Disney Takes Control of Hulu

[Covert Rain]

It's official. Disney has taken control of Hulu effective immediately. It appears there will be a 5 years wait time before Disney purchases Comcast shares. I am thinking probably the other reason is all of the existing content agreements with other networks as well.

It's also unclear but likely WarnerMedia or NBCUnversal will not continue to allow some their content on that service once those deals expire since Disney is taking over. Both are starting their own streaming services.

On the plus side, it appears Disney is determined to keep adult content and live tv services on Hulu. I imagine that will also include incentives for people to subscribe to both Disney+ and Hulu as a package with options for ESPN Plus.

Is this the beginning of the end for all encompassing Live TV streaming? If everyone starts wrapping their arms around their own content I wonder if only 3rd party streaming services will have access to most of the content out there since they won't be direct competitors.

https://www.apnews.com/bc8fe3077bc5414e979436f9b596da30

 

[puckhead]

It's official. Disney has taken control of Hulu effective immediately. It appears there will be a 5 years wait time before Disney purchases Comcast shares. I am thinking probably the other reason is all of the existing content agreements with other networks as well.

It's also unclear but likely WarnerMedia or NBCUnversal will not continue to allow some their content on that service once those deals expire since Disney is taking over. Both are starting their own streaming services.

On the plus side, it appears Disney is determined to keep adult content and live tv services on Hulu. I imagine that will also include incentives for people to subscribe to both Disney+ and Hulu as a package with options for ESPN Plus.

Is this the beginning of the end for all encompassing Live TV streaming? If everyone starts wrapping their arms around their own content I wonder if only 3rd party streaming services will have access to most of the content out there since they won't be direct competitors.

https://www.apnews.com/bc8fe3077bc5414e979436f9b596da30

It's going to be wild when someday we'll tell our grandchildren about how we used to have all of these different content services we could buy and now it's all wrapped up into one giant company that we pay each month to watch TV.

 

[Chaplin]

Is this the beginning of the end for all encompassing Live TV streaming? If everyone starts wrapping their arms around their own content I wonder if only 3rd party streaming services will have access to most of the content out there since they won't be direct competitors.

https://www.apnews.com/bc8fe3077bc5414e979436f9b596da30

That's the death knell I predicted years ago. We're going from overpriced cable packages to countless streaming choices, which will lead to HIGHER prices and less content. It's a lose-lose for everybody.

 

[Covert Rain]

That's the death knell I predicted years ago. We're going from overpriced cable packages to countless streaming choices, which will lead to HIGHER prices and less content. It's a lose-lose for everybody.

We have had over priced cable/sat services for years. When it seemed that streaming might come to the rescue we starting seeing the prices start matching cable which was the first bad sign. Then came the consolidations.

I had really hoped but doubted that consumers would get a true a la carte offerings someday. Now? It's probably never going to happen.

 

[BigRedRage]

I enjoy the current layout but it has always pointed to suddenly youll need 8 different services and at that point....ill just stop watching tv or something. I still get football over rabbit ears. I dont really need anything else and can buy the shows I want to see.

 

[Covert Rain]

Depending on how this goes I might reconnect my OTA. I don't mind subscribing to one or two services and maybe another just to get through a season (a la Star Trek Discovery) then cancel. However, if this all plays out to where you need 5 or 6 services?

That would seem to drive people back to traditional Cable/Sat or 3rd party services that are not content producers. Maybe they want to build their own subscriber base so they can kill 3rd party content providers as well?!?!?

 

[Stout]

That's the death knell I predicted years ago. We're going from overpriced cable packages to countless streaming choices, which will lead to HIGHER prices and less content. It's a lose-lose for everybody.

I sure hope you're wrong, but I sure think you're right.

 

[Chaplin]

I sure hope you're wrong, but I sure think you're right.

Well we agree on something then!

 

[Covert Rain]

Well we agree on something then!

I recall that conversation pretty vividly and you did call it.

 

[Stout]

Well we agree on something then!

We probably agree on more, but it's an online forum and so is limited. But, yeah, this streaming stuff isn't looking good.

 

[crisper57]

I bought some Disney stock a long time ago and I have a hard time thinking of a situation where I would ever sell after all their acquisitions and expansion lately.

 

[Covert Rain]

I bought some Disney stock a long time ago and I have a hard time thinking of a situation where I would ever sell after all their acquisitions and expansion lately.

My father in law has been investing in Disney stock for the last 40 years. He basically said the same thing. He won't be selling anytime soon.

 

[Folster]

Depending on how this goes I might reconnect my OTA. I don't mind subscribing to one or two services and maybe another just to get through a season (a la Star Trek Discovery) then cancel. However, if this all plays out to where you need 5 or 6 services?

That would seem to drive people back to traditional Cable/Sat or 3rd party services that are not content producers. Maybe they want to build their own subscriber base so they can kill 3rd party content providers as well?!?!?

The point of cord cutting was that you were paying for channels you weren't watching with cable.

Nobody could possibly watch all of the content that is put out so there is no reason to subscribe to everything especially all at once.

Subscribe to one or two core streaming services and cycle through additional services to to supplement as needed. Also find a streaming buddy and share your log in if possible.

I have subscribe to Netflix and Prime. We use my sister in law's Hulu and we share our Netflix. I have Sling Blue for Suns and DBacks and split that with a friend. We are currently subscribing to HBO for GoT, but will cancel once it's over. I also have an antenna for local OTA channels.

Netflix - 13
Prime - 10
Sling - 12.50
OTA - free
Hulu - free

That's 35.50 a month for our base package and I'm trying to talk the wife into cycling Netflix too. HBO will be $15/m for 2 months before we cancel.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

The point of cord cutting was that you were paying for channels you weren't watching with cable.

Nobody could possibly watch all of the content that is put out so there is no reason to subscribe to everything especially all at once.

Subscribe to one or two core streaming services and cycle through additional services to to supplement as needed. Also find a streaming buddy and share your log in if possible.

I have subscribe to Netflix and Prime. We use my sister in law's Hulu and we share our Netflix. I have Sling Blue for Suns and DBacks and split that with a friend. We are currently subscribing to HBO for GoT, but will cancel once it's over. I also have an antenna for local OTA channels.

Netflix - 13
Prime - 10
Sling - 12.50
OTA - free
Hulu - free

That's 35.50 a month for our base package and I'm trying to talk the wife into cycling Netflix too. HBO will be $15/m for 2 months before we cancel.

Like you said, Netflix and Prime and non negotiable. Even if you never watch anything on Amazon, prime 2 day, 1 day, same day whatever is worth it alone. I watch quite a bit of Hulu as well and those are the only ones I have subscriptions to. There are others I would consider using on a cycle like you mention including Sling, Disney +, and Criterion Channel.

That's the death knell I predicted years ago. We're going from overpriced cable packages to countless streaming choices, which will lead to HIGHER prices and less content. It's a lose-lose for everybody.

I'm not so sure. My package was close to $140 a month with the sports and HD channels and the like. I'm still way under that no matter how you slice it. Most of the subscriptions won't offer enough to keep them permanently like Folster is talking about.

 

[Chaplin]

Like you said, Netflix and Prime and non negotiable. Even if you never watch anything on Amazon, prime 2 day, 1 day, same day whatever is worth it alone. I watch quite a bit of Hulu as well and those are the only ones I have subscriptions to. There are others I would consider using on a cycle like you mention including Sling, Disney +, and Criterion Channel.



I'm not so sure. My package was close to $140 a month with the sports and HD channels and the like. I'm still way under that no matter how you slice it. Most of the subscriptions won't offer enough to keep them permanently like Folster is talking about.

Life sometimes prohibits having some convoluted schedule of when you should cancel and restart services. And eventually, the services will catch wind of it and will start instituting new rules, like buying the year ahead of time so you can't just up and cancel willy nilly. If you're not a huge TV watcher, than it's not a big deal. And what happens when full streaming apps for sports come?

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Life sometimes prohibits having some convoluted schedule of when you should cancel and restart services. And eventually, the services will catch wind of it and will start instituting new rules, like buying the year ahead of time so you can't just up and cancel willy nilly. If you're not a huge TV watcher, than it's not a big deal. And what happens when full streaming apps for sports come?

They do that and the backlash of cancellations will be worse than people cycling through. Guaranteed.

 

[Chaplin]

They do that and the backlash of cancellations will be worse than people cycling through. Guaranteed.

Just like it’s been for cable companies? Comcast is still a billion dollar company.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Just like it’s been for cable companies? Comcast is still a billion dollar company.

Of course they are. If they were solely in the TV industry, I'd agree with you. They are also a major player in high speed internet.

 

[Chaplin]

Of course they are. If they were solely in the TV industry, I'd agree with you. They are also a major player in high speed internet.

Sure but their bread is buttered by their cable business, not just by subscriber costs but also through licensing deals with the actual programmers. I work for such a programmer and talk to all the major cable companies all the time.

 

[Stout]

Of course they are. If they were solely in the TV industry, I'd agree with you. They are also a major player in high speed internet.

They'd be done without their internet service, IMO.

 

[Folster]

Of course they are. If they were solely in the TV industry, I'd agree with you. They are also a major player in high speed internet.

And content creator as they own NBC Universal.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Who has the time to manage all those? I wish I did, but don’t.

 

[BigRedRage]

Who has the time to manage all those? I wish I did, but don’t.

I p aid for hulu for 6 months before taking the 15 minutes to set up my free hulu through sprint

 

[HoodieBets]

I agree Netflix and prime are the musts. I cut the cord over a year ago and switched to directvNow. Because I’m an AT&T mobile customer I get a discount on directvNow and get free HBO. I get all my locals with directvNow as well which only costs me $55 a month for almost every channel I used to get with cable. My full list of subscriptions is:

Netflix
Prime
DirectvNow
ESPN+(just for college sports and UFC)

The thing is even if I had cable or SAT I would still have Netflix and Prime and prob ESPN+. So really I’m saving much more since those equal net zero.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Covert Rain]

The point of cord cutting was that you were paying for channels you weren't watching with cable.

Nobody could possibly watch all of the content that is put out so there is no reason to subscribe to everything especially all at once.

Subscribe to one or two core streaming services and cycle through additional services to to supplement as needed. Also find a streaming buddy and share your log in if possible.

I have subscribe to Netflix and Prime. We use my sister in law's Hulu and we share our Netflix. I have Sling Blue for Suns and DBacks and split that with a friend. We are currently subscribing to HBO for GoT, but will cancel once it's over. I also have an antenna for local OTA channels.

Netflix - 13
Prime - 10
Sling - 12.50
OTA - free
Hulu - free

That's 35.50 a month for our base package and I'm trying to talk the wife into cycling Netflix too. HBO will be $15/m for 2 months before we cancel.

Yet now streaming is more and more looking like cable both in pricing and bundling. I was hoping it would eventually get us to true a la carte but that appears to be a pipe dream. Streaming has turned out to be nothing more than a la carte super light.

With every network building their own streaming service you are going to get even less content across networks as they perceive Netfilx and Prime becoming bigger threats with original programming.

It's only going to be the "true" 3rd party services like Sling or others not diving into original content that are gong to have access to a wider variety of programming from multiple networks. Just wait and see.