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Streaming TV: A Look Back, And What’s Next In 2016?

By Aric Mitchell
Published on: 09:41 PST, Dec 27, 2015

Streaming TV is becoming more popular with each passing year as technophobes grow more comfortable with the options to replace cable.

While the major cable companies are not out of commission just yet, they have certainly seen their market share dissipate in recent years.

One of the biggest concerns for companies like Comcast, Time Warner, and Cox Communications, isn’t so much cord cutting as cord shaving. In other words, cable customers are sticking around but only because they are greatly reducing their bills through a combination of streaming TV options.

According to an October, 2014, report from Yahoo!, the top 40 distributed cable channels “have seen a loss of 3.2 million subscribers, or more than 3% of their business” since 2010.

The report continued.

“Pay-TV in general lost 166,000 subscribers last year. Basic cable plans that include mostly broadcast channels now account for 12% of all paid-TV, up from 8% in years past. AT&T’s chief strategy officer John Stankey told The Wall Street Journal that he believes, ‘cord-shaving is a reality going forward.’

“‘People are clearly pushing back against the price hikes we’ve seen from the cable industry that are phenomenally faster than inflation,’ says Yahoo Finance tech reporter Aaron Pressman. Large cable packages can cost over $100 per month while the most basic cost between $10 and $50.”

Fast forward a year later, and you can now get HBO NOW, Showtime, Starz, and a variety of niche programming channels like Shudder and CONt all a la carte.

Sling TV has also stepped up its game offering ESPN (live sports through streaming TV) and a few other options for just $20 per month and no ongoing commitment.

Amazon also made a huge leap forward in 2015, offering Add-On Subscriptions for Starz, Showtime, and several other niche programming channels for between $4.99 and $9.95 per month.

The retail giant has also unleashed a hardware package that will make it even simpler for cord shavers or cutters to break free from cable.

Pictured above, Amazon is offering a package currently priced at a one-time fee of $124.99, which includes a HD antenna (for local channels) and the FireTV, which offers all add-ons as well as Sling TV for a few dollars more.

It isn’t helping cable providers that HD antenna products can give large population communities free access to local channels and broadcast table, thus making it easier for customers to pursue live sports and a la carte options through different streaming TV providers.

Nor is it helpful that many of this past year’s most talked about new shows have been on platforms like Amazon Prime and Netflix. Shows like, The Man in the High Castle, Daredevil, and films like, Beasts of No Nation.

Other options worth mentioning that have continued to forge a path in 2015 include HBO and WWE.

HBO NOW continues to price their all-inclusive package a little high at $14.99, while WWE has led the way for many cable channels, providing all pay-per-view content and original programming for a $9.99 per month price tag.

With all of this said, how does cable continue to hold its own in 2016? The first option they should consider: smaller, a la carte options of TV’s most popular channels.

Secondly, easier-to-follow pricing where consumers can predict what they will be paying each month and cancel at any time. This seems to be one of the big appeals of Sling TV, as it continually shows up in the company’s marketing efforts.

Last but not least, a “favorite shows” option could go a long way in mending the bridge between customers and services.

This option would be somewhat like a la carte but even more focused, where customers can pick season passes for their favorite shows and events instead of entire networks.

What do you think will happen with cable and streaming TV in 2016? Do you see cable companies losing more ground, and if so, will more major networks defect to streaming TV? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

[Image via Amazon]

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