7 ms·

The big reason many people have to not canceling their cable is live sports. If this is the new trend, it's catastrophic to cable providers.

taurath 10y ago
Half the reason people I know use DIRECTV is to get out of network football games. They've had Sunday ticket on streaming for the past few years but it's like $400 up front and the streaming fucks up. $200 and YouTube live quality and I'll be damn happy.
- vogt 10y ago
  That was me for 4 years. Just got out of my contract at the end of football season and it was a nightmare. Our bill was $300/mo during football season and I think around $240 outside of that. It was just too much to justify. I was jerked around by their customer service on cancellation, which seems to be part and parcel of anything related to AT&T. I would love to see their entire business model completely upended.
  - froindt 10y ago
    > Our bill was $300/mo during football season and I think around $240 outside of that. Holy hell I didn't realize service could get that expensive. It makes a bit more sense why my parents never got cable. I figured $80-100/month would get pretty much everything.
    - daveFNbuck 10y ago
      My bill was over $200/month until recently. That's without any of the sports packages.
    - snuxoll 10y ago
      It's around $80/mo here for basic digital cable here, for just the service. Go ahead and toss on equipment rental and other "fees" (read: hidden BS so we don't have to advertise our actual rates) and it quickly gets expensive for even rudimentary service. Quite honestly, I'm thinking about upgrading my PS Vue plan from the "Access" plan to the highest one that includes HBO and Showtime, at $65/mo it's still a hell of a lot cheaper than even the lowest-tier plan I can get from the local cable company.
- paulcole 10y ago
  Sunday Ticket got much better this year with the addition of the Apple TV app. I'm a happy subscriber. Also, it's billed monthly and works out to ~$300 for the lowest tier (which still includes all games).
  - function_seven 10y ago
    As far as I know, you still have to be a DirecTV subscriber, no? If not, this is awesome.
    - EpicEng 10y ago
      Nope. I've been using Direct TV's NFL Season Pass streaming only during the football season for two years now. No dish, no service otherwise.
      - unprepare 10y ago
        Do you know where i can find the signup for this? I know a couple people who would love to switch off directv but want sunday ticket
        taurath 10y ago
        They don't have the signup until it gets closer to the season, but the app is here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nfl-sunday-ticket/id327243363?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nfl-sunday-ticket/id32724336...
- mathrawka 10y ago
  If you have means of streaming from what appears to be an IP outside of the US: https://gamepass.nfl.com/nflgp/secure/packages https://gamepass.nfl.com/nflgp/secure/packages You can get everything for around $270.
  - toxican 10y ago
    Do you have to use that non-US IP everytime you watch, or just during signup?
    - unprepare 10y ago
      you need to use the IP when you login to gamepass website and launch the video player, so everytime you watch, but not necessarily while you watch
      - mathrawka 10y ago
        Just to clarify this a bit. Most streaming sites authenticate you before letting your client know the IP, port and path of the stream. Once that is known, you can turn off the VPN or whatever, and stream like normal, so it should stream at a higher bitrate.
  - unprepare 10y ago
    I can confirm that this service works well, streams live games in HD with minimal issues
felipemnoa 10y ago
If cable dies, then the remaining bandwidth can simply be used for the internet. The writing has been on the wall for a long time so it really should not come as a surprise to the cable companies. As an anecdote, all the people I know that used to have cable now only have an internet connection and get all of their entertainment from there, self included. I know nobody that still has cable.
- ghaff 10y ago
  That makes sense if you can get the networks OTA anyway. If your alternative to cable (or satellite) is a blank screen, as in my case, you're more hesitant to pull the plug entirely.
paulcole 10y ago
Amazon paid $50M for the worst game of the week. Unless they're ready to move up 2 orders of magnitude, they're not getting close to the kind of money the NFL is looking for.
- winteriscoming 10y ago
  It's like getting a foot in the door, which is a big thing in itself.
  - caseysoftware 10y ago
    Yes, in addition to the cash up front, imagine if Amazon can show an uptick in merchandise sales during/after the game: "Your team just won with the winning play by $thisguy. Want to buy his jersey while you're here?" Broadcast rights are just one of the places professional sports makes money.
    - patrickk 10y ago
      It's more about giving people an extra reason to buy/keep a Prime subscription, similar to getting the Top Gear guys on board (Top Gear was the BBC's most syndicated show, and was massive all over the world, apart from the US). When you have the free shipping, you might buy that jersey at a later date. Amazon generates so much revenue that they can afford to take the long view with initiatives like this.
      - Neliquat 10y ago
        Is it just me, or is the amazon topgear absolutely unwatchable? It seems like a cheap ripoff and none of them seem remotely emotionally invested in it. Is it just the US market ruining car shows? Wheeler Dealers also comes to mind as having been ruined lately.
        patrickk 10y ago
        I haven't seen it, so I can't comment. I've seen lots of people complaining about BBC's "new" Top Gear with the new presenters, apparently it's lost all it's character. The best car show at the moment (IMO) is Mighty car mods on Youtube, a pair of Aussie lads who love Japanese cars. They're absolutely hilarious and actually are really knowledgeable about cars.
apl002 10y ago
i am a die hard sports fan but i've cut the cord. Cable companies have the sketchiest, worst customer service I've ever experienced.
donretag 10y ago
On the flipside, many have cut the cord because of the high cost of cable, partly due to the cost being inflated by being forced to have channels such as ESPN. Amazon purchasing the rights to sports increases the cost for those that do not care about sports.
- cellularmitosis 10y ago
  There's also an cost inflation problem for cord cutters as well. Having recently moved, I discovered that the slowest cable modem plan which Spectrum (formerly Time Warner) offers is now 100Mbit. It seems the days of $30/mo broadband are over...
  - cookiecaper 10y ago
    Yes, there's a major conflict of interest here. Entities like Comcast have incentive to impose bandwidth caps because then you'll be forced to acquire video content (by far the most bandwidth-hungry application) over your cable subscription to prevent fees.
  - Neliquat 10y ago
    I would kill for anythin beyond the 5mb I can get where I live. Most of my neighbors still cant get high speed internet. I am less than an hour from one of the us's 10 biggest cities.
- cookiecaper 10y ago
  ESPN is currently quite the quagmire for Disney corporate. Surprisingly, it's the business unit that makes up the largest amount of Disney's revenue, around 30%. [1] The last several posted losses for Disney (including the one just reported this month) have been primarily due to decreasing subscriber counts for ESPN. ESPN royalties are ~$7 per subscriber; $7 of your monthly cable bill goes to Disney just for ESPN [2]. They are obviously collecting that from many people who are uninterested in sports, as most basic cable packages include ESPN (if not ESPN 2 and so forth). Cord cutting is the single biggest threat to Disney right now, and I'm sure this, a major signal that people are excited to consume their sports via the web and that ESPN is inching closer and closer to death, has them crapping their pants. When Amazon buys Disney World, will they replace Cinderella Castle with a giant cardboard box bearing the "Amazon Prime" tape? ;) [1 (PDF)] https://ditm-twdc-us.storage.googleapis.com/q1-fy17-earnings.pdf https://ditm-twdc-us.storage.googleapis.com/q1-fy17-earnings... [2] http://awfulannouncing.com/2016/espns-rising-cable-fee-is-now-up-to-over-7-per-subscriber-per-month.html http://awfulannouncing.com/2016/espns-rising-cable-fee-is-no...
m_myers 10y ago
Unfortunately, the Amazon TNF package is only for the games that will also be available over the air. NFL Network games will still require cable/satellite.
bluedino 10y ago
Thursday Night Football, along with all the Sunday games, are on broadcast network TV. Only Monday Night Football is on cable (ESPN) Of course, you can still get a package with DirectTV that lets you view all the games.

taurath 10y ago

Half the reason people I know use DIRECTV is to get out of network football games. They've had Sunday ticket on streaming for the past few years but it's like $400 up front and the streaming fucks up. $200 and YouTube live quality and I'll be damn happy.

vogt 10y ago
That was me for 4 years. Just got out of my contract at the end of football season and it was a nightmare. Our bill was $300/mo during football season and I think around $240 outside of that. It was just too much to justify. I was jerked around by their customer service on cancellation, which seems to be part and parcel of anything related to AT&T. I would love to see their entire business model completely upended.
- froindt 10y ago
  > Our bill was $300/mo during football season and I think around $240 outside of that. Holy hell I didn't realize service could get that expensive. It makes a bit more sense why my parents never got cable. I figured $80-100/month would get pretty much everything.
  - daveFNbuck 10y ago
    My bill was over $200/month until recently. That's without any of the sports packages.
  - snuxoll 10y ago
    It's around $80/mo here for basic digital cable here, for just the service. Go ahead and toss on equipment rental and other "fees" (read: hidden BS so we don't have to advertise our actual rates) and it quickly gets expensive for even rudimentary service. Quite honestly, I'm thinking about upgrading my PS Vue plan from the "Access" plan to the highest one that includes HBO and Showtime, at $65/mo it's still a hell of a lot cheaper than even the lowest-tier plan I can get from the local cable company.
paulcole 10y ago
Sunday Ticket got much better this year with the addition of the Apple TV app. I'm a happy subscriber. Also, it's billed monthly and works out to ~$300 for the lowest tier (which still includes all games).
- function_seven 10y ago
  As far as I know, you still have to be a DirecTV subscriber, no? If not, this is awesome.
  - EpicEng 10y ago
    Nope. I've been using Direct TV's NFL Season Pass streaming only during the football season for two years now. No dish, no service otherwise.
    - unprepare 10y ago
      Do you know where i can find the signup for this? I know a couple people who would love to switch off directv but want sunday ticket
      - taurath 10y ago
        They don't have the signup until it gets closer to the season, but the app is here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nfl-sunday-ticket/id327243363?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nfl-sunday-ticket/id32724336...
mathrawka 10y ago
If you have means of streaming from what appears to be an IP outside of the US: https://gamepass.nfl.com/nflgp/secure/packages https://gamepass.nfl.com/nflgp/secure/packages You can get everything for around $270.
- toxican 10y ago
  Do you have to use that non-US IP everytime you watch, or just during signup?
  - unprepare 10y ago
    you need to use the IP when you login to gamepass website and launch the video player, so everytime you watch, but not necessarily while you watch
    - mathrawka 10y ago
      Just to clarify this a bit. Most streaming sites authenticate you before letting your client know the IP, port and path of the stream. Once that is known, you can turn off the VPN or whatever, and stream like normal, so it should stream at a higher bitrate.
- unprepare 10y ago
  I can confirm that this service works well, streams live games in HD with minimal issues

felipemnoa 10y ago

If cable dies, then the remaining bandwidth can simply be used for the internet. The writing has been on the wall for a long time so it really should not come as a surprise to the cable companies. As an anecdote, all the people I know that used to have cable now only have an internet connection and get all of their entertainment from there, self included. I know nobody that still has cable.

ghaff 10y ago
That makes sense if you can get the networks OTA anyway. If your alternative to cable (or satellite) is a blank screen, as in my case, you're more hesitant to pull the plug entirely.

paulcole 10y ago

Amazon paid $50M for the worst game of the week. Unless they're ready to move up 2 orders of magnitude, they're not getting close to the kind of money the NFL is looking for.

winteriscoming 10y ago
It's like getting a foot in the door, which is a big thing in itself.
- caseysoftware 10y ago
  Yes, in addition to the cash up front, imagine if Amazon can show an uptick in merchandise sales during/after the game: "Your team just won with the winning play by $thisguy. Want to buy his jersey while you're here?" Broadcast rights are just one of the places professional sports makes money.
  - patrickk 10y ago
    It's more about giving people an extra reason to buy/keep a Prime subscription, similar to getting the Top Gear guys on board (Top Gear was the BBC's most syndicated show, and was massive all over the world, apart from the US). When you have the free shipping, you might buy that jersey at a later date. Amazon generates so much revenue that they can afford to take the long view with initiatives like this.
    - Neliquat 10y ago
      Is it just me, or is the amazon topgear absolutely unwatchable? It seems like a cheap ripoff and none of them seem remotely emotionally invested in it. Is it just the US market ruining car shows? Wheeler Dealers also comes to mind as having been ruined lately.
      - patrickk 10y ago
        I haven't seen it, so I can't comment. I've seen lots of people complaining about BBC's "new" Top Gear with the new presenters, apparently it's lost all it's character. The best car show at the moment (IMO) is Mighty car mods on Youtube, a pair of Aussie lads who love Japanese cars. They're absolutely hilarious and actually are really knowledgeable about cars.

apl002 10y ago

i am a die hard sports fan but i've cut the cord. Cable companies have the sketchiest, worst customer service I've ever experienced.

donretag 10y ago

On the flipside, many have cut the cord because of the high cost of cable, partly due to the cost being inflated by being forced to have channels such as ESPN. Amazon purchasing the rights to sports increases the cost for those that do not care about sports.

cellularmitosis 10y ago
There's also an cost inflation problem for cord cutters as well. Having recently moved, I discovered that the slowest cable modem plan which Spectrum (formerly Time Warner) offers is now 100Mbit. It seems the days of $30/mo broadband are over...
- cookiecaper 10y ago
  Yes, there's a major conflict of interest here. Entities like Comcast have incentive to impose bandwidth caps because then you'll be forced to acquire video content (by far the most bandwidth-hungry application) over your cable subscription to prevent fees.
- Neliquat 10y ago
  I would kill for anythin beyond the 5mb I can get where I live. Most of my neighbors still cant get high speed internet. I am less than an hour from one of the us's 10 biggest cities.
cookiecaper 10y ago
ESPN is currently quite the quagmire for Disney corporate. Surprisingly, it's the business unit that makes up the largest amount of Disney's revenue, around 30%. [1] The last several posted losses for Disney (including the one just reported this month) have been primarily due to decreasing subscriber counts for ESPN. ESPN royalties are ~$7 per subscriber; $7 of your monthly cable bill goes to Disney just for ESPN [2]. They are obviously collecting that from many people who are uninterested in sports, as most basic cable packages include ESPN (if not ESPN 2 and so forth). Cord cutting is the single biggest threat to Disney right now, and I'm sure this, a major signal that people are excited to consume their sports via the web and that ESPN is inching closer and closer to death, has them crapping their pants. When Amazon buys Disney World, will they replace Cinderella Castle with a giant cardboard box bearing the "Amazon Prime" tape? ;) [1 (PDF)] https://ditm-twdc-us.storage.googleapis.com/q1-fy17-earnings.pdf https://ditm-twdc-us.storage.googleapis.com/q1-fy17-earnings... [2] http://awfulannouncing.com/2016/espns-rising-cable-fee-is-now-up-to-over-7-per-subscriber-per-month.html http://awfulannouncing.com/2016/espns-rising-cable-fee-is-no...

m_myers 10y ago

Unfortunately, the Amazon TNF package is only for the games that will also be available over the air. NFL Network games will still require cable/satellite.

bluedino 10y ago

Thursday Night Football, along with all the Sunday games, are on broadcast network TV. Only Monday Night Football is on cable (ESPN) Of course, you can still get a package with DirectTV that lets you view all the games.