Comments made recently by Joseph Ianniello CBS COO make it appear that Showtime may soon be available to cord cutters. At the Nomuras Digital Media Conference in NYC Ianniello said nothing in Showtimes contracts with cable and satellite providers restricts us from doing something direct to consumer,. He also reviled some interesting numbers that have been at times hard to get saying 10M households receive broadband but not pay TV in the US. The company must evolve as a business to be sure were where consumers want to be. You have to give it to them on their terms.
Well this is positive news for cord cutters who want quick access to content from Showtime there was no time table given. The most important revelation to come from this is the fact that cord cutting is being taking seriously at the highest level in the industry. To see CBS’s COO openly talk about evolving the business with a eye to cord cutters is positive news for anyone who is a cord cutter or wants to drop the high cost of cable.
Only time will tell what will happen next but recent studies suggest 1 million new cord cutters will cancel cable each year for the next 3 years. A market growing by a million each year is sure to draw the attention of many COO and CEOs looking to make a profit.