Disney might kill the best streaming idea in years

Here is a 186-word summary of the news article: Disney is suing Sling TV over its Day Passes, which provide temporary, low-cost access to Sling's channel bundle, including Disney-owned ESPN. Disney claims Sling launched these passes without its consent, violating their licensing agreement. The Day Passes offer a flexible alternative to costly monthly sports channel subscriptions. Programmers like Disney have been slow to embrace such options, instead launching their own high-priced standalone services. This strategy has struggled, as viewers, especially younger ones, are deterred by the high prices. Sling argues the Day Passes expand access and could lead to more subscribers. However, Disney says Sling must pay per-subscriber fees even for these short-term passes. The dispute raises questions about how Sling structures these deals. This clash is part of a broader pattern of TV distributors and programmers resisting flexible, consumer-friendly models. Past efforts by Verizon and T-Mobile to offer customizable TV packages were shut down by lawsuits. Programmers have been slow to adapt to the decline of the traditional pay-TV bundle, and the Sling case shows they still cling to the old business model.