Dish TV and other traditional TV providers have had a rough few years, as media companies consolidate and demand more money to be included in TV services, and months-long carriage disputes shut down access for paying customers. Dish has a new idea to keep people subscribed: free Netflix.
Dish Network has announced that it will be offering a complimentary Netflix subscription for two years bundled with Dish TV service. This limited-time promotion is open new Dish customers and subscribers with a “new 24 mo. commitment.” The Netflix Standard with Ads plan is included, which usually costs $6.99 per month, an amount that can total $167.76 by the end of the two-year promotional period. You can also pay $8.50/mo to get Netflix Standard or $16.00/mo to get Netflix Premium, which is slightly cheaper than the regular prices of $15.49/mo and $22.99, respectively.
There are a lot of catches with the promotion, as you might expect from a TV provider. It requires a new 24 mo. commitment that contains an early termination fee, so if you decide a year from now to cancel Dish because another carriage dispute took out the only channels you want to watch, you’ll have to pay an undisclosed amount of money—probably more than you saved with allowing Dish to pay for your Netflix subscription. You also need to have one of Dish’s Hopper 3, Hopper Duo, or Wally receiver, so just signing up for one of Dish’s streaming plans without the hardware won’t cut it.
The Dish Hopper whole-home DVR entertainment system allows you to switch from live TV to Netflix. The Netflix account will work on more than one device and outside of your DVR, just like any other Netflix account, but if you don’t have a dedicated smart TV interface you can use the Dish DVR.
You can sign up for the offer from Dish’s website. Dish said the deal is only “for a limited time,” but didn’t mention when it will go away. Again, it requires a new 24-month commitment to Dish TV service and a compatible DVR in your home.
Source: Dish
