No longer satisfied with being a mere shareholder, Echostar, the satellite broadcasting service that offers Dish Network, has paid nearly four hundred million dollars ($400 million) for SlingMedia, the maker of the popular Slingbox cable device. Allowing you to watch your television signal from anywhere in the world and from just about any device with an internet connection, the Slingbox let’s travelers have a slice of home by accessing their cable channel lineup. Other products Sling has been working on include a social networking site which would allow users to mix and share video clips.

Charles Ergen, President of Echostar, stated in a press release that “acquisition of Sling Media will allow us to offer innovative and convenient ways for our customers to enjoy their programming on more displays and locations, including TVs, computers and mobile phones.”

That’s certainly good news for the consumer. For if Echostar can incorporate Sling capability into it’s satellite boxes, it could be just the leg up Dish Network needs to compete with the eight hundred pound gorilla known as DirecTV – who has a hammer lock on such exclusive programming as NFL Sunday Ticket. And competition means better service and perhaps more bang for the consumer’s entertainment buck.

Source: Daily Variety