Disney removes channels (eg ESPN) from Spectrum

[Redban]

I use Spectrum myself, and I turned on my TV this morning to see the message: “Disney has removed their programming from Spectrum. We are fighting to keep costs down while maintaining consumer choice”

I don’t watch Disney channel of course. But I do watch ESPN. Currently, the ESPN channel shows this long message: “we offered the Walt Disney company a fair deal, yet they are demanding but they refused etc etc etc”

Spectrum has 14.7 million subscribers

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/01/media/disney-spectrum-cable-carriage-deal/index.html

[MasterJedi]

So you’re mad at capitalism?

[dead0man]

this is the hundredth time (at least) that a cable company has tried to go to war with a network over costs.  With mixed results.  The current model for making money off of entertainment is in flux, but this kind of thing has been going on since at least the 90s.

[Redban]

this is the hundredth time (at least) that a cable company has tried to go to war with a network over costs.  With mixed results.  The current model for making money off of entertainment is in flux, but this kind of thing has been going on since at least the 90s.

And how many of them had the size, influence, audience that Disney (and Disney networks do)? Trying the downplay the significance of this story by saying, “it’s happened before” misses the difference between Disney and some network named TNN that drew 150k viewers at prime time

[dead0man]

this is the hundredth time (at least) that a cable company has tried to go to war with a network over costs.  With mixed results.  The current model for making money off of entertainment is in flux, but this kind of thing has been going on since at least the 90s.

And how many of them had the size, influence, audience that Disney (and Disney networks do)? Trying the downplay the significance of this story by saying, “it’s happened before” misses the difference between Disney and some network named TNN that drew 150k viewers at prime time

sure, maybe.  Like I said, how entertainment companies make money is in a state of change.  People have been cutting cable for a decade plus, things are going to change.  If ESPN is a must, you can cut cable and sign up for their streaming service.  It comes with our Hulu/Disney package and I never watch it (other than the 30 for 30 docs which are awesome), I think it's like ten bucks a month by itself.

[MaxQue]

I use Spectrum myself, and I turned on my TV this morning to see the message: “Disney has removed their programming from Spectrum. We are fighting to keep costs down while maintaining consumer choice”

I don’t watch Disney channel of course. But I do watch ESPN. Currently, the ESPN channel shows this long message: “we offered the Walt Disney company a fair deal, yet they are demanding but they refused etc etc etc”

Spectrum has 14.7 million subscribers

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/01/media/disney-spectrum-cable-carriage-deal/index.html

It is a well-documented dispute. Charter thinks the main reason for cutcutting is costs, so they try to have move packages without sport channels.

[Smash255]

this is the hundredth time (at least) that a cable company has tried to go to war with a network over costs.  With mixed results.  The current model for making money off of entertainment is in flux, but this kind of thing has been going on since at least the 90s.

And how many of them had the size, influence, audience that Disney (and Disney networks do)? Trying the downplay the significance of this story by saying, “it’s happened before” misses the difference between Disney and some network named TNN that drew 150k viewers at prime time

There have been disputes with other large networks as well.  While it was resolved at the last minute, last Fall almost saw Fox pulled from Optimum in October which would have impacted coverage of the MLB playoffs, College Football and the NFL

[Minnesota Mike]

It's a pain in the ass but hardly unprecedented. Carriage disputes are becoming more and more common in the pay TV universe and this is not the first nor the last. Situations like this are why I use a streaming service instead of cable. It's a lot easier to switch streamers than it is to cut the cable. I also like the fact I can cancel/suspend service when I don't need it.

[GregTheGreat657]

Good thing my family switched from Spectrum to streaming back in March

[Santander]

I own a TV just to check the box of having one.

[Arizona Iced Tea]

Because I posted this image I am probably required to post the following anti-piracy disclamer, so here it is:


Piracy is bad folks! Do not and I repeat do not try to access content free online and prevent corporations like Disney from taking your money. Do not try to enjoy content without paying the wealthiest entertainment companies your hard earned money. Please subscribe to all 500 streaming services that participate in anti consumerist policies so we can send a message to more channels and get to 5000 streaming services by next year. Please fork over over your wallet to access a streaming service just so you can watch 1 TV show/ sport so the market can continue to make exclusive platforms. Whatever you do, don't pirate!

[Donerail]

DeSanctus said he would fix this by abolishing the Walt Disney Company and he hasn't. Another broken promise.

[GP270watch]

 The United States royally screwed up by allowing cable companies to be private companies. They just suck, they didn't innovate a damn thing, they squandered public funding to make infrastructure and access better, they're expensive for no reason at all, and their customer service satisfaction ranks amongst the worst of any industry. They should have been public utilities with utility ratemaking.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Why is this in USGD?

[Santander]

Piracy is bad folks! Do not and I repeat do not try to access content free online and prevent corporations like Disney from taking your money. Do not try to enjoy content without paying the wealthiest entertainment companies your hard earned money. Please subscribe to all 500 streaming services that participate in anti consumerist policies so we can send a message to more channels and get to 5000 streaming services by next year. Please fork over over your wallet to access a streaming service just so you can watch 1 TV show/ sport so the market can continue to make exclusive platforms. Whatever you do, don't pirate!

So instead of competition keeping prices at least somewhat in check, you would prefer greater concentration of market power that stifles creativity and increases prices even more? Or would you prefer the bad old days where you had to pay more to borrow a movie from Blockbuster only to come home and find out the tape/DVD is damaged? Or would you prefer to go even further back to when there were only 3 or 4 channels on TV?

More streaming services is good - it enables more consumerism, which drives the economy. You are only upset because you don't like the cost of the lifestyle creep, but objectively speaking, lifestyle creep means your life is better than it was before.

[Born to Slay. Forced to Work.]

Lol but Iger and the rest are still refusing to meaningfully engage with the strikes in Hollywood. But their own strike is fine and not “unrealistic”

[Rand]

Thanks, Biden.

[jojoju1998]

Piracy is bad folks! Do not and I repeat do not try to access content free online and prevent corporations like Disney from taking your money. Do not try to enjoy content without paying the wealthiest entertainment companies your hard earned money. Please subscribe to all 500 streaming services that participate in anti consumerist policies so we can send a message to more channels and get to 5000 streaming services by next year. Please fork over over your wallet to access a streaming service just so you can watch 1 TV show/ sport so the market can continue to make exclusive platforms. Whatever you do, don't pirate!

So instead of competition keeping prices at least somewhat in check, you would prefer greater concentration of market power that stifles creativity and increases prices even more? Or would you prefer the bad old days where you had to pay more to borrow a movie from Blockbuster only to come home and find out the tape/DVD is damaged? Or would you prefer to go even further back to when there were only 3 or 4 channels on TV?

More streaming services is good - it enables more consumerism, which drives the economy. You are only upset because you don't like the cost of the lifestyle creep, but objectively speaking, lifestyle creep means your life is better than it was before.

Streaming Prices are going up. Streaming Growth itself has slowed. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/10/streaming-wars-are-over-whats-next.html


" Netflix has curbed its content spending growth, and Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney have both announced thousands of job eliminations and billions of dollars in content spending cuts in recent months. Disney will “produce lower volumes of content” moving forward, Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy said during Wednesday’s earnings conference call, though Chief Executive Bob Iger noted he didn’t think it would have an impact on global subscriber growth."

[jojoju1998]

this is the hundredth time (at least) that a cable company has tried to go to war with a network over costs.  With mixed results.  The current model for making money off of entertainment is in flux, but this kind of thing has been going on since at least the 90s.

And how many of them had the size, influence, audience that Disney (and Disney networks do)? Trying the downplay the significance of this story by saying, “it’s happened before” misses the difference between Disney and some network named TNN that drew 150k viewers at prime time

sure, maybe.  Like I said, how entertainment companies make money is in a state of change.  People have been cutting cable for a decade plus, things are going to change.  If ESPN is a must, you can cut cable and sign up for their streaming service.  It comes with our Hulu/Disney package and I never watch it (other than the 30 for 30 docs which are awesome), I think it's like ten bucks a month by itself.

I only have Comcast for the Internet now. I haven't used their Cable TV service in years.

[Progressive Pessimist]

Uhh, okay? I'm sorry?

[dead0man]

I only have Comcast for the Internet now. I haven't used their Cable TV service in years.

unfortunately, we have to use our local cable provider for internet as well.  There are a few fiber providers, but they haven't made it to our neighborhood yet.

[DS0816]

I use Spectrum myself, and I turned on my TV this morning to see the message: “Disney has removed their programming from Spectrum. We are fighting to keep costs down while maintaining consumer choice”

I don’t watch Disney channel of course. But I do watch ESPN. Currently, the ESPN channel shows this long message: “we offered the Walt Disney company a fair deal, yet they are demanding but they refused etc etc etc”

Spectrum has 14.7 million subscribers

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/01/media/disney-spectrum-cable-carriage-deal/index.html

I don’t think this will last long.

This is mainly due to the general demand for ESPN.

It is likely Charter/Spectrum is trying to get the programming costs (per subscriber account) to be more in line with what they want to tolerate.

This type of situation will continue.

What will likely also happen is that more and more people will be migrating to On Demand-type streaming services and DTCs (Direct-to-Consumer). That linear Live TV will reduce down individual number of channels. That there will be a growing number of companies which will discontinue having and selling a linear Live TV television lineup. And the big companies—like Comcast/xfinity and Charter/Spectrum—will be among the last to hang in for that.

As a Live TV service only accessible by Internet, Google’s YouTube TV will continue to grow. It was the only cable-television provider to have an increase in subscriptions over the last year. It does not carry some programming (like A&E, History, Lifetime), but it does carry a lot of core programmers (Disney/ABC and Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery programmers’s brands). But, for under $75 for its Base Plan (channel lineup), and that it includes Local programming stations, it is more affordable for some.

The rest of this decade, when it comes to the television industry, should get even more interesting.

[Farmlands]

So you’re mad at capitalism?

Supporting capitalism means you must fully agree with every single business decision done, and you're not allowed to offer any critique. But I understand the confusion, because the last part is how most socialist nations operate.

[MasterJedi]

So you’re mad at capitalism?

Supporting capitalism means you must fully agree with every single business decision done, and you're not allowed to offer any critique. But I understand the confusion, because the last part is how most socialist nations operate.

It’s Redban, so he has to as the default Republican position.

[Pres Mike]

I remember when Dish Network and AMC were feuding back in 2012. This was when the Walking Dead was huge. I missed the first episode of season 3 ugh.

Dish got so many complaints they gave in a few minutes before episode 2 came on lol