Just as I am ready to say, as fast as the media business is changing, nothing shocks me. I read an article that hit me with a thunderous shock. The article was from Cord Cutters
Spectrum Charter is moving from offering new customers cable to streaming only. Essentially that would not be the cable business. The article starts off with the sentence “ The death of cable TV as you know it seems to be here” and while I don’t think this is the end, things like the Disney/ESPN squarish and now this move to streaming, dark clouds are looming.
Without question, leaders like Spectrum/Charter and Comcast appear to be following smaller Ex Cable companies like Frontier and Wow to offer streaming only and stop offering traditional cable.
It is no secret that cable companies are focused more on high-speed Internet than traditional cable programming. According to the cable companies, there's not enough money in video programming. Unfortunately for the cable companies, they are losing ground on both ends.
Streaming has impacted cables video offerings. Additionally, high speed is at stake. Mobile companies like T-Mobile and Verizon are now selling quality high-speed home Internet.
This is just my opinion only, I don't necessarily think that this is just technology that changed or that cable companies were too slow to respond. I think it is the poor customer service, the hidden fees, and the lack of a customer loyalty program that has finally caught up with cable companies. People now have options and they seem to like them. Seriously how many people love their cable company?
Here's the good news, the Xumo streaming box (by the way owned by Charter and Comcast) is capable of running many streaming apps like Hulu, Sling and ESPN+. There are two catches, the untested Xumo Streaming Box is about double the price of a Roku or Fire TV and it will only work if you are using their specific high-speed Internet.
Essentially if you switch high-speed providers this becomes a $60 paperweight.
Zebras just don't change their stripes.
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