Future of Cable TV

Does anyone watch Sling TV now, the two year old service of Dish satellite? They have two basic packages, for $20 primarily Disney package including ESPN, Disney Channel, Freeform and others, or for $25 a collection of networks of broad interest like CNN, TruTV, Bravo, BBCAmerica, IFC, etc.

Yes, I have sling blue.

Quote: Evenbob

Right now I'm taken with Homeland
on Hulu. The acting is riveting, the
story line finely developed. It's a
masterpiece and deserves every
award it's won. There's a long scene
in season two that has the finest
acting I've seen in a TV series. It
took 17 episodes to get there,
for it to be as powerful as it was.
You could never do that in a
movie.

Have you gotten to season 3 yet?

Season 3 sucked. I stopped watching halfway through.

But apparently it rebounds in later seasons. I'd like to catch up, but the idea of having to go back through season 3 is daunting.

Quote: ams288

Have you gotten to season 3 yet?
.

I gave up in season 4, the whole series turned
to crap. It's just the writers baiting us with
gotcha storylines. Plus the series lead character
having a mental breakdown at least once a
season got really old. I hate her character and
it's hard to watch a show when you wish the
lead actor would just shut up.

I hate sports.

I wish I could purchase a cable package without any of the sports channels. I hate to think about how much money I spend every month because I'm forced to include the sports channels in my bundle.

I have AT&T Uverse (apparently it's not called Uverse anymore though??). It seems like they are trying to wind down the Uverse TV service and migrate everyone over to DirecTV. They keep trying to get me to switch to DirecTV and they tell me the NFL Sunday package will be included. I just laugh and tell them hell no.

Quote: ams288

They keep trying to get me to switch to DirecTV and they tell me the NFL Sunday package will be included. I just laugh and tell them hell no.

I feel that way when I get offers from satellite TV companies telling me they now have more dubbed programming.

Quote: ams288

I wish I could purchase a cable package without any of the sports channels.

You can't purchase cable TV packages without sports. If you get BLUE package of Sling TV for $25 a month then it doesn't have ESPN, but it does have the much cheaper sports networks.

NFL Network
NBC Sports Network
Comcast SportsNet
Fox Sports Networks**
Fox Sports 1
Fox Sports 2

Quote: Pacomartin

There were a lot of articles that said if ESPN is collecting $7 per TV household today, that only 1/5 of the households would purchase it if it was ala carte. So the logic was that ESPN would cost at least 5*$7=$35 if it was ala carte. Commercial revenue may adjust as well.

The biggest problem is that ESPN and broadcast in general keeps doubling their contract with the NFL, so they have to keep increasing revenue.

This will hit the NFL sooner or later, then I will really be smiling. Though the NFL seems to be leaning towards longer contracts to lock in rates, they probably see it cannot continue forever. Attendance is level to falling at games, ratings are falling as well. After a 50 year run the NFL may be looking at flat TV revenue long term.

The al a carte question is what will fans pay? Will they pay $35? I doubt many would. Will 10% pay $70? Then of course the ad revenue starts to collapse. I just look at the quant and do not see a math way out of the position they are in. Disney is of course a deep pocket and can and will deny the problem for a few years. Most parent companies will put up with flat revenue and profit from a subsidiary. But let it fall or turn into a loss and the board of directors has to act.

Youtube TV has launched for $35. It does include the Disney channels like ESPN, Disney, and Freeform. All the Turner channels are missing.
CNN
TNT
TBS
Cartoon Network
Adult Swim
truTV

The NFL Network and NFL Redzone are absent.

But it does include a DVR.

Well, I am glad we have choices. I prefer the channel line-up, and subscribe, to the $25 Sling TV Blue service.