courtesy of the BBC, and that's no bad thing. Especially when two of the channels are BBC "Doctor Who" and BBC "Top Gear." These two BBC shows have millions of rabid fans (myself included) and Freestream giving away hours upon hours of episodes to watch for free is a massive win for those same fans.
But those aren't the only big shows coming to Freestream. There's also a "Baywatch" channel coming for anyone who wants to return to Malibu Beach and hang out with "The Hoff."
Here's the full list of all 12 new free channels coming to Sling Freestream:
- "Antiques Road Trip"
- BBC "Antiques Roadshow" UK
- "Baywatch"
- BBC Earth
- BBC Food
- BBC Home and Garden
- BBC Travel
- BBC "Doctor Who"
- "Farscape"
- Fawesome
- "Startalk" TV
- BBC "Top Gear"
Analysis: Free TV feels closer to replacing cable
These aren't the only channels Sling has added to Freestream recently. According to Cord Cutters News, there have been 31 channels added recently in addition to these new 12 free channels.
That equals a lot of free TV you can mindlessly watch — and that's going to be a problem for cable and (ironically) cable alternatives like Sling.
Granted, there will always be people who want a cable or cable-like experience. Whether it's live sports coverage, something free options struggle to offer due to cost, or people simply feel comfortable with traditional TV offerings, cable will always have an appeal to some.
Ultimately, more and more people are going to supplement their paid streaming services with free ones, rather than also paying for cable.
But for a lot of people that appeal is disappearing. The best TV shows aren't debuting on cable networks anymore, or at least, not often and even then not often exclusively. Streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Max, etc. are where you go to find those shows. They also offer deep movie libraries, including new releases or movies that just left theaters.
And now, FAST streaming services are offering thousands of hours of mindless TV watching and "comfort food" TV for free. You don't need cable to watch reruns of Top Gear on BBC America, you can do it on Freestream for free and the same can be said for many popular shows. Ultimately, more and more people are going to supplement their paid streaming services with free ones, rather than also paying for cable. And the more quality free channels services like Freestream add to their offerings, the sooner that shift will arrive.
