Cable TV has fewest subscribers since 1992, YouTube TV is the only riser
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Maybe if their model didn't absolutely suck, they wouldn't be in this situation.
1. Streaming was never what people wanted. We wanted a la carte channel selections from cable providers. Let me go down a checklist and literally only pay for the channels I subscribe to. I would have never left.
2. Woo your customers to keep them with good service and high uptimes, don't trap them with ETF's.
3. Don't raise your prices for no damn reason every year and make people fight to get a better rate, or only give the discounts to 'new' subscribers while screwing your real bread and butter, the long-term customers.
With those simple changes, had they been implemented 25 years ago, the industry wouldn't be in the place it is now.
1. Streaming was never what people wanted. We wanted a la carte channel selections from cable providers. Let me go down a checklist and literally only pay for the channels I subscribe to. I would have never left.
2. Woo your customers to keep them with good service and high uptimes, don't trap them with ETF's.
3. Don't raise your prices for no damn reason every year and make people fight to get a better rate, or only give the discounts to 'new' subscribers while screwing your real bread and butter, the long-term customers.
With those simple changes, had they been implemented 25 years ago, the industry wouldn't be in the place it is now.
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Same. The moment current Jeopardy! episodes start streaming, I'm kissing cable goodbye.
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Paying cable prices for non-cable streaming packages doesn't make it less cable-y.
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Considering Sirius XM's rising subscriber count over the years, I don't think linear media is played out quite yet.
The problem with linear TV in my view is 3 things:
1. Linear TV networks haven't been able to figure out what value they add without just being a media distribution point. This is arguably their biggest problem. I think there's an answer to this, and it's one that TV networks targeted at kids figured out in the 90s and 2000s (think: Nick, Disney, Cartoon Network), which is to have both a comprehensive brand identity and comprehensive brand experience. Growing up, watching each of those networks (and visiting their websites) was like hanging out at a different friend's house. There was a legitimate experience that went along with watching those networks that added value, and I haven't really seen too many networks today that still do that.
2. In the case of cable, it's stupidly expensive. I would not pay more than $20 a month for any type of media subscription at this point, because there's no one that offers anything with that level of value. An added problem is that because of how tightly everything is bundled, it's hard to tell which channels still offer value, because even at the lowest level of cable subscription you're still dropping dozens of channels.
3. Ads. Bumpers and shorts are fun and help create the experience mentioned in 1, but I do not want to pay significant money for a product or service and still be subjected to ads.
The problem with linear TV in my view is 3 things:
1. Linear TV networks haven't been able to figure out what value they add without just being a media distribution point. This is arguably their biggest problem. I think there's an answer to this, and it's one that TV networks targeted at kids figured out in the 90s and 2000s (think: Nick, Disney, Cartoon Network), which is to have both a comprehensive brand identity and comprehensive brand experience. Growing up, watching each of those networks (and visiting their websites) was like hanging out at a different friend's house. There was a legitimate experience that went along with watching those networks that added value, and I haven't really seen too many networks today that still do that.
2. In the case of cable, it's stupidly expensive. I would not pay more than $20 a month for any type of media subscription at this point, because there's no one that offers anything with that level of value. An added problem is that because of how tightly everything is bundled, it's hard to tell which channels still offer value, because even at the lowest level of cable subscription you're still dropping dozens of channels.
3. Ads. Bumpers and shorts are fun and help create the experience mentioned in 1, but I do not want to pay significant money for a product or service and still be subjected to ads.
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Last month was the 14th anniversary of us cutting the cord (years that is, not months) back in March 2009. The very first Streaming movie we watched was Wall-E which we watched on a very new Netflix streaming service on an Xbox-360.
Things have moved on a bit since then, but not having the TV on constantly all-evening droning in the background as a trojan marketing tool, was a life-changer.
Things have moved on a bit since then, but not having the TV on constantly all-evening droning in the background as a trojan marketing tool, was a life-changer.
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_GntlStone_
Ars Praetorian
Are you in an area that you can get a digital antenna and get the channel over the air?
A good antenna can get about 150+ mile reception, iirc.
Might be worth looking into.
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If 5G is good in your area, you could try T-Mobile or Verizon 5G internet. Then make that satisfying call canceling service from the local cable monopoly.
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One of the issues the sports leagues will have to deal with when they finally transition to streaming will be access to archived content, or replay content. Can I watch last night's game today? Next week? If was a crazy amazing game, can I keep watching it for years?
The leagues typically jealously guard their "old" content, so I'm a bit wary if the streaming choice becomes "watch it live, or miss it".
(edit): I watch sports on my cable DVR, and have games several years old still on my DVR
The leagues typically jealously guard their "old" content, so I'm a bit wary if the streaming choice becomes "watch it live, or miss it".
(edit): I watch sports on my cable DVR, and have games several years old still on my DVR
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Um, no. I want streaming, being able to watch what I want, when I want, on nearly any device with a screen and an internet connection.
A la carte channel selection was what we wanted when cable was the only option for getting an expanded selection of content into the home, but streaming is, to me, better. Even if cable offered a la carte channels now, I'm not going back to it from streaming.
If you meant that nobody really ever wanted to stream their cable TV service, that's somewhat true, except that services like Hulu + Live TV and YoutubeTV tend to provide a better value, due to having to actually compete for customers. However, streaming cable still provides some benefits, like being able to set recordings even if not home, and often the ability to watch while away from home. My mom was able to use her YoutubeTV account to watch TV at my place when she visited.
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News and live sports are the only reasons to have cable TV. Well, and apparently, Jeopardy! per this thread.
After going years with no cable TV subscription, I ended up with YouTube TV to watch basketball. I tried a few other services and they just sucked. If I had the option to pay less to watch and record just my local basketball team, I wouldn't even bother. Some family members and roommates have been sharing it and watching other stuff like cooking shows, news, but if I weren't fronting the $70+/mo. for the service, I'm not sure they'd even care enough to pool their money and watch.
After going years with no cable TV subscription, I ended up with YouTube TV to watch basketball. I tried a few other services and they just sucked. If I had the option to pay less to watch and record just my local basketball team, I wouldn't even bother. Some family members and roommates have been sharing it and watching other stuff like cooking shows, news, but if I weren't fronting the $70+/mo. for the service, I'm not sure they'd even care enough to pool their money and watch.
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Since I don't watch sports, I have less-than-zero desire for live TV so YTTV is irrelevant. And cable has dug its own grave, being intransigent to their viewers' (and apparently their content providers') desires for so very damn long. There is nothing they have that I want - especially not shady business practices on top of poor selection, rigid channel bundles, and ads.
I would have preferred one streaming service to have everything, but I think that's too progressive for media-IP companies to swallow. Still, with my business internet plan, I have most of the major streaming services and still pay over $60/month less than I did the last time I had cable service.
The only thing going for cable providers at this point is that they are also internet providers. And I want that to stop, too. Replace it with municipal internet everywhere.
I would have preferred one streaming service to have everything, but I think that's too progressive for media-IP companies to swallow. Still, with my business internet plan, I have most of the major streaming services and still pay over $60/month less than I did the last time I had cable service.
The only thing going for cable providers at this point is that they are also internet providers. And I want that to stop, too. Replace it with municipal internet everywhere.
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I've looked at YTTV, but being only a few bucks cheaper than my current DiSH subscription. Two reasons why not made the switch. 1. YTTV does not offer Magnolia Network (formerly DiY Network) so add another $7/month for Discovery+ (which is not same as what you get on YTTV, DirectTV, DiSH, etc.). 2. When the Internet craps out with DiSH I can at least still watch TV while waiting for the local cable company to fix the damaged caused to their equipment when someone crashes into their pole or takes out of the equipment box on the side of the road. Suppose worse case scenario if I didn't have DiSH we could pick out a DVD or two from our massive collection to watch until service is restored.
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Youtube TV offers their own cloud DVR service, with unlimited storage, so the answer is mostly yes. You can, indeed, watch that game today, tomorrow, next week, or next month. The one hitch is that you can't retain it for years, as they only retain recordings for nine months.
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In the case of my apartment complex, that translates to charging $85/mo for 300Mbps down / 10 Mbps up + cable that nobody asked for... It's baked into the lease. Given the fact that there's about 60 buildings in my apartment complex, with 16 apartments per building, that's several hundred bogus cable subscriptions right there. For reference, 1Gbps down from the same ISP costs $55/mo. I hate this model.
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If you don't have cable you don't give financial support to "news" channels you disagree with, music channels without music, religious channels without godliness, and entertainment channels without entertainment.
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We've been cable-free for decades, and whenever I run across a TV with cable I'm reminded why. These days what we watch is mostly stuff on YouTube, and there's enough content there alone to occupy more time than I have available to watch. Baseball games, for example, are available as condensed highlights if I care to watch. Ditto football and most other sports. Recently, the New Yankee Workshop episodes have been appearing, with the predictable result of adding to my project list and generating sales for manufacturers of cool woodworking tools. (Curse you, Norm Abram!)
My wife has been drooling over some woodturning videos, and last evening we watched one about bowl turning using a clever fixture to cut nested bowls from a single blank. The public library has a huge collection of DVDs, many of which are movies we'd like to watch and have never gotten around to. Netflix and Amazon Prime have some good stuff too...so there's really no reason to put up with cable TV.
My wife has been drooling over some woodturning videos, and last evening we watched one about bowl turning using a clever fixture to cut nested bowls from a single blank. The public library has a huge collection of DVDs, many of which are movies we'd like to watch and have never gotten around to. Netflix and Amazon Prime have some good stuff too...so there's really no reason to put up with cable TV.
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To tack on, I used to try to DVR some of the shows I liked, only for many of the DVR recordings failing to tape the because sports ran long. When streaming them became an option. ditching cable was easy. Knowing that my money was no longer going towards Fox News was the clincher.
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_GntlStone_
Ars Praetorian
I love me some wood turning videos! There's something meditative almost in watching the spinning form taking shape.
Have you started watching the ones that are wood + epoxy yet? Talk about amazingly beautiful. And I love that it usually takes "scrap wood" and makes it into something beautiful and functional.
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They can feel free to steal my idea: auto-churn. If I want Disney+ in Jan, Netflix in Feb, HBO Max in March etc I can do that myself now with some effort and bother.
Why doesn't Roku or another hardware maker just offer to automate the process for me? They get a competitive advantage over other TVs, they get valuable viewing behavior, I just give my credit card to Roku and they charge the average of my monthly fee, or different fees depending on what I subscribe to any given month.
It can't be "illegal" somehow because I can do it, so why can't they? Somebody will figure this angle out and will suddenly have a direct line to a lot of streaming customers while the streamers lose that direct connection.
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_GntlStone_
Ars Praetorian
I believe there are browser plugins that will allow you to download YT videos and music for archival purposes. Which is also great if you are going off grid for a while and want some on the go entertainment.
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At the current rate of subscriber losses I can't see paid linear TV surviving into the 2030's unless it's equipment agnostic like YouTube TV.
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I finally got around to canceling my cable subscription of 12 years.
I was already wanting to cancel cable over the mandatory carriage fees that Fox was extracting from users, and CNN's recent fiasco made me not want to contribute any money to either of them, let alone both.
So, snip.
I was already wanting to cancel cable over the mandatory carriage fees that Fox was extracting from users, and CNN's recent fiasco made me not want to contribute any money to either of them, let alone both.
So, snip.
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1. We have a la carte now and have had it for a long time, you can buy things directly from Amazon, Apple, etc. My favorite new thing is to get Amazon credits for foregoing fast shipping, which I spend on stuff like Star Trek Strange New Worlds via Amazon so I don't have to bother subscribing to Paramount+ ever. It's more expensive to buy a la carte but that's a given, that's true in restaurants too.
2. Exchange Traded Funds? I'm lost. As usual.
3. If they raise prices, I churn. They end up getting less money from me than if they'd keep the price low enough not to trigger my churn gene.
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Wow I think you first subscribed to cable around the same time I cancelled.
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Between cable prices, the exorbitant fees needed to stream every service that puts all of their IP behind a paywall and that ‘advertising’ TV in the other ArsTechina article, I’m so glad I’ve built up the dvd and recorded collection from hell. I’m set when things go really to shit.
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Because they are all paid linear TV services. Cable, Satellite, IPTV or OTT all pay the same channel owners to sell channel bundles to subscribers.
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Point 1 - Why would the channel owners ever agree to that? look at Disney's most recent blackout because they wanted to make the local affiliates they own part of the cable bundle in those areas. For the channel owners it's vastly more profitable to force everyone to pay for every channel they offer than allow people to pick and choose.
Point 3 - The prices rise every year because the channel owners increase their prices every year and the cable companies pass it on.
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I almost preempted this reply because I just knew someone was going to "to be faaaaairrrr" my ass.
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Most these leagues already stream all their games somewhere, so this seems like a solved problem. Mainly you get access the the most recent games. The big issue I have is I am unable* to watch my local teams on those streaming services, as they blackout in-market teams.
*VPN will get you around that usually
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Pushing 70 here and have had FIOS internet only since the start of COVID, when I dumped Comcast (yes, I'm lucky to have a choice).
FIOS and Comcast used to be two peas in a pod, with essentially the same costs and speeds. At some point, FIOS went to 200/200 internet only for $40/mo. That's not a typo, and I have had it for almost 3 years now. Compare to Comcast internet only 100/15 for $80/mo. It wasn't even a contest, as Comcast internet had been requiring a modem reset weekly. Oh, and no equipment rental charges on FIOS either.
IMHO, the US is becoming an internet embarassment. We need a national gigabit initiative, to connect every house in the country to high quality gig fiber. Subsidised if necessary by the government, because the POTS system is gone (as it should be) and we need a replacement that is independent of profit-making companies, because they will keep the infrastructure as basic (i.e.: cheap) as possible while raising rates as high as possible.
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I think they mean Early Termination Fees, where the customer is in a 1-2 year contact for TV service.
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I have always been curious how many people are paying retail price for that.
Every single year my father calls to cancel XM and winds up with a renewal offer somewhere between $49 and $60 a year.
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Oh, yeah...and she's practicing on stuff from the woodpile, learning about different kinds of wood and how they behave. Ominously, she's suddenly taken an interest in undefended trees. "Hmmm...I bet I could get a nice turning out of that." The power line pruning crew was by recently and hacked back a maple under the lines. I'm thinking it may soon get shorter by a lot.
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Does feature any motorsports stuff? Looking at a recent IMSA email, it looks like IMSA might broadcast on regular old NBC. I would & have in the past signed up for NBC Gold for a month for the Tour de France.
If you/others know that (motor/bicycle) races aren't available or have stupid blackout rules, I'll just keep not watching except when I can go in person.
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It is for me. Navigating all of the separate streaming sports services to cover just the professional football, hockey, basketball, and baseball in my region while also avoiding blackouts and location-based restrictions is a steep hill to climb.
My realistic options are cable or pirated streams, which has landed me on the ‘keep paying for cable’ side for now. Since my cable company no longer offers true broadcast and has switched entirely to streaming-only (TiVo based) devices with poor performance, inconsistent quality, and less than perfect reliability the gap between the two has become a coin-flip. Might be time to brush up on my early-pandemic sea shanties when my current promotional pricing period expires…
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I'm suffering from crappy tv fatigue. It's just too much effort to wade through the junk to find a show I might be interested in so I rarely do anymore, i don't need 200+ channels of garbage. Even streaming is getting that way, I'll subscribe to netflix or disney for a few shows I like, then try to find something else interesting to watch but usually lose interest while searching.
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I find that I still watch local tv OTA since we have a decent local news channel plus some major market stations from just outside my area. I won't get rid of my antenna after having my cable provider (Spectrum) be down for multiple days during the middle of a major brushfire, where I relied on the local news to know what was happening.
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One point that is not mentioned in this article or by commentors here, Comcast's cable TV stream is only 720p nowadays for most channels and the compression quality is horrible. Almost unwatchable even. Bad enough that my wife even notices.
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I agree entirely that you're right about point 1, and what's more, the discount for removing channels would have been much smaller than people thought.
Instead of getting 100 channels for $100, maybe they would have paid $80 for 30 channels - the cost per channel would have been a lot more with fewer people subscribing to them.
I still think people imagined that if they paid $100 for 100 channels they could pay $20 for 20 channels, and that was never going to happen.
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