Posted on 10/25/2015 5:14:44 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Whatever you call it, it's killing the cable tv business.
It’s no secret that young people like to consume entertainment they don’t necessarily pay for.
But when business and tech types talk about this reality, they tend to use neutral or even flattering language: Millennials, they say, like to “swap” files and “share” subscription passwords. After all, super-earnest, bike-commuting, coffee-sipping twenty-somethings don’t look like dangerous criminals. And let’s face it, no business wants to alienate the work-force’s largest generational cohort, with billions, if not trillions, worth of spending ahead of it.
But now some Wall Street analysts have decided to come right out and use another S word—steal—in discussing the problems facing some traditional media enterprises.
“The millennials are a generation that grew up (and will likely grow old) ‘sharing’ (read stealing) passwords for access to content if it continues to be ignored,” wrote analysts Mike McCormack, Scott Goldman, and Tudor Mustata in a note to clients Tuesday. “We believe it is the most significant cause of the declining pay TV subscriber base.”
(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...
Embedded in the story:
“Read Next: How to Watch All the TV You Want Without Paying for Cable”
The irony is palpable (if not purposeful).
There are a lot of things killing the cable TV business. This ain’t one of them.
It’s the basic evil in America ... disobedience
The decline in pay TV revenue is more likely to be a result of:
Video games competing for TV watching time.
People cutting the cord due to bundling.
The availability of online entertainment.
Streaming.
They should, but they do not see it as stealing. I suppose it is in the category of willful denial. But this day and age where in most other areas of life they are taught to not be discerning or that their feelings trump facts, well...what do you expect?
Ditto
Piracy is a victimless crime.
Unless there is water involved.
I don’t know how to steal programming.
I cut the cable because it was overpriced and horrible customer service.
We don’t watch enough HD to justify that $200 a year charge for a set top box. That’s some easy savings. And the digital recorder in it only holds about 10 hours of HD.
I have unlimited free minutes. If I lend somebody my phone are they stealing?
In no way do I advocate stealing, but where in the article does it talk about the cable companies STEALING from me? You know, I want cable/Satellite and therefore I am under compulsion to subsidize LOGO, MTV, MSNBC.
Without this theft from me these godless waste zone would never survive.
Stop stealing from me!
Likewise if I visit a friend and watch a premium channel movie with them without anteing in a few buck is that theft as well?
There is one single reason I don’t have cable. cost. I’m not paying 2 grand annually for something I might use 2% of and throw the rest away.
Long as you bring beer.
I either rent videos or buy movies.
I’m not going to pay for cable that I honestly don’t have time t watch.
I find this interesting because I said years ago that I’d avoid investing in any industry built on selling digital products and services to consumers who believe they should be free, or almost free. Once you get outside the realm of selling tangible products, it’s hard to avoid the dilemma described here in this article.
We did the Russian Cable Guy joke today. We haven’t done the Plaza cable guys up yet.
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