- Mike Shields, Mediaweek

NEW YORK Sling Media -- makers of the innovative, though still yet-to-crack-the-mainstream Slingbox -- has quietly rolled out Sling.com, an online video site which aggregates full-length episodes of current and classic network TV series.

Sling.com’s content lineup and user interface echo similar efforts in the race to create a singular online destination for professionally produced content, such as NBC Universal/News Corp’s joint venture Hulu.com, Comcast’s Fancast and Joost. The site features ad-supported episodes of current hits such as The Simpsons, CSI: Miami and Two and a Half Men, as well as classics like Falcon Crest.

The new site is free to all consumers and thus not limited to Slingbox owners -- though it does include features which are unique to that audience. For example, Slingbox owners can watch live TV on Sling.com via their PCs without having to download any software or hook up any hardware.

It appears as though Sling Media is looking to broaden its appeal beyond the gadget-loving, early adopter crowd to the larger and still growing audience for online video. To date, the company’s focus has been the Slingbox, a device which enables consumers to receive live or recorded TV from their local cable provider, regardless of where they are located. The product would appear to appeal mostly to TV junkies who travel frequently, particularly sports fans that don’t want to miss events that are only being broadcast in their home markets. Sling provides a similar offering for mobile devices.