Tag: VOD wars

Should cable companies build smart TVs? (or, how do cable companies avoid the fate of telcos?)

First, there was Ma Bell. Then, deregulation of the phone company happened in the U.S. and phone calls went from being very expensive to very cheap (my dad ran a small business in the 1980s, and telephone bills could often be thousands of dollars — in 1980s dollars!). Then came the Internet, and ISPs (think … Continue reading “Should cable companies build smart TVs? (or, how do cable companies avoid the fate of telcos?)”

NBC reorgs cable networks, or, where is the value in entertainment?

Cable providers, fresh off their media company acquisitions, are getting hit hard by COVID — advertising revenue is way down, and cord-cutting has joined the long list of transitions that were already happening but got accelerated by the pandemic. But just because a trend is accelerating, doesn’t mean that the incumbents have any idea what … Continue reading “NBC reorgs cable networks, or, where is the value in entertainment?”

Did AMC just shoot itself in the foot?

The VOD wars had kicked off long before the COVID-19 global lockdowns started, but the lockdowns are accelerating change in a lot of businesses. In the wake of the lockdown, there are no movie theaters anymore, so NBC Universal decided to stream Trolls World Tour. It generated US$100 million in revenue, and prompted AMC Theaters (the … Continue reading “Did AMC just shoot itself in the foot?”

Disney+ predictably struggles, but it’s fine

Disney+ launched with a wide swath of technical glitches. They later explained the problem as their having been unready for the large demand. Of course, one could have predicted both the large demand … and that they wouldn’t be ready for it. This stuff is very hard to get right. But in reality, these launch-day … Continue reading “Disney+ predictably struggles, but it’s fine”

VOD wars are here

In 2007, Netflix started streaming (rather than mailing DVDs), really kicking off the world of “VOD” (Video on Demand), and starting the cord-cutting revolution. People, weary of $100+/month cable TV bills with 100+ channels of garbage, started to jump ship — cancelling their cable subscriptions and signing up for Netflix. Over the coming year, Hulu … Continue reading “VOD wars are here”