Sling cancellers returned to Sling more often than they paid a measured rival
Own-service return and rival-payment rates within 12 months of cancellation, compared with DIRECTV Stream cancellers
Share of cancellers within 12 months
Source: YipitData U.S. e-receipt panel. Sling cancellers n=4,767; DIRECTV Stream cancellers n=1,185. Sling rivals were Fubo, DIRECTV Stream, and Philo; the peer set used Sling, Fubo, and Philo. Return and rival-payment outcomes can overlap.
Chart data
| Series | Share of cancellers within 12 months |
|---|---|
| Sling — returned to Sling | 29.2% |
| Sling — paid a measured rival | 12.4% |
| DIRECTV Stream — returned | 7.6% |
| DIRECTV Stream — paid a measured rival | 15.1% |
Did measured rival-payment presence rise after Sling cancellation?
No. Among Sling cancellers, 15.9% paid one of the measured rivals in the 12 months before cancellation, compared with 12.4% in the following 12 months. The decline does not rule out individual switching, and it excludes YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, but it shows no aggregate post-cancellation increase across Fubo, DIRECTV Stream, and Philo.
When did observed Sling returns occur most often?
Observed monthly Sling returns were highest in August–September and January and lowest during summer. That timing coincides with football kickoff and the New Year playoff period, but the analysis does not provide event-level attribution and cannot show that sports caused any individual subscriber to return.
Assumptions & Methodologies
We analyzed U.S. e-receipt panelists with a prior active-service signal who canceled Sling from August 2024–August 2025 and had a complete 12-month follow-up window; n=4,767. Return meant a later Sling active signal. Measured rivals were Fubo, DIRECTV Stream, and Philo. The same design covered 1,185 DIRECTV Stream cancellers, with Sling, Fubo, and Philo as rivals. Rival presence used the 12 months before and after cancellation. YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV were not cleanly observable, making rival rates floors. Return and rival-payment outcomes can overlap. Results are panel observations, not market totals or causal effects.