Any time you have a customer base as frustrated as the traditional cable providers customers are, you have an environment that s ripe for technology companies to disrupt it.
— Stephen Beck, founder of cg42, a consulting firm that has studied the rise of Internet TV, told Wired. A study by his firm found that 53 percent of cable customers say they would leave their providers if offered viable alternatives to TV.
What do viable alternatives to cable and satellite look like? There were a couple of developments this week that could take a bite out of the dominance of cable TV: Apple is reportedly working on offering a Web service with about 25 channels; and Sony s Vue streaming-TV service for PlayStation users launched Wednesday in New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.
But the above services have their limitations. Apple s offering is said to be a bit cheaper than monthly cable — $30 to $40 a month, according to the Wall Street Journal — but it may not include NBC because parent company Comcast is reportedly holding out. And the prices of Sony s Vue service aren t significantly cheaper than cable: $50, $60 and $70, depending on the number of channels available.
Other alternatives previously announced: Troy Wolverton wrote earlier this year about satellite provider Dish Network itself getting into the business with Sling TV, a $20-a-month service he called promising. There s also HBO Now, which was reported earlier this month and is expected to launch in April. Some networks, such as CBS and Nickelodeon, have their own streaming services. And of course, there are offerings from Netflix, Amazon and Hulu.
Illustration from KRT archives
