DISH Rolls Out International Streaming Video Channels On Roku For $19.99 A Month

A number of cable, satellite, and IPTV providers have introduced TV Everywhere services that let viewers watch TV content online. But satellite TV provider DISH will be the first to introduce a standalone subscription TV service over-the-top, with the launch of its new DISHWorld package of international channels rolling out on the Roku streaming box.

DISHWorld is made up of a series of international video channels from and makes them available on Roku for as little as $19.99 a month. The service allows DISH to take a bunch of content that doesn’t usually have a huge audience, and doesn’t cost a whole helluva lot to license, and make it available to niche audiences. And Roku is already a pretty popular device for watching international content.

According to the Roku blog, DISHWorld has more than 50 international channels, including:

A bunch of Arabic channels exclusive to DISH, including MBC, Al Arabiya, and Al Jazeera
Hindi channels such as aapka Colors, Sony, SET Max, Star Plus, Zee TV, B4U, and aaj Tak
Willow Cricket and TEN Cricket, which includes eight Cricket Boards and more than 150 days of live cricket a year
Seven popular television channels from Pakistan, including GEO TV, ARY Digital, and Hum TV
Four channels from Bangladesh, including ATN Bangla, Channel I, ETV Bangla, and NTV Bangla
TV Globo Internacional and PFC, which have Brazilian television programs and soccer events

So does this mean that DISH — or anyone else — could introduce a streaming package with some *ahem* more popular live channels? Like ABC, CBS or other broadcast TV channels? Maybe ESPN or cable channels like AMC or FX? Probably not. Think about it — these are networks that DISH spends very little to license, and it’s charging $20 a month. There’s probably no way that it could introduce a service of the content that most people watch and make it economically viable. That’s a bummer, but it’s just the way things are.