On May 6, 2016, at 9:54 PM, Manfredi, Albert E <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
It should be obvious what my point is, Craig. It is that when you claim HBO
would not be included in some other OTT site's bundle, just because they have
their own OTT site, you are simply inventing a problem that doesn't exist.
The simple fact is, HBO shows a willingness to be available in multiple ways,
not just one way. They have understood that customers DO NOT want just one
solution. We're beyond the old primitive ways, Craig.
The only barrier that HBO has erected is "price."
This is because, just like ESPN, just like CBS, they are learning.
These three were all quite Internet-averse, not long ago. Like you, Craig,
they assumed that remaining strictly walled up in MVPD nets was the only way
to go. But they got the message. You seem to be struggling to get this
message. So sure, they have always been interested in the bottom line. But
now they learned that there's more than one way to get that bottom line.
These three have ALL understood that they need this new flexibility.
Get real. Comcast already has more territory and homes passed than
any other geographic MVPD. I seriously doubt that the FCC is going
to allow them to go after the customers of all other geographic
MVPD competitors.
Get real, Craig. This is pure legacy thinking. There are any number of OTT
sites with a national footprint. The legacy MVPD model is dying, Craig.
There's no reason why the FCC or DOJ would prevent Comcast's OTT business
from succeeding. We are beyond the old walled garden monopolies era.
The FCC is concerned about concentration of ownership. The fact that
Comcast ALSO owns one of the congloms makes they very different,
The content OWNERSHIP aspect is no different from before. NBC is one of the
four main congloms, no different from years ago. The broadband infrastructure
aspect is a separate discussion. With a neutrality mandate on infrastructure,
**all** of the congloms have OTT sites with national footprint. NBC and all
the rest. So there's no real problem at all.