Dish Network is now throwing in a Netflix subscription for new customers

Satellite television is hanging on by a thread. The obvious solution? Add some streaming, baby! Dish Network announced on Thursday that a free, two-year Netflix subscription will be included as part of its package for all customers. Beginning today, anyone who signs on for a two-year commitment to Dish will also be able to enjoy a Netflix Standard Plan (ad-free) as part of the package at no additional cost, according to a press release. If you can’t beat ’em….

“We’re always looking for ways to simplify and elevate the viewing experience for our customers,” Gary Schanman, group president, DISH Video Services, said in a statement. “This new DISH and Netflix offer is a great opportunity to give DISH customers Netflix’s popular series and films. By bringing together the best of live TV and streaming, we’re offering convenience and access to the most sought-after content in one seamless experience.”

Bundling has come back in a big way lately. Traditional satellite television may be facing an existential crisis, but the streaming services are also trying to figure out how to survive, and in some cases that means linking up with other streaming services. Disney+ and Max have teamed up for a bundle, for example. Earlier this year Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery announced a joint streaming service for sports (“Venu Sports”) that is currently tied up in an antitrust lawsuit for at least another year. And a few months ago Comcast announced its own bundle “StreamSaver,” which includes Netflix, Apple TV+, and Peacock. Streaming’s promise to cut the cord has gotten a lot more complicated now that there are all these random configurations of services to buy into. At least the FTC is making it easier to cancel streaming subscriptions. 

Meanwhile, Dish Network is focused on keeping itself afloat; the company is reportedly dragging around $9.75 billion in debt. Some of the issues might be alleviated by a merger with DirecTV, which was announced last month. A similar merger was attempted and blocked by the FCC more than two decades ago, but since satellite TV as we know it is facing extinction, this new merger is expected to go through just to give the medium a fighting chance. Together, the merged company will be the U.S.’s largest pay-TV provider serving nearly 20 million customers—and that’s reportedly still down 63% from their peak levels in 2016. Adding a two-year Netflix subscription to its package is a band-aid on a bullet hole, but hey, it can’t hurt.