Dish Network has quietly launched a new business unit it's calling the Dish Alliance Group, which will seek out strategic enterprise partnerships for Dish video services with broadband-only service providers.

“Many broadband companies offer their own video solution but increasing programming costs and a large number of internet-only customers have left many looking for alternate video solutions,” said a Dish marketing page touting the new division.

“Partnering with the Dish Referral Marketing Program through the Alliance Group gives your company a new sales and marketing arm with which to sell Dish video solutions to internet-only customers,” Dish added.

Dish PR reps didn’t immediately respond to Fierce’s inquiry for further comment and context.

The new Alliance division appears headed by five-year Dish veteran Perry Crider, who lists the unit on his LinkedIn page as “the conduit for cable companies, telcos, broadband providers, municipalities, utility, and tech companies to access the the full suite of Dish's capabilities. A partnership with Dish will allow you to grow your customer base and ARPU.”

Listed Dish products and services available for licensing under the program include not only the “flagship” Dish satellite TV service, but also virtual MVPD service Sling TV and hardware complement AirTV.

“Increase broadband sales by partnering with Dish to sell your broadband service to Dish’s new and existing customers in our industry-leading customer service with dedicated customer experience centers,” reads a letter from Crider introducing the service.

Limited to providing primarily satellite and IP-delivered video services, Dish is struggling to maintain market share against cable rivals who, in addition to wireline broadband and internet-based landline telephone services, are beginning to also bundle in wireless services into what they’re billing as value bundles to consumers.

Meanwhile, vMVPD rivals to Sling TV have identified an opportunity in the market to tie video services to small cable companies who don’t want anything to do directly with the increasingly expensive business of pay TV program licensing.

Virtual MVPD fuboTV, for example, has a partnership to license its service to small cable companies repped by the National Cable TV Cooperative.