Sling’s Answer to YouTube Slated for ’08 Launch
Jason Hirschhorn, Head of Device Maker’s Content Deals, Says EchoStar Acquisition ‘Validates’ Plans for Clip + Sling Site
By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 9/25/2007 6:42:00 AM
Sling Media Entertainment Group president Jason Hirschhorn said he’s hopeful the company’s $380 million acquisition by satellite operator EchoStar Communications will accelerate the deals the device maker is negotiating with cable networks, broadcasters and other content owners to launch a YouTube-like repository of TV content online.
“I clearly think this validates what we're doing. It shows that EchoStar is thinking about the future,” he said, adding, “I'm glad this happened quickly so we can get back to business.”
Sling’s Clip + Sling feature, still in development, will allow Slingbox users to copy a few minutes of a TV program and then – assuming Sling has secured the rights to that content – share those clips with anyone on the Internet via a yet-to-be-named video-sharing site.
The project is on track to enter beta before the end of 2007 with a public launch “more around the first of the year,” Hirschhorn said. “I’ve got my creative guys trying to finish Clip + Sling ... We have a lot of work to do.”
Previously Sling had expected to unveil a public beta version of the Clip + Sling site at the end of the summer. Both slingclips.com and clipandsling.com domain names are registered to Sling Media, though those URLs currently have placeholder homepages.
The company announced Clip + Sling at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, and it was featured in a demo with CBS CEO Les Moonves. In addition to CBS, Sling inked a distribution deal with the National Hockey League to let users share bits of NHL games via the service.
According to Hirschhorn, EchoStar’s backing could help Sling land additional online-distribution agreements.
“EchoStar is one of the biggest customers for programming in the world,” he said. “Clearly, when you're an independent you're doing your five to 10 meetings with each [media] company.”
Hirschhorn, formerly chief digital officer for MTV Networks, joined Sling last November. He said he “couldn’t be more excited” about the EchoStar acquisition: “I skipped to work today.”
EchoStar and Sling expect the deal to close in the fourth quarter.
