Quote:
Originally Posted by wizwor
Since Comcast is a publicly held company, the best way to do that is to simply outlaw bundling of transport and media.
|
It may come to pass and sooner than you think.
In times past the broadcast networks were forbidden from owning the shows they broadcast. That lasted for decades and while the elimination of the rule hasn't turned the networks into one studio channels, they all have become outlets for their parent studios and sibling networks. (ABC Sports was once an industry powerhouse on its own but is now just an outlet for ESPN product.)
On the cable side, the Comcast/TWC merger is happening because TimeWarner decided they wanted out of content distribution to focus on content creation and ownership. Comcast buying TWC suggests they want to grow their distribution arm as big as possible before cutting NBC/Universal free, probably as a "concession" to the feds.
Over time, the combination of content and distribution under one roof has been losing its value so the split is inevitable, whether voluntary or mandated. The road ahead is clear to all: TV becomes just another internet service. The chief obstacle, though, is the bundled subscription model that sells 500 channels to subscribers who only want ten. Consumers want ala carte service but everybody upstream fears what it will mean to their cozy little businesses.
Much like book publishing, tech disruption of TV means gains for consumers but losses for the middlemen and the middlemen are still in command in TV. But the tide of disruption can't be held back forever. The pressure is building.
Apple is but one of a dozen players looking to do IP TV and they are, if anything, behind the curve compared to Microsoft, Sony, Roku, Netflix, Amazon, Verizon, and Hulu among others who already own significant chunks of the TV over IP market; beacheads from which they hope to expand once the roadblock of cableco obstructionisn goes away.
It's coming and fairly soon. 2020 at the latest, 2015 at the earliest.
Just don't expect to save much money in the near term.
BTW, the next tech disruption after that is Movie Theaters.