[opendtv] Re: Apple - Press Info - HBO NOW Premiering in April
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 9 Mar 2015 23:59:21 +0000
Craig Birkmaier wrote:
> Now we can finally talk about what HBO is doing with their Direct
> to consumer service.
We've known this was coming for a long time now, right?
> Flat pricing - essentially the same - maybe a buck less - than
> buying HBO from a MVPD service.
Not sure why Craig feels compelled to not get it. Yes, it might be true that if
you look at the marginal price difference of adding HBO to your MVPD bundles,
the delta price is about $14. But if all you want is HBO, and for the other
channels you're happy with just the main TV networks, say, then the cheapest
option, and this option **only** available since mid-year 2014, was $50, Craig.
Big difference, even between $50 and $14! And before last year, the difference
was much more pronounced. We've been over this multiple times.
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/you-can-finally-get-hbo-without-the-bloat-of-cable
"The a la carte TV movement got a bit of a boost **today** [July 28, 2014].
Bloomberg is reporting that Time Warner Cable will offer consumers a slimmed
down TV bundle that includes the web-only HBO Go, broadband internet, and a few
other channels for 50 bucks a month."
And Comcast had something similar, the year before, but only to some of their
customers.
The article explains, as motivation for the change, "A premium cable package
will run you over $100/month, which is presumably why some 10 million broadband
internet customers opt to pass up a cable subscription altogether, and several
million more don't shell out extra to watch Game of Thrones and Veep each
Sunday."
This site:
http://www.allconnect.com/blog/cable-companies-slim-down-offerings-with-skinny-bundles/
tells us that Verizon and AT&T also began offering these slimmed-down bundles,
end of last year.
"The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that one such package, FiOS from Verizon,
offers Internet (50 Mbps), the customer's choice of Showtime or HBO, access to
their local channels and a complimentary year of Netflix. HBO has recently
announced a stand-alone streaming channel of its own, ..."
So, HBO direct, at $14, is hardly the same old business as always. Those who
want mainly HBO, just like those who want mainly ESPN, had to pay way more to
get those channels, than just the marginal cost of adding them, Craig.
Bert
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