It will take some time, but is not outside of the realm of possibility. The cable providers subsidize the premium channels, which makes an exclusive alliance wi

It will take some time, but is not outside of the realm of possibility. The cable providers subsidize the premium channels, which makes an exclusive alliance with the providers very lucrative. Direct sales could be profitable, but they run the risk of alienating their best customers: the cable providers. Obviously, the old media complex tends to be risk-averse and profit-centric, which necessitates being innovation-averse. In addition, most of these companies likely loathe "the internet" due to the pervasiveness of piracy. They see making their content available online directly as enabling the "thieves." The only thing that will drive them towards acknowledgement of the need for online, direct distribution will be competition, likely from Netflix. (Take all of this with a grain of salt. I am not any sort of cable executive, and the fact that they so frequently behave in such an illogical manner means that I'm likely wrong.)