*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).
Ariel Kaye, founder and CEO of home goods business Parachute, joined Cheddar to discuss the company's sales success over the holidays as it navigated supply chain issues. She also expects a strong showing in 2022 with the continuation of 2021 trends. "The hybrid work model is going to be here for a long time," Kaye said. The business, which currently has 12 physical locations, plans to expand to 30 brick-and-mortar shops by the end of 2022.
Nikola announced that it delivered its first electric semi trucks last week, sending the embattled EV company's stock soaring. There is a lot of competition in this space, though, said Lauren Fix, an automotive analyst with Car Coach Reports. While every country has companies racing to dominate the electric trucking industry, she explained, a shortage of graphite, used in batteries, and a dearth of convenient charging stations will still keep growth slow in 2022. "You really have to be very careful when you're investing in this marketplace," Fix said. "That's great that [Nikola was] able to deliver one, but can they deliver more?"
It looks like the supply chain didn't steal Christmas this year after all. Retail sales jumped 8.5 percent between November 1 and December 24, compared with the same period last year, according to a report from Mastercard. That's the strongest growth in 17 years. Jharonne Martis, director of consumer research at Refinitiv, joined Cheddar to discuss how retailers were able to do so well despite inflation, supply chain issues, and the COVID-19 omicron variant but gave a subdued outlook for the retail sector at the beginning of 2022. "Consumers are not just completely isolated from the inflation issues," she said. "This is definitely going to continue into the first half of the year, as per our IFR data."
Hotel cancellations are on the rise ahead of the holidays as the omicron variant spreads around the world. Online hotel search site Trivago noted a 35 percent jump in cancellations since November. Axel Hefer, managing director and CEO at Trivago, joined Cheddar to discuss this worrying trend. Hefner said it is important for both travelers and businesses to watch how the 2021-2022 winter travel season unfolds as it will help them prepare for next year as the pandemic will likely be ongoing.
Markets opened slightly higher to kick off the final trading week of the year as investors continue to watch the Omicron variant in the U.S. Sean O'Hara, President, Pacer ETFs joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss what drove early market activity.
Eric Mitchell, Sports Analyst and President & CEO of LifeFlip Media, breaks down the updated rules around testing in the NFL and outlines how vaccinated players are impacted by new return-to-play guidelines.
Carlo and Baker kick off the weirdest week of the year with all the news you missed over the holiday weekend, including calls for the CDC to shorten its isolation window as Omicron sweeps through the country.
