Not so long ago, we heard about potential plans to roll out short-term passes on the Sling TV platform owned by Dish Network. Entertainment giant Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) recently posed an objection to that plan in the form of a lawsuit. The move was welcomed by investors, as evidenced by the modest rise in Warner’s share prices in the closing minutes of Wednesday’s trading.
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Warner asserts that the Passes concept—which allow users to subscribe to Sling TV for a short time—violates the terms of the distribution agreement set up with Sling. Warner was not the only one to file suit, either; Disney (DIS) and ESPN also stepped in citing the same point. From Warner’s court filings: “Dish’s brazen actions are causing and will continue to cause irreparable harm to Programmers. The Passes undermine Programmers’ business model, which depends on monthly subscriptions.”
Dish Network and Sling parent company Echostar (SATS) declined to comment, though did note that it does not comment on “…active litigation matters.” It then commented, in roundabout fashion, declaring, “Sling TV has broken the mold of expensive, rigid bundles with flexible Sling Orange Day, Weekend and Week Pass subscriptions – pay-as-you-want instant access. This customer-first model challenges the old guard’s outdated pricing playbook, exposing their dependence on market power and resistance to change. With no long-term contracts and lower costs, Sling puts control back in the hands of subscribers, signaling a shift toward competition that puts consumer value ahead of monopolistic control.”
April Showers Bring Warner Splits
While we have known that the split between Warner Bros. and Discovery Global was only a matter of time away, no one knew just how much time would crop up between here and there. A new report from David Zaslav himself suggests that the split is set to hit in April 2026.
Zaslav noted that everything was “…on track.” There were no real issues stopping the split, no regulators to appease, and no shareholders to consult. So it was all a matter of getting everything together and actually pulling the trigger, which should take about another six months or so to accomplish.
Is WBD Stock a Good Buy?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating on WBD stock based on eight Buys and seven Holds assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 76.66% rally in its share price over the past year, the average WBD price target of $14 per share implies 12.13% upside potential.
