Disney sues Sling TV over new short-term TV passes

Sling TV's new short-term bundles allow people to watch TV for cheap. And now Disney, a company that owns a bunch of TV channels, is suing them, arguing that the plans violate their licensing agreement.

According to Deadline, Disney filed a lawsuit against Sling TV over its new "Day Pass" system which lets users pay as little as $4.99 for 24 hours of access to a selection of live TV channels, or a little more money for a weekend or even a full week of access. One of those channels is ESPN, a valuable Disney property.

According to Disney, these new tiny bundles violate the existing carriage agreement the company had with Sling.

“Sling TV’s new offerings, which they made available without our knowledge or consent, violate the terms of our existing license agreement,” Disney told Deadline. “We have asked the court to require [Sling parent company] Dish to comply with our deal when it distributes our programming.”

Disney claimed in the suit that Sling never consulted Disney before offering these passes. The concept is, admittedly, very different from how cable or cable-alternative options usually work; simply paying $5 so you can watch one football game, for example, is kind of a game-changer. It's also worth noting that college football, which largely airs on Disney networks, starts in earnest this weekend.

Sling also told Deadline that it stands behind the decision to launch the passes and plans on defending itself. My advice for anyone interested in these day passes would be to use 'em while you still can.