Streaming TV May Never Again Be as Simple, or as Affordable, as It is Now

An anonymous reader shares a report: Disney and WarnerMedia are each launching their own streaming services in 2019 in a challenge to Netflix's dominance. Netflix viewers will no longer be able to watch hit movies such as 'Black Panther' or 'Moana,' which will soon reside on Disney's subscription service. WarnerMedia, a unit of AT&T, will also soon have its own service to showcase its library of blockbuster films and HBO series. Families will have to decide between paying more each month or losing access to some of their favorite dramas, comedies, musicals and action flicks. 'There's definitely a lot of change coming,' said Paul Verna at eMarketer, a digital research company. 'People will have more choices of what to stream, but at the same time the market is already fragmented and intimidating and it is only going to get more so.'

Media companies are seeking to capitalize on the popularity and profitability of streaming. But by fragmenting the market, they're also narrowing the once wide selection that fueled the rise of internet-based video. About 55 percent of U.S. households now subscribe to paid streaming video services, up from just 10 percent in 2009, according to research firm Deloitte. Just as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime tempted people to 'cut the cord' by canceling traditional cable TV packages, the newer services are looking to dismember those more-inclusive options.
The cost of multiple streaming services could quickly approach the average cost of a cable bill -- not counting the cost of internet service. That's around $107 per month, according to Leichtman Research Group.

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