A 2025 Pew Research Center survey found that 83 million Americans use streaming services, with Amazon Prime Video and Netflix among the most popular. Those are only two of the many options available for customers.
Unfortunately, the recent explosion of streaming services doesn’t mean that every app and provider will make it long-term. Some will be acquired, folded into other platforms or shut down altogether.
Which service is most in jeopardy?
Cord Cutters News’ Luke Bouma published an article giving his take on the five most likely streaming services to shut down. Bouma placed Sling TV at the top of the list, saying that the service, which turns 12 in January, “faces the most immediate pressure.”
“Its parent, Dish, is navigating bankruptcy proceedings while carrying billions in debt. A proposed acquisition by DirecTV collapsed after creditors intervened, leaving the live-TV streamer without a clear path to scale,” Bouma wrote. “Subscriber numbers have continued to decline, and any eventual buyer is widely expected to fold Sling’s channels into an existing platform rather than preserve a separate brand that has already lost significant market share.”
Even with the collapse of the previous acquisition attempt, Bouma believes the “most likely” scenario is that Sling TV is sold to DirecTV, with its channels being folded in.
But if that doesn’t happen, Bouma says he wouldn’t be shocked if Sling TV just shuttered altogether.
Behind Sling TV, Bouma cited Fubo, Peacock, AMC+, Starz and MGM+ as the other most likely streaming services that could be in jeopardy.
More on Sling TV
Operated by Sling TV LLC, a subsidiary of Echostar, Sling TV launched on January 5, 2015. Sling peaked at 2.6 million subscribers in 2019, and even as late as third quarter 2023, the service added a reported 117,000 subscribers, pushing its total above 2.1 million
Sling TV has recently been losing customers, however. As of May 2026, the platform was down to a reported 1.79 million subscribers.
