Dish Network has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Disney, which makes the fight over Sling TV’s unique short-term subscription plans that let people watch for as little as one day at lower prices even worse. This lawsuit questions Disney’s bundling practices, especially when it comes to ESPN, Fox One, and Fubo integrations. It could change the way pay-TV works. The case shows how tensions are rising between strict monthly licensing agreements and people’s desire for flexible, on-demand viewing.
Sling TV started offering short-term passes for $4.99 a day, aimed at events like sports without requiring a full monthly payment of $45. Disney sued Dish in 2025, saying that these violated carriage deals, but a judge ruled in Dish’s favor last November, saying that Disney had not lost any money. Now, Dish is suing Disney back, saying that they broke the Sherman Act by tying “must-have” ESPN sports content to unwanted bundles.
Dish says that Disney’s model limits competition by requiring long-term subscriptions and limiting flexible packaging as viewers move to pay-per-view styles. The lawsuit is against Disney’s ESPN Unlimited, Fubo stake, and bundling, which the plaintiff says hurts consumer choice. Warner Bros. Discovery filed similar breach claims before, but courts refused to stop Sling’s offerings.
This bundling court spotlight is bad news for programmers who depend on monthly income from multi-week events like sports, where short-term access could cause a lot of churn. Flexible options fit with the way streaming is going, but they make it hard for studios to set prices based on bundled deals. Outcomes might change how content licensing works, putting consumer-driven models ahead of traditional limits.
