Sony to Launch Streaming TV Service in Two Weeks
The entertainment juggernaut will reportedly roll out its inaugural cord-cutter offering in Chicago, New York and Philadelphia.
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Sony is finally joining the cord-cutting club.
The entertainment and electronics juggernaut is gearing up to launch its long-anticipated PlayStation Vue streaming TV service within the coming two weeks, reports The Wall Street Journal.
Related: Looking to Cut the Cable Cord? Dish Network's Sling TV Is Now Available to Everyone.
News of the imminent offering -- available only for Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 gaming consoles initially and eventually coming to iPads and other mobile devices -- arrives on the heels of competitor Dish Networks' Feb. 9 Sling TV launch.
The service -- aimed at young, streaming-savvy gamers and originally kicked off in beta last November -- will launch in Chicago, New York and Philadelphia upon completion of invite-only tests in each city, Sony Computer Entertainment president Andrew House told the Journal. Nationwide availability is slated for the end of the year.
Related: Is Apple Getting Actually Getting Into the Web TV Game?
Sony hasn't yet revealed how much PlayStation Vue subscriptions will cost. Dish Networks, however, charges Sling TV customers $20 per month. Underscoring the snowballing exodus away from traditional cable providers, Re/code reports that Sling TV has already attracted at least 100,000 U.S. users in its first month.
Setting it apart from Sling TV, PlayStation Vue allows users to not only watch content on demand, but also record shows for playback later. Not surprisingly, the service streams some of the same channels as Sling TV, like the Food Network. Also in Vue's 75-plus channel lineup are Bravo, CBS, Comedy Central, Fox Sports, FX, MTV, NBC, Nickelodeon, TLC and VH1.
Related: Roku Founder: Say Goodbye to Cable Boxes and Hello to TV Apps
