Stream Local Channels? Rumors About a Sling TV Solution Starting to Surface

Local broadcast channels tend to be a last remaining bastion of traditional TV consumption, as affiliate networks tend to have complicated relationships with their parental counterparts.

In other words, local broadcasters feed into the four majors ABC, NBC, FOX and CBS, and are paid associated fees depending on viewership and ad revenue. Because of this, streaming services have struggled to capture a way to offer alternative options as negotiating contracts with each local affiliate has been a daunting task, just ask Apple.

But Zats Not Funny, a TV blog, is reporting some interesting rumors that Sling TV thinks it may have found a solution. And the solution seems so straightforward and simple, we’re wondering why this hasn’t been done (we’re guessing, once again, local affiliate broadcasts complicate these things).

Related: What is Sling TV?

Basically, it appears Sling TV is working on a set top box that would include an antenna-like device to capture HDTV signals like a traditional antenna, but also plug into your TV directly allowing you to watch both local broadcasts live as well as stream premium channels straight from this device.

Details are pretty hazy right now, but we’ll be snooping around to try and figure out just exactly what’s going on with this new device. It’d be interesting to see if this is actually a big improvement in the overall ability to watch live TV or if it’s just a glorified antenna.

Developing…