Weekly Rewind
AirTV takes a wild turn: Speaking of Sling, Dave Zatz has dug up more information about AirTV, a device that’s rumored to capture live broadcasts from an antenna and stream them into the Sling TV app. Apparently that’s just part of the solution, as AirTV may also include a TV box based on Google’s Android TV software. The so-called AirTV Player will provide access to other streaming apps, and–here’s the crazy part–will integrate Netflix content in the Sling TV channel guide.
Netflix is notoriously picky about where its content shows up, so I’d apply a dose of skepticism. Still, the idea of Sling TV as the central location for all your video–including other streaming services–is intriguing. Maybe we’ll hear more at the CES trade show next month.
Bundle economics 101: Back when I first started writing a cord-cutting column in late 2014, I broke down the reasons why cable and satellite TV have become so expensive. But I wasn’t nearly as thorough as this recent Streaming Observer piece by David Mumpower, who explains in detail the economics of TV bundling, and why the industry is opposed to selling channels a la carte.
Mumpower not only explains how we got here, but also why the bubble is starting to burst. All those low quality channels that lard up the average cable bill–like Boomerang, FYI, and Reelz–are plummeting in popularity, presumably as people find better ways to occupy their time. Yet the revenue stream is so lucrative that TV networks refuse to let go. The result? TV networks start bleeding subscribers as people walk away from the whole ordeal.
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