Posted on 01/24/2015 6:36:09 AM PST by C19fan
Cable TV is about to get more expensive for millions of consumers because of a bidding war between networks and the country’s most powerful sports leagues.
Time Warner Cable, Cablevision and scores of rural cable providers are tacking on sports surcharges each month, the direct result of higher fees they are paying to ESPN and other sports networks to carry their channels. Beginning Feb. 5, DirecTV will raise fees by 5.7 percent.
The rise in cable prices is likely to test the patience of customers, who may already be tempted to cut their cords in exchange for streaming options that will soon be available to them. For providers and customers, the creeping prices amount to a test — at what point will viewers decide it isn’t worth paying for cable anymore?
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
all the expensive sports channels should be extra and not included in the base packages.
As much as I would love to pick the channels I pay for.....I don’t want government anywhere it
“...at what point will viewers decide it isn’t worth paying for cable anymore?”
In my case....about 1998.
We won’t be renewing our contract. We did without cable for years, and we can do it again and save $124 every month.
All the more reason for being able to create your own package of channels that you actually watch. When that happens, ESPN and any other sports channels will be the first to go.
People who want Netflix, HuluPlus, Viki and DramaFever can watch what they want.
They’re not even tied to a particular channel.
People will abandon cable for more economical alternatives. Netflix and HuluPlus cost $16.00 a month combined, half the cost of the standard cable package.
Streaming Internet TV is the future of TV and cable risks implosion by being too greedy.
My neighbor since 2006. All you require is high speed internet. You want movies? download it via torrent. Why pay libtard Netflix when watchseries has every show since the 70’s. Why people pay for cable is beyond me.
“The rise in cable prices is likely to test the patience of customers”
It will test them alright, for about 2 minutes. Our country is sadly addicted to sports entertainment and could care less what’s going on around them. I used to be too up until about 10 years ago.
“Streaming Internet TV is the future of TV”
unless Comcast with their billions and influence can somehow chokeoff bandwidth/speed to those using Netflix and Hulu.
maybe they’ll kill each other off!
Exactly
ping
I’m largely about live sports/news so cable is still a must, particularly during football season. However, my taste for the NBA and MLB has soured in recent years and I can get by without cable in the offseason.
I have some sympathy too. The cable/satellite providers keep bundling and upping their rights fees and the major content providers, not just ESPN/Disney but Fox, Viacom, Comcast/NBC keep spitting out niche channels and tying them to major network channels as hostages in contract negotiations.
Every time you see something like “Your carrier doesn’t want to pay for ESPN and your favorite ABC shows”, what they are really saying is that “your carrier doesn’t want to pay for 17 different ESPN channels, eight different Disney channels and assorted other ABC/ESPN/Disney offerings we’ve bundled together in one huge rights fee.”
My reaction as well. The government needs to stay out it. Let the market decide.
But I would like to see an à la carte option offered up by Time-Warner or DirecTV. I'm basically Fox, NFL, Gold Rush, Netflix and YouTube. And Netflix and YouTube are getting well over 80% of my TV time.
The only reason I still have cable is because my wife likes to watch Thugball and it would likely cause a divorce if I cancelled it.
Personally I dont understand America's fascination with pro and college sports. Im too busy just keeping track of how the government is screwing me each day.
In a perfect world tar and feathering would be a national sport. It would not only be fun to watch, but also contribute something of value back to society.
Yup, it’s gotta go.
Thats funny about the thugball and Its so true.
Yes. I NEVER watch sports, with the exceptions of NFL and dwarf tossing.
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