John Freml of Pocketables reported that DISH Network is handing out free Roku 2 XD streaming devices. How strange is that? Here’s what led up to this. DISH decided to dump AMC Network channels, which consist of AMC, WE, and IFC, over a pricing dispute. Dave Schull, senior vice president of programming for DISH said "A significant portion of any pay-TV bill goes to fees for content providers like AMC 
Networks." "AMC Networks requires us to carry low-rated channels like IFC and WE to access a few popular AMC shows. The math is simple: it’s not a good value for our customers." From there, a slug fest broke out between DISH and AMC. And DISH customers are pretty upset about losing hit shows like Breaking Bad and Mad Men. To make matters worse, the long awaited 5th season of Breaking Bad premieres this week. So AMC is poking angry customers by allowing DISH subscribers to stream the premiere episode of the new Breaking Bad season. The AMC website also opens with a splash screen inviting Dish customers to switch to another provider.
This brings us back to the free Roku boxes. Freml called DISH to complain about the AMC situation. To appease his wrath, DISH offered Freml a Roku 2 XD and an HDMI cable at no charge. “That way,” Freml wrote, “they said, I could watch my shows through Amazon’s Instant Video service.” And to top it off, they also gave him a $10 per month discount on his DISH subscription. But giving ticked off DISH customers Roku boxes is giving angry subscribers a taste of cord-cutting. So in the long run, this may not be such a bright move.
