Cable and Satellite companies have suffered from many, especially young people, unplugging from their television service. With services like Hulu, people can watch many of their favorite programs the next day. Every year, streaming content becomes more popular. Hulu has replaced the DVR for some people.
Time Warner Inc might have the solution to their problem. They want to purchase 25% of Hulu. They want to stop Hulu from airing programs the next day and even during the current season of programs. This will protect Time Warner’s cable business if Hulu stops the next day availability. They are counting on people being unwilling to wait for the season to end up on Netflix or Amazon Prime the next year.
This may work for Time Warner (I hope it doesn’t) as a temporary fix. They may stop the next day availability from Hulu. But it just might backfire on Time Warner.
It is unlikely many of the cord cutters are heading back to cable. They gave up paying rising cable costs for other forms of entertainment like streaming content. Time Warner may stop Hulu, the big boy in next day streaming. Other streaming providers are bound to show up with the support of the mass population.
There are illegal means to stream content. A lot of fairly lawful and good people already illegally stream movies and shows like Game of Thrones. If Hulu is shut down from next day streaming, illegal streaming is bound to increase.
I hope Time Warner moves along and doesn’t purchase a chunk of Hulu. If they do, I hope the board of directors is strong enough to stop this crazy push. But if Hulu stops offering next day streaming for television series, I think their popularity will diminish.
The time of Cable and Satellite television is coming to a slow end. The providers that figure out how to make money by embracing the change will prosper. HBOC has been on the forefront of this with their HBO Go for non-cable/satellite subscribers is a great example. Companies keeping all of their eggs in the Cable and Satellite basket will soon fade away like the numerous telephone landline companies of the 90s.
(Via Hello Giggles)
Stay Geeky My Friends!
