*By Carlo Versano*
While the television industry rapidly consolidates and cord-cutting spreads, Sling TV envisions a future where bundles are things of the past, and customers watch programming on an "à la carte" basis.
Warren Schlichting, the company's EVP and group president, spoke to Cheddar on Monday from Denver Startup Week about the ever-changing media landscape.
"I don't want to pay for things I'm not watching," he said, channeling the mantra of the 2.3 million cord-cutters who make up Sling's customer base.
Sling, an OTT service owned by Dish ($DISH), recently [expanded](https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/nielsen-in-deal-to-provide-digital-ad-ratings-for-sling-tv) a partnership with ratings firm Nielsen to digitally measure ad campaigns that run on the service. Advertisers on traditional television have long relied on Nielsen's famously complex ratings metrics, while OTT allows for a more targeted approach.
"Nielsen is the currency of linear television," said Schlichting, noting that the partnership will help Nielsen ratings become the "currency" for streaming as well.
Sling's customer base still pales in comparison to that of a major cable provider. But the metric that matters is growth, Schlichting said.
It's no secret that cable growth is slowing ー see Comcast's ($CMCSA) Sky deal as evidence ー while streaming is on the rise.
One of the business challenges with an OTT service like Sling has been the unpredictability of user patterns ー unbound by long-term contracts, customers tend to leave, come back, then repeat. It's a new kind of consumer who follows the content. Schlichting said that is precisely why Sling has expanded its offerings to include pay-per-view and VOD products.
"There's all sorts of ways you interact with Sling," he said.
According to a [study](https://www.emarketer.com/content/more-than-half-of-us-consumers-watch-subscription-ott-video-2018) by eMarketer last month, cord-cutting will grow by 33 percent this year, and the number of people who subscribe to at least one OTT service will rise to just over half the U.S. population. There's still about [90 million](https://www.recode.net/2018/1/23/16857600/netflix-hulu-cable-streaming-tv-movies-david-letterman-chart) Americans who pay $100 a month or so for cable ー all potential Sling customers, in Schlichting's estimation.
"We like our chances," he said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/sling-tv-eyes-more-targeted-advertising-with-nielsen).
Meta announced its plans to join the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. This is leaving businesses and customers wondering what the tech giant has in store for the event. Nicola Mendelsohn, the vice president of the global business group at Meta, joined Cheddar News to preview what the tech giant will discuss at this year's festival. "We're going to be showcasing more about reels. We're going to be talking about our commerce solutions, are messaging solutions, and of course, the method of us speaking of new ways to kind of connect with customers," she said.
On today's episode of On The Job: Cheddar gets a look at how the salon and beauty industry has pivoted throughout the pandemic; Mark Brim, President of Aquent's Recruiting Division Vitamin T, breaks down how remote work has transformed hiring and recruiting process across the board;
Julie Bauke, President & Chief Career Strategist at The Bauke Group, breaks down why companies are being 'ghosted' by new hires, and what repercussions can come from this.
Mark Brim, President of Aquent's Recruiting Division Vitamin T, joins On The Job to discuss how remote work has transformed hiring and recruiting process across the board, and the latest trends surrounding remote hiring across the globe.
Julie Bauke, President & Chief Career Strategist, The Bauke Group, joins Cheddar to discuss the phenomenon of new hires accepting jobs and quitting before their first day of work, and how ghosting one company may come back to bite you when you find a job you really want.
Miami's real estate market has boomed since early 2020, thanks to an overall strong housing market, remote work, and no income tax as incentives. The city is preparing to welcome even more residents as people relocate to warmer climates to work from home. Garrett Derderian, director of market intelligence at SERHANT, joined Cheddar to discuss the Magic City's red hot market.
Paul Tracey, Founder & CEO of Innovative Technologies, and author of 'Delete The Hacker Playbook' and 'Cyber Storm', joins Cheddar to discuss the most effective ways to protect small businesses from cyber attacks, the labor shortage's effects on cybercrime, and how businesses and employees can stay cyber secure while working from home.
A lot has changed since the pandemic began back in march 2020. COVID-19 caused a huge disruption in the U.S. labor force that is just beginning to normalize. As of last month, about 96% of jobs lost in the pandemic have returned. Still, where people work now looks very different from two years ago. Cheddar's Shannon Lanier looks at where the jobs are now and where they aren't.
