DISH Satellite TV
KEY FACTS
Founded: 1986
Other Brands: Exede, Wildblue
Services: Internet, Phone, Mobile
# Subscribers: >6,750,000
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DISH is currently the second largest satellite TV provider in the United States (second to DIRECTV). While satellite has lost market share of the years, they're still a good option for rural households and folks that enjoy the Hopper experience. Over the years, the company has expanded to include Sling, a solid streaming alternative to traditional TV..
DISH TV
Our Review
8.2/10DISH has evolved quite a bit over the past handful of years. From launching their own OTT service (Sling) to shifting their satellite service to be more modular and flexibility, it's still a viable options for DISH fans and rural families...
Plans
Deals
Depending on the time of year, DISH offers a variety of perks to drive new sign-ups. Here are the bonuses they currently offer:
DISH plan savings
Popular Bundles
DISH Channel LineupNot sure which packages include your favorite channels? View them side-by-side in our interactive table.
DISH understands customer service. Since their inception, they've put a premium on customer care and retention. Their call center is nearly always available and billing/payments are particularly easy to manage (phone, online or direct payment). Over the past couple years, they've also expanded their services to include online streaming and free access to thousands of movies and recorded TV programs (giving NETFLIX a run for their money). In summary, the overall satisfaction rate among DISH customers has always been exceedingly high and for good reason. Top to bottom, it's an efficiently-managed and well-run organization.
Advantages
- Relatively good value across all plans
- Rated #1 in Customer Satisfaction (J.D. Power & Associates)
- Industry-leading DVR: Hopper (included with any plan)
- Free DISH Movie Pack (usually for 3 months)
Disadvantages
- Lack of exclusive sports channels (NFL Sunday Ticket, NASCAR HOTPASS, NCAA Mega March Madness, etc)
- Less full-time channels (basic, sports & movies) in 1080p and 4K HD
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Packages
» America's Top 120
» America's Top 200
Should you order directly from DISH?
DISH Research
Early in 2018, DISH introduced the latest member to the Hopper family, the Hopper Duo. Intended for smaller households of 1-2 TVs, it's essentially a less-expensive scaled down version of the Hopper 3, but with many of its features still intact. For starters, it's still integrated with Amazon Alexa and has Hopper's modern and easy-to-use program guide...
Frequently Asked Questions
Doesn't DISH Network also own Sling TV?
They do, though both services are largely kept independent from one another. With regard to programming, Sling TV's streaming channels somewhat mirror DISH satellite, only at a smaller scale (and price).
I read DISH is getting into mobile phone service as well. Is that true?
Yep. DISH owns a large band of wireless spectra and recently purchased Boost Mobile. They're actually the 4th largest mobile carrier now and expect that trend to continue. Down the line, expect crossover promotions with the satellite service and even Sling.
With more people cutting the cord, will DISH be around in 5-10 years?
For a lot of folks, there's certainly a draw to the smaller plans and price available with OTT. The downside is lack of live TV, unless you pay extra (eg, Hulu with live TV). At that point, prices are pretty comparable with DISH satellite. So, while streaming TV is still growing, there will always be demand for the full suite of programming with DISH TV (and its popular Hopper DVR).
