Over the past couple of weeks there’s been online discussion about cable TV giant Comcast and Bally Sports no longer showing local Major League Baseball games. This really doesn’t surprise me. Cable TV providers have a long-standing love-hate relationship with content providers, networks and local stations. You’ve probably seen the screen crawlers talking about how if X company doesn’t settle their contract agreement subscribers of Y service will no longer be able to watch their favorite shows. A couple of weeks later, they announce a new contract and the cable TV enterprise promotes the channel and encourages subscribers to sign up.
Streaming TV has disrupted the cable TV market and specifically providers like Comcast, Charter, and even smaller local companies who offer cable TV service. In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, local telephone companies raced to stay relevant by offering triple-play services which include traditional phone service, but then introduced internet and TV. Many of these providers upgraded their networks to offer fiber optic internet or at least improved DSL service which utilized the existing copper wire used for phone service.
Fast forward 20 years and the telecommunications business has once again changed. Ask just about any cable TV provider and they will tell you that cable TV is a low margin business. The network and content provider contracts have squeezed those margins. And now, with high-speed broadband connections, consumers are able to go direct to the content providers and subscribe to those services thats once required an expensive cable TV package. Some streaming providers still aggregate networks and content together to provide a bundled service, while others like Major League Baseball offer specific content. For $140/year or $30/month you can watch every “out-of-market” game. ESPN offers a similar plan for college football. Last year, for $9.99/month I was able to watch every Montana Grizzlies football game along with 80 – 100 other games with a simple click.
Providers like Hulu and YouTube TV offer an array of channels both live and on-demand. These services also provide the ability to record and watch later. Some of these services also provide the ability to download content which can be viewed offline.
The single biggest difference that has allowed streaming to become a viable option is having a strong, reliable high-speed broadband connection. This allows multiple TV’s and devices to be simultaneously streaming content without any lag. I think it’s safe to say that streaming services are here to stay. The ability to choose and customize your own lineup is a huge bonus. Plus many providers have a trial period and most allow you to cancel at anytime. It’s a great to be a consumer with choices and having a high-speed connection opens up this world. Check these services out some time!
— The SwiftCurrent Connect Team
