Sling TV, one of the first online streaming alternatives to cable television, is slashing prices by 40% for the first three months to attract more subscribers.

Sling’s basic plans are now priced at $15 a month, with more deluxe tiers available for $25 a month for new customers.

As competitors pick up new customers, a significant number are coming from Sling TV, which is known for having one of the smallest channel lineups in the streaming industry, and DirecTV Now, which has been raising prices. To protect its flank, Sling TV is cutting prices to win back old customers and attract new ones.

Sling still has the biggest customer base among streamers with an estimated 2.42 million customers at the end of 2018. But other providers are catching up:

• Sling TV: Has 2.42 million customers, but added less than 50,000 new customers in the last quarter of 2018.
• YouTube TV: Estimated at 1 million subscribers, picking up 400,000 new customers in the fourth quarter of 2018.
• Hulu TV: Now up to 1 million customers, Hulu added 500,000 new customers in the last three months of 2018.
• DirecTV Now: Lost 267,000 subscribers in the fourth quarter, ending 2018 with 1.6 million subscribers, down from 1.86 million as of Sept. 30.