*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).
Michele Schneider, Partner and Director of Trading Research & Education for MarketGauge.com, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where she says the spread of the Omicron variant and Jerome Powell's comments following the latest Fed decision are spooking investors heading into the weekend.
Andrew Hawkins, transportation editor at The Verge, joins Cheddar News' closing Bell, where he breaks down FedEx's EV truck delivery from GM's BrightDrop Company while also discussing the shipping giant's strategy following its latest earnings report.
Alinda Mashiku, Conjunction Analysis and Risk Assessment Deputy Manager at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, joins Future of Space: Humankind's Leap Forward to explain how space debris is threatening operations in space at a time when more satellites are being deployed.
Marshall Smith, Senior Vice President of Space Systems at Nanoracks and Kirk Shireman, Vice President of the Lunar Exploration Campaign at Lockheed Martin join Future of Space: Humankind's Leap Forward to discuss upcoming plans for developing their Starlab commercial space station after being awarded a $160 million contract by NASA.
Both AMC and Cinemark shares rose Friday after a pandemic-era record number of moviegoers attended the 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' opening night. The movie is expected to pull at least $150 million in box office sales opening weekend. But is this momentum enough for theater chains as the COVID-19 omicron variant poses new threats? Daniel Loria, Editorial Director at Boxoffice PRO, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
The billionaire space race took off in 2021, making major strides in space tourism. That growth is only expected to skyrocket in the next year, as the government and private institutions and companies look to shape the final frontier's exploration. Cheddar News dives into the biggest moments of the year in space, and what comes next for space travel and tourism.
While other CEOs of Southwest and American Airlines questioned current mask mandates in front of Congress, Delta CFO Dan Janki in his exclusive interview with Cheddar, was more cautious about doing away with the safety measure. "We're right now at the beginning of another wave," he said. "This is probably not the time to change mask policy." Janki also discussed his airline's future in loyalty program pricing, international travel, meal services, and stock pricing.
