ESPN actively planning to offer linear feed directly to consumers, has deals with two leagues

[SamCdbs]

Once again, Cable and Satellite were unprofitable when they started up, for example, it took DirecTV 6 years to become profitable, Dish Network 9 years.

Once again, massive physical infrastructure. Contrasted to, pretty much, no costs save CONTENT.

Content less people wish to pay for than it costs to make.

And the profits are shrinking, DirecTV at the pace of a billion a year lost, as confirmed by AT&T COO, which gives them 4 years at the most until they are un-profitable.

You really need to pick a side, here. In one thread you claim, without any expert in agreement, that DBS/cable/linear provider TV is going out of business in four year. In another thread you claim that Disney will sell you ESPN at a loss because so many dumb people will pay for it via cable, etc, that you will get to freeload.

Pick one.

Dish Network also, 10% down in profits every year for the last few years.

Comcast, has lost 7 Million subs in the last 7 years, now losing broadband subscribers and profits are down.

Etc, etc.

Yep. DBS - profitable. Station ownership groups - profitable. Networks - profitable. Cable - profitable.

Streaming. Not profitable.

Paramount+ and Disney+ is set to be profitable next year, both within the same timeframe that it took DirecTV/Dish to become profitable.

Why? Because you wish it to be?

In 2024 _______ will be different and therefore more people will pay for these money losing streaming services than do today.

Feel free. Fill in the blank.

But does not mean all streaming will make it, as I posted before

Ahh, so these big businesses are going to continue to lose millions, if not billions of dollars on these foolish ventures.

How much better to stay with the model that worked for them and for the consumer.

By the middle of next year , more households will not have a Paid Live TV Service then do.

Because there is this guy in ________ who said to the wife, "Mary Margaret, I can't wait for 2024 because then _____________ will be different and we will get us some streaming".

Fill in the blank.

No. Actually the Market has chosen. Everybody that doesn't want paid linear television has left. Unless Disney is actually stupid enough to sell the good content a la carte (and thus eventually go bankrupt) everyone has made their choice. This is a mature market.

And if you wish to talk about unprofitable and Paid Live TV, we can bring up the RSNs.

Yes. The first of many types of content that simply cannot be profitable outside of the bundle. Just like ESPN, other sports channels, pretty much any content. Things that cannot make money, cease to be made. With the consumer unprotected, more and more content will simply go away. We will, if Iger really is that dumb, certainly see ESPN go away. Really, most everything original. No one thing is popular enough a la carte.

Enjoy the reruns, and remember you saved $4 back in 23.

 

[Bruce]

Once again, massive physical infrastructure. Contrasted to, pretty much, no costs save CONTENT.

Once again, for one example, Disney paid $3.8 Billion for BamTech, which is the tech they use for streaming, that is just one example of the ‘infrastructure‘ they need for streaming, plus servers, plus transmission, etc, etc.

Then the costs of content, which is also infrastructure for a streaming provider.

You really need to pick a side, here. In one thread you claim, without any expert in agreement, that DBS/cable/linear provider TV is going out of business in four year.

Did not say out of business, wrote unprofitable , which, based on what the COO of AT&T said, at a rate of negative one billion a year.

In another thread you claim that Disney will sell you ESPN at a loss because so many dumb people will pay for it via cable, etc, that you will get to freeload.

How is $20 a loss, per sub fees for ESPN 1 and 2 is, roughly $12, my price is $8 more.

And yes, when ESPN goes streaming, there should still be 50 Million Live TV Subscribers.

As that number gets less, it will become tougher of ESPN to maintain their same levels of profits

Something the RSNs are dealing with now.

Everybody that doesn't want paid linear television has left.

This is the perfect example of you still trolling here, if everyone has left, how do you explain the quarterly reported numbers of those leaving.

As of today, another over 500,000 left Comcast in Q2, over 200,000 left Charter in Q2, etc, etc.

Enjoy the reruns, and remember you saved $4 back in 23.

You mean the reruns on Traditional Live TV until the strikes are settled?

Here is the highlights of CBS fall schedule-

THURSDAY, SEPT. 14
8-9 PM — Big Brother (Live Show)
9-10 PM — Buddy Games (CBS series debut)
10-11 PM — The Challenge: USA

SATURDAY, SEPT. 16
8-9 PM — NCIS (Encore Episode)
9-11 PM — 48 Hours (Season 36 premiere – Two Back-to-Back Episodes)

SUNDAY, SEPT. 17
7:30-8:30 PM* — 60 Minutes (Season 56 premiere)
8:30-10:30 PM* — Yellowstone (CBS broadcast run starts with Season 1, from Paramount Network)
10:30-11:30 PM — Big Brother

Streaming will have new material for much of 2024, thanks to long production times, Paramount+ and Disney+ has enough till the middle of 2024 ( for example the 2 Star Wars and 2 Marvel shows for next year are filmed and in post production), Netflix has enough till the end of 2024.

So enjoy paying for the reality shows and reruns.

 

[Juan]

Once again, for one example, Disney paid $3.8 Billion for BamTech, which is the tech they use for streaming, that is just one example of the ‘infrastructure‘ they need for streaming, plus servers, plus transmission, etc, etc.

Then the costs of content, which is also infrastructure for a streaming provider.

Did not say out of business, wrote unprofitable , which, based on what the COO of AT&T said, at a rate of negative one billion a year.


How is $20 a loss, per sub fees for ESPN 1 and 2 is, roughly $12, my price is $8 more.

And yes, when ESPN goes streaming, there should still be 50 Million Live TV Subscribers.

As that number gets less, it will become tougher of ESPN to maintain their same levels of profits

Something the RSNs are dealing with now.

This is the perfect example of you still trolling here, if everyone has left, how do you explain the quarterly reported numbers of those leaving.

As of today, another over 500,000 left Comcast in Q2, over 200,000 left Charter in Q2, etc, etc.

You mean the reruns on Traditional Live TV until the strikes are settled?

Here is the highlights of CBS fall schedule-

THURSDAY, SEPT. 14
8-9 PM — Big Brother (Live Show)
9-10 PM — Buddy Games (CBS series debut)
10-11 PM — The Challenge: USA

SATURDAY, SEPT. 16
8-9 PM — NCIS (Encore Episode)
9-11 PM — 48 Hours (Season 36 premiere – Two Back-to-Back Episodes)

SUNDAY, SEPT. 17
7:30-8:30 PM* — 60 Minutes (Season 56 premiere)
8:30-10:30 PM* — Yellowstone (CBS broadcast run starts with Season 1, from Paramount Network)
10:30-11:30 PM — Big Brother

Streaming will have new material for much of 2024, thanks to long production times, Paramount+ and Disney+ has enough till the middle of 2024 ( for example the 2 Star Wars and 2 Marvel shows for next year are filmed and in post production), Netflix has enough till the end of 2024.

So enjoy paying for the reality shows and reruns.

Streaming is affected by the strike too


However, with the strikes in effect, production based on existing scripts is not possible, and casting for these projects is disallowed. Consequently, the release of these projects on Paramount+ will likely be pushed back to 2025.

 

[Bruce]

Streaming is affected by the strike too

Yes, they might have issues in late 2024 and 2025, unless they shorted.the times from making til airing.

Netflix is also planing for more shows out of the UK, since a lot of the actors there have a different union, called Equality.

Writers union there is The Writers' Guild of Great Britain (WGGB), neither are on strike and it is against the law there for those unions to honor the picket line of other unions.

For one example, there is going to be a Alien (based on the Ridley Scott movie) TV Series for Hulu, now filming in Europe, using actors from Equality.

However, with the strikes in effect, production based on existing scripts is not possible, and casting for these projects is disallowed.

Not unless you use actors from other unions and film elsewhere.

 

[Bruce]

Well, they do have the cash-

Amazon is Reportedly in Talks to Buy Part of ESPN From Disney | Cord Cutters News

Recently we learned that Disney was open to selling part of ESPN to a potential partner if the deal was right. This comes from a June interview with CNBC, where Disney CEO Bob Iger said he was open to partnering with other companies to make a new ESPN streaming service work including selling...

cordcuttersnews.com

 

[glrush]

ESPN could charge up to $35 per month for DTC option

As ESPN pursues a strategic partner to shift their network to a full DTC option, a potential price point is starting to emerge.

awfulannouncing.com

 

[Radioguy41]

Can we stop this silliness about what is and what isn't "Pay TV"? The only thing that isn't pay TV is that thing up on the roof called an OTA antenna, everything else, including streaming, is pay TV so while you can say X number of subs left (fill in the blank) unless they truly cut the cord totally and went to a rooftop OTA antenna, they never left pay TV, they just switched services/providers, no different than changing from DTV to Dish, or visa-versa. If you're paying a bill to receive your TV then it's PayTV, period.

 

[Don in CT]

Can we stop this silliness about what is and what isn't "Pay TV"? The only thing that isn't pay TV is that thing up on the roof called an OTA antenna, everything else, including streaming, is pay TV so while you can say X number of subs left (fill in the blank) unless they truly cut the cord totally and went to a rooftop OTA antenna, they never left pay TV, they just switched services/providers, no different than changing from DTV to Dish, or visa-versa. If you're paying a bill to receive your TV then it's PayTV, period.

The delivery method is what classifies Pay TV. Streaming over the top is not the same thing as getting all of your channels from a head end. Sure the content is similar but it's a different metric.

 

[Yespage]

Radioguy has a point though. Cut the cord in 2005 meant OTA HD locals only with Netflix maybe. Cutting the cord in 2023 means nothing. Pay TV is just consolidated these days via a cord or sat signal. You can get the exact same service with a phone line or a glass strand these days.

 

[meStevo]

Can we stop this silliness about what is and what isn't "Pay TV"? The only thing that isn't pay TV is that thing up on the roof called an OTA antenna, everything else, including streaming, is pay TV so while you can say X number of subs left (fill in the blank) unless they truly cut the cord totally and went to a rooftop OTA antenna, they never left pay TV, they just switched services/providers, no different than changing from DTV to Dish, or visa-versa. If you're paying a bill to receive your TV then it's PayTV, period.

Not really seeing the confusion in the thread prior to your post.

Cutting the cord is leaving traditional providers and going with a streaming option (some of them increasingly similar to the fee-laden traditional operators). Some who don't like these changes try and redefine these terms to make contrived points (like trying to clump YoutubeTV into their preferred providers as if subscribing to them is the same as having DirecTV - it's not) but those efforts are pretty transparently disingenuous.

Nobody is saying that isn't Pay TV. Problematic for the traditional providers is in addition to cutting the cord, many opting to not pay for TV at all is a growing segment of consumers as well - and there are more and more options for free TV every quarter.

Two different things - cutting the cord and opting out of paying for TV - both of which are growing while traditional providers contract with no real sight of what a longer term new normal will look like in the foreseeable future.

 

[meStevo]

Well, they do have the cash-

Amazon is Reportedly in Talks to Buy Part of ESPN From Disney | Cord Cutters News

Recently we learned that Disney was open to selling part of ESPN to a potential partner if the deal was right. This comes from a June interview with CNBC, where Disney CEO Bob Iger said he was open to partnering with other companies to make a new ESPN streaming service work including selling...

cordcuttersnews.com

Yeah and have seen a few different things lately about them wanting to invest further in sports after the success of their TNF efforts.

 

[Juan]

Radioguy has a point though. Cut the cord in 2005 meant OTA HD locals only with Netflix maybe. Cutting the cord in 2023 means nothing. Pay TV is just consolidated these days via a cord or sat signal. You can get the exact same service with a phone line or a glass strand these days.

Netflix mail service..streaming started 2007

 

[SamCdbs]

Cord cutting is not paying for video entertainment in any manner. Watching only OTA, Pluto, YouTube, Rumble, old DVDs you found at Goodwill, etc.

Cord switching is not paying for linear TV. Watching services that most customers use as a supplement to linear TV like Netflix and all of its money losing imitators. And spending a lot of time telling other people how much money you save.

Switching from one linear TV provider that uses cables or satellites to deliver traditional linear TV to another which uses the internet is, well, nothing. It doesn't have a name, because it isn't really significant.

 

[meStevo]

Cord cutting is not paying for video entertainment in any manner. Watching only OTA, Pluto, YouTube, Rumble, old DVDs you found at Goodwill, etc.

Cord switching is not paying for linear TV. Watching services that most customers use as a supplement to linear TV like Netflix and all of its money losing imitators. And spending a lot of time telling other people how much money you save.

Switching from one linear TV provider that uses cables or satellites to deliver traditional linear TV to another which uses the internet is, well, nothing. It doesn't have a name, because it isn't really significant.

Ah, more opinion posted as uncited and incorrect facts.

Cord-cutting terms defined: Your video streaming glossary

Cord-cutting is full of confusing jargon. Here are clear explanations for all the video streaming terms you need to know.

www.techhive.com

Definition of cord cutter

What does cord cutter actually mean? Find out inside PCMag's comprehensive tech and computer-related encyclopedia.

www.pcmag.com

Definition of CORD-CUTTING

the act or process of canceling a subscription to cable television or to a landline telephone service… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

Though I'm sure you can post a link to the study/research/news on the topic that led you to believe this and show this isn't just an invented argument to give you the cover to insult/troll other members, again, right?

 

[SamCdbs]

Again, no one is "trolling" anyone. You, and others, just post things that are at odds with what the industry experts say, and we discuss it. You might try OPENING YOUR MIND, this is a great site and you can learn a lot from a lot of very knowledgeable people. I have. It is much better than just posting an laughy laugh to every post that presents inconvenient facts.

As to your "reply" did you actually read what you googled up? Seems like you didn't.

The first link is to some guy's website. Some guy's website is not a "fact".

The second contains the following:

A person who switches from a pay TV subscription (cable, satellite or telephone company) to an Internet-based streaming service such as Netflix.

Which, umm, is exactly what I said. Thank you for confirming that I am correct.

The third contains the following:

the act or process of canceling a subscription to cable television

So, since I cancelled cable TV in the 1990s, that makes me a "cord cutter"?

Nope, because the example make clear the context:

As cable news begins to feel the squeeze...

Because in this context "cable" means "linear provider TV". If you asked an adult his opinion on "cable news" you would get lots of opinions and discussion. But no one would say "_____ News Channel is not cable news, because I get it via satellite and my buddy Joe gets it on YouTubeTV". Because that is just being childish and argumentative for argumentative reasons. It doesn't further the conversation.

If someone asks if you have "cable" and you have Hulu Plus Live TV, the answer, in common adult conversation, is "yes", not a 30 minute diatribe about how much money you save.

I used to have a science teacher who always said "well, the Appalachian Mountains are not mountains, they are all hills". Which is 100% correct on a hyper technical level. And 100% a way to look childish when having a conversation about eastern Kentucky geography.

 

[Bruce]

Again, no one is "trolling" anyone. You, and others, just post things that are at odds with what the industry experts say, and we discuss it.

You claim that you are not trolling, but yet you increasingly keep belittling posters here because you do like like where the industry is going.

Yet, with the above line, you have yet to post one link to prove that is true, every expert I have read and posted a link to, have been backing up my predictions.

Post a link, prove that you are not trolling.

 

[SamCdbs]

You claim that you are not trolling, but yet you increasingly keep belittling posters here because you do like like where the industry is going.

Actually, I really like where the industry is going, for the most part. I just have a different opinion on what that is. Mine, it so happens, agrees with the market experts.

 

[Bruce]

Actually, I really like where the industry is going, for the most part. I just have a different opinion on what that is. Mine, it so happens, agrees with the market experts.

And yet not one link that says what you have alleged.

 

[Jimbo]

Just because someone on the Internet has a website and posts an article, doesn't make it true.

I see Nothing has changed here, even though I rarely bother with these threads anymore .... everybody is still on the I'm right, No your Not agenda.

I move on with these threads, check back in a few months to see if anyone has quit trying to 1 up someone, but I doubt anything will change.

 

[Bruce]

Just because someone on the Internet has a website and posts an article, doesn't make it true.

Lately, I have been posting links from analysts from Wells Fargo, Bloomberg, CNBC, Leichtman Research Group, Financial Review, Hollywood Reporter, Variety, even The Hill, not just Cordcutter.com.