The whole landscape is changing, and I think that cable TV companies will eventually become extinct - the business model doesn't really work anymore. People don't want to pay for hundreds of channels they have no interest in watching, but they may be willing to pay for a low-cost basic package and then add premium channels as if ordering from an a la carte menu.
What drove up the cost of cable TV packages is that content providers such as HBO and ESPN demanded payment based on the total number of subscribers - not just those who might opt for that content on a higher pricing tier. So if you have cable TV and they offer HBO as an optional premium channel, you're still paying something for HBO. Those who actually choose HBO are paying more, but everybody is paying something for it.
Most streaming services don't offer HBO as an option, probably for this reason. The one service I'm aware of that does offer HBO makes it part of its basic package and reduces the number of other channels in the package - so everybody clearly pays for HBO whether they want it or not. They end up having to pay more for some of the popular channels that other services include as part of THEIR basic package. It's crazy. |
