[opendtv] Re: Reading comprehension test
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 07:32:05 -0400
> On Oct 13, 2014, at 12:21 AM, Albert Manfredi <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
>
> About Moonves, Skipper, and Bewkes (Viacom, ESPN, HBO) discussing going
> direct to consumer, Craig doggedly insists: > NO THEY DO NOT. YOU are putting
> words in their mouths. Here are direct quotes from Moonves, Bewkes, and
> Skipper telling us just this. So hey Craig, can you parse these words from
> them and tell me what they're saying?
SURE!
> From the TV Week article I posted October 8: -------------
> http://www.tvweek.com/tvbizwire/2014/09/moonves-cbs-may-be-offered-via-direct-over-internet-subscription-and-showtime-too/
> . . . Deadline.com reports that Moonves said there’s a “very strong
> possibility” that Showtime will be offered to consumers in an Internet
> subscription, adding, “and possibly CBS as well.” . . . The story adds:
> “Asked about how it might be offered, Moonves said it could be [an] online
> service. But he added that ‘there are ways of going direct to consumer in
> different packages. … Maybe we make it easier for consumers to get Showtime
> without a lot of the other stuff’ — apparently referring to the pay TV bundle
> that consumers have to buy first in order to subscribe the premium network.”
> -------------
Already addressed this on October 9th:
> We already covered the fact that Showtime has the same problem as HBO.
> Moonves has no choice to call the bet or fold.
>
> As for the CBS network, I have a hard time understanding why anyone would pay
> for a subscription for something they can get for free, or as part of their
> MVPD service.
>
> Maybe it would be ad free, or include content that cannot be broadcast -
> language, nudity, sex, etc.
> From the Forbes article I posted on October 8: -------------
> http://www.forbes.com/sites/markrogowsky/2014/09/11/capocalypse-now-hbo-edges-closer-to-blowing-up-the-cable-industry-as-we-know-it/
> . . . Bewkes was talking about moving from selling HBO through cable and
> satellite companies to a direct-to-consumer model: "The broadband-only
> opportunity up until now wasn't ... at the point where it would be smart to
> move the focus from one to the other. Now the broadband opportunity is quite
> a bit bigger," ------------- Okay, I already posted about the NFL and MLB
> going direct to consumer over Verizon Wireless, irrespective of ESPN, for
> live games. This is already the case.
HBO NEEDS to go direct to consumer to remain competitive with Netflix et al.
We've been over this too many times to count. But this has NOTHING TO DO with
the TV bundle; it has EVERYTHING to do with the fact that the Internet allows.
HBO, SHOWTIME, AND STARZ, to offer their entire program libraries on demand,
rather than. As scheduled streams.
> But then there's also ESPN wanting to play in this new game: -------------
> http://mashable.com/2014/10/06/espn-nba-streaming-service/ . . . ESPN
> president John Skipper has floated the idea before, most recently at a
> Re/code event when he promised: "We’re going to acquire new content and new
> kinds of things to do direct-to-consumer." . . . ESPN has been following
> along similar lines as HBO, Time Warner's premium channel. ESPN has a
> streaming platform in ESPN 3 that requires authentication with a cable
> provider, while HBO has HBO Go. Both platforms have been seen as ways each
> company could pivot into direct-to-consumer offerings that would compete with
> companies like Netflix. ------------
For some reason you think these statements indicate they will abandon the TV
bundle and go direct. And you continue to try to equate HBO and ESPN.
HBO WILL Go direct to consumer, even as they slowly wind down the streaming
service. The Internet provides the subscriber with a much better service ON
DEMAND.
ESPN WILL NOT go direct to consumer with the streaming ESPN channels and Watch
ESPN. These will continue to be the glue that holds the MVPD bundle together
for at least another decade. ESPN will find new ways to sell niche content
direct to consumers, as they have been doing with ad supported web sites, ESPN
Radio, and magazines.
> Without getting lost in an ocean of prose to discuss other, mostly unrelated
> topics, please tell me these guys are not seriously considering the
> possibility of going to direct to consumer. (After some major league sports
> have already done so on their own.) Bert
They will where it make sense. They WILL NOT do anything to disrupt the
lucrative TV bundle.
Regards
Craig
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