“While unsettling, this is sometimes necessary,” Dish Network‘s Joe Clayton said at an International CES presentation to unveil his company’s new DVR and mobile viewing technology. With his company’s programming costs growing at double-digit rates, “we as an industry are rapidly approaching a tipping point. How many customers are willing to pay over $100 a month for video content? I don’t know. But we’ll soon see.” Clayton also chided broadcasters who sued his company last year after it introduced its Hopper DVR with a feature that automatically jumps past ads in recorded shows. If it’s a crime to jump past ads then “I guess we’re just a nation of outlaws,” he says. But his address was primarily designed to introduce an updated DVR: Hopper with Sling. It likely will also irk programmers by transmitting their shows — both live and recorded on the DVR — to users’ mobile devices. It also can transfer shows to iPads. The company plans what it calls a “massive” marketing campaign that says Hopper with Sling redefines the in-home and out-of-home viewing experience.


These cable/satellite companies have this country by the balls!
I just received a tuning adapter (that, needless to say, doesn’t work) from Time Warner Cable to tune all the channels that have been moved to SDV (switched digital video) so that the reclaimed bandwidth can be used to add newer channels to their lineup. Meanwhile, I continue receiving messages informing that this channel or that channel has been deleted from the lineup.
So, where are these new, improved channels? And, if bandwidth is being saved via SDV, why the continuing need to delete channels?
I just realized that I only watch 5-7 channels on cable anymore. Go ahead, drop as you wish! No one cares anymore.
How generous of you to speak for not only yourself, but everyone else.
It is a shame that we can’t just drop ESPN and all the sports channels that have been way too eager to pay billions for games. And enough of cable channels who spend a majority of their airtime running marathons or infomercials. History Channel just ought to be renamed Rick Harrison, Friends and Ancient Aliens Network. TruTV is all Hardcore Pawn. A&E can’t stop giving us Storage and Shipping Wars around the clock. If I cared that much for these shows, I’d watch them OnDemand.
I agree, ESPN and other sports channels are just ridiculous. The jocks just think they can make up numbers and that people will want to pay them. It has to stop.
Let is decide what we want or at least add more tiers. Why should non sports watchers need to subsidize others ESPN. How much lower would my bill be without it? Last year directv created a lower priced entertainment tier without some lower cable channels and regional sports. Create an even lower package. Busy lives and more content online, often free, keep making cord cutting more attractive although apparently not yet happening. On TV they just said people watch over 140 hrs/ week
Get rid of all those weird channels like Jewelry Channel and Auction Channel. Shop, shop, shop. People who spend money shopping ‘on TV’ should pay for those channels – they already are! And maybe there should be a reality vs. scripted package for some people that like their madeup stories really madeup… And sure sports is expensive but some of the best reality/stories/spontaneity is in sports (vs. the mindlessness of a Housewife or sheer ickiness of a Kardashian).
The Shopping Channels and the religious channels pay the cable company for placement.
Ita funny that i would love to see just a few channels and pay for only thise channels…i wish it was up to the cable companies like directv dish or anyone else..its the programmers that make their contracta for all those channels. For instance u want MTV you have to buy all of the other channels viacom owns. U want espn you have to get all the other channels disney owns. It will actually cost more if you only want juat one station from your cable company
I know the popular/common assertion is that ala carte will not work, but it’s what is best for the subscriber. Out of 500 channels, I’d probably pay for under 100. I don’t need shopping, sports, music, kiddie programming, spanish, chinese, and a whole host of other stuff. I know, I know. If we all don’t pay for those channels, then all channels will be too expensive, blahblahblah. I don’t believe it.
Ok. Let’s say you want 100 channels. Do you think it will be $1 or less per channel? No, it won’t. Nothing is a dollar anymore. Things that are a dollar, are of lesser quality. This due to the elite thinking of paying more must mean it is better. I bring that up because of how things that were cheaper, as little as 10 years ago, are the same product but triple the price. Ala carte will not work. If I want 20 channels, there is no way cable companies will go to charging me $20 a month, when the month before they had me at a $100-$150 package. Even if they institute a flat fee of X amount of dollars (like a home phone) and than you pay for the channels you want from there. Those channel fees along with there flat rate of having a box fee, will start cheap and than climb just like our cable packages have been climbing for the past decade.
The only way we as consumers will win is if a company comes out and charges the cheapest rate for cable. Once they acquire all the customers and networks have no where to go,than they can tell the tv networks how much we are willing to pay. Example: TLC wants $3 a customer. Tough luck. Our pricing can not fit that fee and allow us to keep our pricing cheap. We will not hurt our clientele because you want money that does not fit into our pricing model. Either lower the price or go elsewhere. Woops there is no where to go. If they decide to go on their own, they can try the ala carte method. I don’t think people will pay more than $3 a month for TLC, nor will they charge that cheap, or pay for it all. Fit in to get in or create your own box and app see how far that gets you
I don’t know, premium channels like HBO and Showtime come with about 10 to 15 channels and cost about $15 dollars a month per service. And they don’t run ads. Why can’t every cable channel be considered “premium”?
Kate, the government currently prohibits a single cable TV provider form serving more than 35% of the total US homes. Your scenario would require that rule to be relaxed or dropped, and that is not likely in my view due to fears of creating a cable TV monopoly —such as you suggest.
Put all the religous, shopping and reality shows in one block, instead of all over the place, and you will see that what remains is about six, maybe seven channels, worth watching. Some of the time. The more channels added, higher prices, etc. the more I find I am reading a book instead. In about another year, when the contract runs out, the service is going bye bye.
The first company that perfects a “a la carte box” will have the world beat a path to it’s door.
And make no mistake- if there is money to be made, someone WILL do it. IF it’s not being done already.
Somehow it WILL be done. Just a matter of time.
Go a head do the right thing, kill some channels…
It’s amazing to me how this industry has continued to flourish. We’re paying for this content twice. We pay once for our carrier to provide it. And then we pay again when we have to sit through the commercials. Time Warner, Fox, Disney, Viacom and Comcast are double dipping AND forcing us to pay for stuff we don’t want. I can’t think of any other industry that could get away with this business model. If I want new windshield wipers, the dealership doesn’t make me buy new tires just to get the wipers.
Chances of monopoly are slim to none. With OTT services doing well and providers offering multiple options, there will always be enough of “those” who are willing to pay. Dish already plays hardball with programmers and sometimes wins. The issue is programmers and fees – multi billion dollar sports networks and inflated production costs kill negotiating power today. Our obsession with sports and garbage tv create a demand too large for the programmers to ignore. Once viewing habits change, so to will programming and pricing. Dish is taking a huge risk but one that may shift the industry into positive change.
You are 100% wrong about the 35% comment. Only broadcast owners have a penetration cap.
Dropped Dishnetwork 6 months. got a Roku & between Netflix & the internet, I can watch almost anything. Screw them.
Only thing missing is ESPN, but my internet provider gives me ESPN 3 & can catch most games. Plus go back to an outdoor antenna ! Double screw them – it can be done !!