5 ms·

I don't think it's absurd at all. In previous years, the sports fans were getting their addiction subsidized by other viewers by having ESPN packaged in with b

I don't think it's absurd at all. In previous years, the sports fans were getting their addiction subsidized by other viewers by having ESPN packaged in with basic cable. Now with more and more people cutting the cord, their subsidy is evaporating, so they're having to pay closer to the true cost of getting that entertainment. If they don't like it, no one's forcing them to stay subscribed to cable TV.

FussyZeus 9y ago
Well yeah and no one forces you to get broadband Internet either, the fact that for most people there's only one option that's often insanely overpriced is the issue.
- Arizhel 9y ago
  That's a poor analogy. No one forces you to hire an artist to create a commissioned artwork for you, but that doesn't mean that anyone actually needs to do that, and in fact, very few people hire artists on commission, because it's purely a luxury. Similarly, no one forces you to buy a Rolls-Royce, and whining that there's only one (insanely overpriced) Rolls Royce dealer in town isn't going to generate much sympathy, because again it's purely a luxury. Internet access these days isn't a luxury, it's a necessity if you're in any kind of non-minimum-wage profession, and it's a necessity to participate in modern culture in many ways. People do banking, pay their bills, look for jobs, read the news, file their taxes, etc. online these days; it's just as necessary as a telephone was 20 years ago. Cable TV is not a necessity at all; it's a luxury. It's no more necessary than a Ferrari or a Rolex or box seats at a sports game or a meal at a $100/plate restaurant.
  - FussyZeus 9y ago
    Except when you commission an artist, you don't get (and pay for) 20 paintings you didn't want in addition to the one you wanted. Rolls also doesn't send you a Chrysler, Chevy and a BMW along with the Rolls you bought. In fact I think you'd be hard pressed to come up with another luxury good that's priced this way.
    - Arizhel 9y ago
      That's irrelevant. If Rolls wanted to, they could very well send you a Chrysler, Chevy, and BMW with every Rolls purchase. If you don't like it, you don't have to buy a Rolls. No, I can't think of other luxury goods priced this way either, but again, it's irrelevant. They can price things however they want, and you can choose to take it or leave it. It's a luxury, nothing more, and if you don't like the terms, you're free to take your business elsewhere. If they want a weird business model like that, it's their right, and it seems to be working for them since there's so many suckers happily sending them money for this. Perhaps the truth is that the really high-end luxury goods (Rolls, Rolex, etc.) are smarter than the typical cable TV customer and wouldn't put up with that kind of BS.
      - FussyZeus 9y ago
        > That's irrelevant. If Rolls wanted to, they could very well send you a Chrysler, Chevy, and BMW with every Rolls purchase. If you don't like it, you don't have to buy a Rolls. OK but now you're involving a free market which we've already established doesn't exist in terms of broadband providers in most places.
        Arizhel 9y ago
        We're not talking about broadband here, we're talking about cable TV. Cable TV isn't that much of a free market, admittedly, but it does have competition: satellite TV (Dish, DirecTV) and internet programming (Hulu etc.). But most importantly to my argument, cable TV (unlike broadband internet) is purely a luxury. You don't need to watch TV, and countless people do just fine without it, even in societies where it's commonplace, and in fact lots of news articles are discussing people who are voluntarily giving it up ("cutting the cord") because they're spending their free time with other pursuits such as internet usage.

FussyZeus 9y ago

Well yeah and no one forces you to get broadband Internet either, the fact that for most people there's only one option that's often insanely overpriced is the issue.

Arizhel 9y ago
That's a poor analogy. No one forces you to hire an artist to create a commissioned artwork for you, but that doesn't mean that anyone actually needs to do that, and in fact, very few people hire artists on commission, because it's purely a luxury. Similarly, no one forces you to buy a Rolls-Royce, and whining that there's only one (insanely overpriced) Rolls Royce dealer in town isn't going to generate much sympathy, because again it's purely a luxury. Internet access these days isn't a luxury, it's a necessity if you're in any kind of non-minimum-wage profession, and it's a necessity to participate in modern culture in many ways. People do banking, pay their bills, look for jobs, read the news, file their taxes, etc. online these days; it's just as necessary as a telephone was 20 years ago. Cable TV is not a necessity at all; it's a luxury. It's no more necessary than a Ferrari or a Rolex or box seats at a sports game or a meal at a $100/plate restaurant.
- FussyZeus 9y ago
  Except when you commission an artist, you don't get (and pay for) 20 paintings you didn't want in addition to the one you wanted. Rolls also doesn't send you a Chrysler, Chevy and a BMW along with the Rolls you bought. In fact I think you'd be hard pressed to come up with another luxury good that's priced this way.
  - Arizhel 9y ago
    That's irrelevant. If Rolls wanted to, they could very well send you a Chrysler, Chevy, and BMW with every Rolls purchase. If you don't like it, you don't have to buy a Rolls. No, I can't think of other luxury goods priced this way either, but again, it's irrelevant. They can price things however they want, and you can choose to take it or leave it. It's a luxury, nothing more, and if you don't like the terms, you're free to take your business elsewhere. If they want a weird business model like that, it's their right, and it seems to be working for them since there's so many suckers happily sending them money for this. Perhaps the truth is that the really high-end luxury goods (Rolls, Rolex, etc.) are smarter than the typical cable TV customer and wouldn't put up with that kind of BS.
    - FussyZeus 9y ago
      > That's irrelevant. If Rolls wanted to, they could very well send you a Chrysler, Chevy, and BMW with every Rolls purchase. If you don't like it, you don't have to buy a Rolls. OK but now you're involving a free market which we've already established doesn't exist in terms of broadband providers in most places.
      - Arizhel 9y ago
        We're not talking about broadband here, we're talking about cable TV. Cable TV isn't that much of a free market, admittedly, but it does have competition: satellite TV (Dish, DirecTV) and internet programming (Hulu etc.). But most importantly to my argument, cable TV (unlike broadband internet) is purely a luxury. You don't need to watch TV, and countless people do just fine without it, even in societies where it's commonplace, and in fact lots of news articles are discussing people who are voluntarily giving it up ("cutting the cord") because they're spending their free time with other pursuits such as internet usage.