Rise and fall of Subscription & Streaming

[LuvOrlando]

I just tried to find Bridget Jones Diary, it is only there if I pay more. If I am going to pay for what I want something else is getting canceled, are we looping back to PPV? This entire industry is dropping out of the sky from self inflicted damage, like literally pulling out their own feathers while in the air so they can't fly and hurtle to the ground. Don't these execs have their own TVs and notice it, how out of the loop are they?

Remember when paying for a subscription for cable was rewarded with excellent premium programming plus no commercials?
Remember paying a subscription for access to EVERYTHING and anything you could want in maybe 2 days via mail?
Remember paying a subscription to be able to save everything shown on cable in the little box, no commercials with occasional PPV?
Remember paying a subscription for instant access to close to EVERYTHING and anything you could want with the box, maybe one extra service for a new show?
Remember paying a subscription while everything splintered off even more and then shows would pop up then vanish but we all put up with it because it wasn't all THAT much, but there were still no commercials and amazing proprietary content like Mind Hunter?
Remember when paying a subscription, shows got split up even more and content started to rot and it was tough to find everyday sitcoms but cost was creeping up to $100 month?
Remember when paying a subscription and services started to make us watch commercials while hiding the shows we want and trying to force us with watch garbage new junk content noone wants?

I wonder what the next steps are gonna look like because I'm feeling it's on it's way.

 

[CdnCarrie]

I don't recall ever having cable with no commercials.

 

[BrianL]

I don't recall ever having cable with no commercials.

Only premium services like HBO and Cinemax didn't have commercials (well, they ahd commercials for other movies on their service to fill in time-gaps). Basic cable has always had commercials. Streaming is going to end up that way, where you pay a nominal fee, but will have commercials. Advertisers need the channel to get eyes on their products. It's the way it will eventually be, like it or not.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

I'm guessing the next step will be consolidation. Will be kind of full circle as that was essentially what we went away from by dropping the cable model.

None of what you described is surprising though. The goal of a business like that is to give customers just enough to keep them subscribed and nothing more.

 

[jimmytammy]

Until they shoot themselves in the foot enough times for it to hurt, greed rules the day. Once they have lost too many of us paying customers that’s when it will hit them.
We as consumers can pull the plug. We have the control. I had been a DISH subscriber for almost as long as they had been in business. I got tired of less content and more commercials and pulled the cord.
Bought a $35 antenna and discovered that 2/3 of the crap I was paying big bucks for was already free anyway
We hold the cards, us consumers. Be brave, pull the cord and save enough money to go to WDW. Lots more to gain from time well spent with family and friends than sitting through crap tv!

 

[kdonnel]

Streaming is not priced appropriately, especially after the deals reached with the recent writers and actors strikes.

Commercial free streaming should be priced much higher. Much, much, higher.

I predict much higher rates for commercial free plans and more and more ad supported options.

We are getting out of the loss leader phase of attracting subscribers.

 

[Smugpugmug]

The next step (for me at least) is ditching all streaming services and getting most of my entertainment from Youtube. IMO I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything worth paying money for.

 

[fla4fun]

Until they shoot themselves in the foot enough times for it to hurt, greed rules the day. Once they have lost too many of us paying customers that’s when it will hit them.
We as consumers can pull the plug. We have the control. I had been a DISH subscriber for almost as long as they had been in business. I got tired of less content and more commercials and pulled the cord.
Bought a $35 antenna and discovered that 2/3 of the crap I was paying big bucks for was already free anyway
We hold the cards, us consumers. Be brave, pull the cord and save enough money to go to WDW. Lots more to gain from time well spent with family and friends than sitting through crap tv!

You could be describing me, except that I had an antenna available and did not have to buy one. Dish was over $100 per month, and I was only watching maybe six channels total. When I lost my job during the pandemic I finally got around to cancelling Dish, and to be honest, I have not missed it. Using an antenna does mean dealing with commercials, but it’s worth it to me to be out from under their thumb.

The only streaming service I have is Tubi, which is free (with commercials). I don’t plan to ever pay for tv again.

 

[Christine]

I have generally had most of the streaming services and some premium cable. In the last 6 months, with pricing changes, I've dropped most of them. It's not that I don't have the money but I don't find enough content to match the pricing they are asking for. My "TV" bill was getting ridiculous. I do enjoy some programming so it's like I'm pretty much going to have to throw out the baby with the bathwater, but it's just too much. And for my elderly relatives on limited incomes, they are having to just let most of it go.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I saw on the local news that streaming services are "teaming up" and offering bundles. Verizon had an offer for MAX and Netflix. Received a flyer in the mail for Disney + and HULU. They predict that more streaming services will do the same because it's become oversaturated and consumers are paying for 7 streaming services on average.

 

[GroguAndStitch]

This is so true. At this point, I'd rather just go back to basic TV with on demand movie purchases. I think TV providers should offer more "custom" packages for TV channels.

 

[BrianL]

I saw on the local news that streaming services are "teaming up" and offering bundles. Verizon had an offer for MAX and Netflix. Received a flyer in the mail for Disney + and HULU. They predict that more streaming services will do the same because it's become oversaturated and consumers are paying for 7 streaming services on average.

Disney+ and Hulu are definitely going to just merge at some point. Disney is going to put everything under one app and one plan.

 

[Kestryl]

We're playing subscription roulette. We signed up for some Black Friday deals (99 cent Hulu for 12 months, Max for 2.99/months for 6 months, Paramount+ 1.99/month for 3 months) and drop them as that expires. We had Disney+ (3 year deal, plus one more year) and let it lapse recently. We'll probably sign up for it again. Netflix was cancelled a while ago and we haven't felt a need to get it back.

I used to get a lot of movies and shows from the library, and we've recently started that up again.

 

[LuvOrlando]

ntenna and discovered that 2/3 of the crap I was paying big bucks for was already free anyway
We hold the cards, us consumers. Be brave, pull the cord and save enough money to go to WDW. Lots more to gain from time well spent with family and friends than sitting through crap tv!

See, this is what I am thinking!

If I need to put up with commercials and tolerate content I may or may not like why not go back to regular TV for free and let the stations battle it out for advertisers and leave me out of it? I had this conversation with DH a few months ago and he shot it down but I don't think he is really paying attention to how little we use some services and how much they all cost. I think it might be time for some cost benefit analysis, like why pay for a thing I use maybe once or twice a year?

I like Bridget Jones while I wrap presents but I like it maybe $1 worth, I do not like it 20 min of time to find it and fees for a new thing much - I got so irked I just wrapped without it, life goes on without lol.

I think subscriptions have over-inflated egos with their understanding of how many dollars worth people value their stuff & people aren't looking that closely, yet, but as it becomes tougher to find stuff that is likable the value added will probably come under more scrutiny.

Watching a 20 year old show while I cook is free dollars worth.

 

[Praying Colonel]

There's so much available on streaming right now that I don't feel like l'm missing out, for the most part. If there's something available in only 1 place and we want to see it just for that, we'll do a free trial or other free offer.

 

[tvguy]

I don't recall ever having cable with no commercials.

Disney Channel was the main one we had that was commercial free. They started running commercials about 2000 and transitioned from a Premium Channel to a Basic Channel.

 

[BrianL]

Disney Channel was the main one we had that was commercial free. They started running commercials about 2000 and transitioned from a Premium Channel to a Basic Channel.

Interestingly though, Disney Channel still doesn't run the usual commercials. They have to be custom made, and meet certain standards. That's where you'll get the tagline, "Nintendo is a proud sponsor of Disney Channel." They do run the basic style toy commercials on XD.

 

[tvguy]

Streaming is not priced appropriately, especially after the deals reached with the recent writers and actors strikes.

Commercial free streaming should be priced much higher. Much, much, higher.

I predict much higher rates for commercial free plans and more and more ad supported options.

We are getting out of the loss leader phase of attracting subscribers.

You're right, the deals with the writers and actors have sharply increased costs. As a consumer, I disagree that commercial free streaming should be priced much higher. I think the streaming services need to take a look at providing more and better content for the current prices. The whole streaming industry is a mess right now. We currently have the Disney+Hulu package for $9.99 a month and I'm not sure we will keep it. We just don't watch more than one show a month on either service. We also has the free version of Peacock and we never watch it. We have had YouTube TV and Netflix but those all got dropped. My Dish subscription costs me way too much, but almost everything I want it there.

 

[disneyseniors]

Just for an interesting take on cable: I have had cable for years

and have many channels of both non and hd services. I have never counted them up, but there are dozens of channels, not all hd, but the better ones are all hd. Sometimes I can't tell the difference between hd and non hd!
I have netflix and amazon and I thought I would do better to cancel my cable and just use a subscription service. But, when I talked with my tv provider they said that if I ever wanted to come back to their basic cable channels, they would only offer the 3 networks and PBS!!! and it would cost more than I am paying now! So, I have kept my many cable channels and also my netflix and amazon. It works for the way we watch tv - we all have different things we like to watch

 

[tony67]

Streaming has go south no doubt, as always they got greedy.

I was a very early adopter and got a roku and Netflix pretty much day one.

Same for cord cutting - the cost of the various services rivals cable now, especially if you still need cable for internet.

When Netflix first stared it was great, movies were on the service almost as soon as they were on DVD.
Then that ended and they started doing their own content which is hit or miss.

Same for cord cutting - Playstation Vue was a bargain compared to cable, but it went under.
Hulu, Sling, you tube and the others were to expensive IMO and none of them had all the channels you wanted.

In addition every service then started their own channel adding to the costs.

Of course you did not have a unified guide for all the services so that was also a PITA.

The latest issue is they are removing stuff all the time, so you really need to own a physical copy.
Even if you buy a digital copy that is no guarantee.

Some things you cant even buy digitally. 1978 Dawn of the Dead for example. You have to get a physical copy. There are many others.

I have Prime because it comes with Amazon and I need that for shipping.
I have Hulu\Disney without ads - only because its "free" with my Amex card.
I have Paramount because its free with Walmart+ - which is also free with my Amex.
I have Peacock because it comes with my Internet package.

I will subscribe to others when Amazon has a deal - usually in July and November - but other random times as well.
Also do the free trials on Amazon.

Personally, I would not pay full price for any of these - there is very little content I want or don't own a physical copy of..