Cord cutting is here to stay! Already, it has changed how we view television and movies for good. Let’s consider the impact cord cutting has had on the television and film industries.
Movies Are Released on DVD/Streaming More Quickly
Ten years ago, we had to wait six-to-ten months for a film to be released on DVD, which gave the industry time to run the film in theaters and sell TV rights. Film releases on television used to be “premiere” events, which drove up the price networks paid to televise the movie.
Now, movies come out on DVD/streaming about three months after they are released in theaters. It is also becoming increasingly popular for films to be available in digital format while some movie theaters, typically the discount theaters, are still running them. Movies are available online or on DVD long before they are shown on television.
And, the wait is about to become even shorter as Amazon is talking about making movies for theaters and putting them on their Amazon Prime instant service four-to-eight weeks after they are released at theaters.
This move is caused mostly by piracy and online demand. The idea that a movie can’t be pirated is long gone. It is also driven by the large number of viewers who do not want to go to theaters and are willing to pay a slight premium to watch movies online at home.
Cable TV Packages Will Never Be the Same
If you wanted ESPN U as a Comcast subscriber just a year ago your only hope was a TV package priced in the $100 range. Now, you can receive all ESPN channels for only $25 a month as well as over 20 additional channels.
HBO can be purchased without a cable package, and other networks, like Showtime, soon will join them.
It is not perfect, yet cord cutters have fundamentally changed the way cable providers work. We still have a long way to go. Only seven short months ago the idea of getting ESPN without a service like Comcast would have been unheard of.
The new cable packages are caused by the increasingly strong move to cancel cable or downsize packages. Cable companies would rather get something than nothing. Let’s hope they continue to be aggressive in their efforts to win over cord cutters.
The Best Shows Are Available Without Cable
Eight out of the top ten shows are available without cable. Some can be seen with an OTA antenna, and others are available only online. Even more shows can be viewed with services like Hulu, Sling TV, and Amazon.
Not having cable no longer means missing out on the new must-see show. As services, such as Netflix, continue to have a large audience for shows like “House of Cards,” more shows will be released online only.
Sports Fans: You Can Now Cut the Cord!
At the beginning of the 2014 NFL and college football season you had to have cable to see the games. As we get closer to the 2015 season, you will be able to see all of the NFL games and the majority of college football games without a cable package. All you need is a $20–25 Sling TV package, and you’re set. There is no contract, so just subscribe when your sport is on, and you will have all the football, basketball, and more you want. Many major smaller sports services are offering standalone services like tennis, basketball, WWE, rugby, and others, where you do not need a package.
Change
Everything has changed, and there is no going back. Just as color TV killed black-and-white TV, so has the Internet forever changed the way television will be distributed and viewed.