Disney Sues Sling TV Over Short-Term Passes for Disney Channels

Walt Disney Co. filed suit Tuesday against Dish Network’s streaming unit Sling TV, accusing the pay television service of distributing Disney-owned networks inside newly launched short-term subscription packages without permission. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeks to force Dish to comply with Disney’s existing licensing terms and to remove Disney channels from Sling’s Day, Weekend and Week passes, which were introduced earlier this month.

Disney said the passes, which grant access to a selection of channels for 24 hours, a weekend or a week, violate the companies’ license because the existing agreement authorizes distribution only on a monthly subscription basis. A Disney spokesperson said the offerings were made available without Disney’s knowledge or consent and that the company asked the court to require Dish to honor the terms of the licensing deal when it distributes Disney programming. According to the court filing system, Disney and ESPN filed a motion to file parts of the case under seal and an initial complaint was not publicly posted as of Tuesday evening.

Sling’s minibundles start at 4.99 for the Day Pass, 9.99 for...