It’s not so much about getting new customers as it’s about keeping current ones.
If Dish wants to keep current subscribers, they need to be more customer friendly as far as the fees go.
Now, Comcast, Charter and the Live TV Providers over the internet ( like YTTV) allow subs to access the service via a app that turns a Roku into a Cable Box, over multiple TVs, now DirecTV is doing it, no box fees at all if you wish.
I have pointed out before, I have 11 rooms with TVs, two of them gets everyday use, the rest are guest rooms or areas that barely get used, like my bedroom, the only time the TV is on is when I am putting up clothes.
With the internet, I no longer have to worry about those fees.
Let us “assume” the majority of Hopper+ problems are corrected by year end. Folks used to the Dish interface might find it an easy transition. Maybe Dish Sling will be beefed up. Maybe the consistent interface, and maybe a seamless transition to the satellite programming over to the Internet would be a good retention move.
Except the vast majority of programming on Dish and the rest of Traditional Providers is already on the internet via streaming services, either before, same day or the day after.
There already seems to be some kickback to the demand folks sub to several apps to get their desired programming.
Changing apps is just like changing channels, I do not expect to watch NBC on CBS via Traditional Channels, if I want NBC I switch to Peacock, CBS I switch to P+, etc.
With multiple bills and interfaces.
Why is this a big deal, every service gets billed to your credit card either once a month or yearly, just like Dish is, then I check my card’s bill every month, just like I did before there was streaming services, can’t figure out a few extra lines on the bill?
Same for the interface, my wife had memory issues due to her Parkinson’s like illness before she passed, she figured out the interfaces, she loved watching Discovery+ for example.
And differing rules as to DVR and trick plays and commercials.
With the Commercial Free services, no DVR needed, can still REW, Pause and FF.
Methinks some content owners over value their products.
True, but so does Traditional Providers, DirecTV is the biggest example, I read that the average bill for them is now $135 a month, along with their old as dirt equipment, yet they have lost over 50% of their subscribers during the last 7 years.
Perhaps people will migrate back to a single interface and control set.
As long as there is exclusive programming, there will always be multiple interfaces and services.
And refuse to pay more or less the same (or more) for multiple providers.
I pay less for the streaming services then a Traditional Provider, so I get all the content from Live TV plus all the exclusive stuff.
This is yearly for each service that I pay and commercial free-
Paramount+ with Showtime-$129 (all Viacom/CBS Programing)
Peacock-$50( all Universal/NBC)
AMC+-$30
Hulu with Disney+ and ESPN+-$240(all ABC/Fox/Nat Geo/Disney)
HBO-$149
Netflix-$240
OTA-Free
ABC/CBS/NBC News apps-free
Pluto/Tubi/etc-free
So a yearly total of $838, divide by 12=$69.83 a month.
I just priced a Dish 3 year offer (Top 120) with 2 boxes including HBO/Showtime-$113.99 then if you add Netflix to it as my streaming prices include it, $133.99 a month.
So a difference of $64.16 a month.
If I go without HBO, Showtime and Netflix
Streaming-$37.42 a month
Dish-$86.99
almost a $50 difference
And just do without some favored programs. Like my abandoning Dr Jeff Rocky Mtn Vet when they shifted off Animal Planet to a pay subscription. And force those “owners” to deal with satcos and cablecos.
That is the benefit of going streaming only, can pick and choose what you want, I have no desire for Discovery+ (Food Network and the likes), so I do not subscribe, with a Traditional Provider, I would be forced to pay that per sub fee
I suspect over the next 2 years, most of us are going to have to make some hard decisions. And the cost of a few select apps will exceed satco and cableco costs.
Based on the prices above, a long way to go before that happens, also would need a price freeze from the rest of the Providers so streaming can catch up.
I also expect sports will have their day of reconnecting.
I expect they will go more for streaming.
For example, over 30 million have left Live TV over the last 7 years, ESPN gets about $11 a month in per sub fees hor ESPN 1& 2.
That is now $330 Million a month they are no longer getting, $3.9 Billion in a year, this has been going on for the last 7 years as the sub count gets less and less every year.
There only option to make some of that back is going fully streaming along with offering their Traditional Channel ( so not to lose that per sub fee).
Also more sports are going streaming, once NFLST goes online ( along with Games on Peacock, P+, ESPN+), every NFL Game will be streaming next year, imagine that just 3 years ago when hardly any were on.
The only other option is hope/pray people come back to Traditional Providers, but it is too late for that, the under 40 crowd are already going without, hard to change their minds when they are used to streaming.
