Fear Streaming Madness

24 Aug, 2015 By: Erik Gruenwedel

Over-the-top video, like mortal beings, apparently is vulnerable to flesh-eating zombies.

Dish Network-owned Sling TV encountered its second high-profile streaming miscue Aug. 24 during the premiere of AMC Networks’ “Fear the Walking Dead.” The companion series to AMC outward hit “The Walking Dead” moved the premise of undead in the Southeast onto unsuspecting citizens of Los Angeles.

The premiere was a monstrous ratings hit: Generating 10 million cable viewers — a record for the pay-TV industry. While part of the show’s appeal is watching ordinary people deal with a typically short-lived interaction with zombies, Sling killed the suspense via technical glitches.

Cord-cutters (such as myself) were subjected to dark screens on multiple occasions as the subscription streaming service completely shut down during the episode.

“We're aware some of you had issues last night. Apologies if you saw an interruption. The team is on it: more details to come,” Sling tweeted.

Sling, which offers OTT access to about 20 pay-TV channels (ESPN, TNT, AMC, CNN, etc.), encountered similar issues shortly after launching in February with NCAA’s March Madness, and more recently the finale of “Pretty Little Liars.”

In an Aug. 24 email response, Sling acknowledged the issue and to its credit offered a solution.

“We sincerely apologize that you experienced difficulties last night. The good news is that this issue has been resolved and the content can be viewed on lookback as part of AMC's 3 Day Original Content Look Back feature. Simply go to the episode on your timeline and select watch,” the Sling support team said.

Fear Streaming Madness

About the Author: Erik Gruenwedel