PS4 TV Service Now Available Nationwide, Starting at $30

One of the major drawbacks for Sony's PlayStation TV service PlayStation Vue is that it is only available in a handful of markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, and Miami. But that is no longer the case, as Sony announced today that the service is now available nationwide.

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Sony is also offering three new "Slim" packages that are available in the 203 newly launched markets. These range in price from $30 to $45, and all come with a seven-day trial. As written by Sony, these are:

• Access Slim: 55+ channels, including live cable TV, movies, and sports channels for $29.99 per month.
• Core Slim: 70+ channels, including all the channels from Access Slim with the addition of national and regional sports networks for $34.99 per month.
• Elite Slim: 100+ channels, featuring all the channels from Core Slim with the addition of more top movie and entertainment channels for $44.99 per month.

The difference between these new Slim packages and the standard ones available in the launch markets is that the Slim offerings lack live programming from ABC, Fox, and NBC; the Slim packages will instead offer video-on-demand content only. Sony noted that the majority of live content from these networks should be available on VoD within 24 hours of airing. On-demand programming from GameSpot parent company network CBS will be added "to select cities at a later date," Sony said.

Additionally, Sony said it is currently working to add live local broadcast programming to the new markets. You can visit the PlayStation Vue website for lots more on PlayStation Vue, including a rundown of channel packages and specific market availability.

The service is available on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, as well as Google's Chromecast, Amazon Fire Devices, and iPhone and iPad. Just in time for March Madness, PlayStation Vue recently added ESPN networks while a price cut has also gone into effect.

By comparison, the Xbox One's Sling TV service was already available nationwide and has featured ESPN programming since the start.