Apple and Disney threaten to crush cable TV

“It is an especially bad time to be in the cable TV business,” Jon Markman writes for TheStreet. “Viewership is shrinking, and now major technology companies are looking to pick off even more customers.”
“Apple is set to launch a new streaming TV service, according to an Oct. 23 report from The Information,” Markman writes. “Major technology companies are targeting cable TV because they have a distinct advantage, and the industry is especially vulnerable. Netflix, Amazon, Apple and Google have sunk millions into building better technology. Consequently, they have millions of happy customers milling around in their ecosystems. These users understand the product. They like customer service. Selling them a TV subscription is a no brainer. And streaming technology has finally reached the stage at which it is reliable.”
“Apple plans to offer a service similar to Amazon’s Channels. The idea is users can select the channels they want and pay a monthly fee. The company will bundle content from the likes of HBO, Showtime, AMC, CBS and others, plus throw in its shows as they come on stream. It will be completely transparent, and backed by Apple customer service,” Markman writes. “This year, Disney finalized its $71.3-billion acquisition of most of the entertainment assets of 21st Century Fox. The deal gives the company control of the country’s third-largest movie studio, the Fox TV network (minus cable news), and cable networks FX and National Geographic. The new House of Mouse will be the biggest media network ever assembled. Disney has a long standing relationship with Apple. It is probably more than coincidence both companies are promising to enter streaming at the same time.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Why just threaten? Do it, please!
And, while you’re at it, maximize the crushing, too!
SEE ALSO:
Apple plans to launch TV streaming service first in the U.S., then swiftly expand globally with free original content – October 23, 2018
Apple plans to give away original content for free to device owners as part of new digital TV strategy – October 10, 2018
Disney to pull all its movies from Netflix and start its own streaming services; will also launch an ESPN video streaming service – August 8, 2017