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Streamlined HBO, Broadband Bundles to Hit More ISPs

Last fall Comcast began tinkering with a new bundle that offered HBO, basic cable, and 25 Mbps broadband. While Comcast offers the bundle initially under promotion for $40-$50 a month (depending on your market), though it doesn't include HD content and the price jumps to a less sexy $70=$80 a month after one year. Not to be outdone, last April AT&T aimed a similar HBO broadband bundle promotion at their own customers -- with similar caveats.

HBO now says they're planning on expanding these streamlined TV and broadband bundles at customers through additional, unnamed ISPs. The fear has long been that by offering HBO streaming only they'd cannibalize their existing traditional paying TV base, and insiders note those fears continue:

quote:
“We’re just trying to figure out how to do this in a way that enhances rather than subtracts from our business, that supports the distribution infrastructure that we need, whether it’s the TV one that goes to your house today, or whether it’s the broadband one,” Bewkes said at the May conference.

Plepler is trying to convince HBO’s major pay-TV distributors that marketing the premium network in a more affordable way would benefit cable systems as well, said the people, who asked not to be named because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly.
While a standalone streaming HBO product is certain to arrive eventually, it's going to arrive at a glacial pace.
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fiosultimate
join:2014-06-09
San Antonio, TX

1 recommendation

fiosultimate

Member

maximize profits

Slowly but surely, ISP are being dragged into the 21st century

bmccoy
join:2013-03-18
Port Orchard, WA

bmccoy

Member

Re: maximize profits

What?
Jim_in_VA (banned)
join:2004-07-11
Cobbs Creek, VA

Jim_in_VA (banned) to fiosultimate

Member

to fiosultimate
why does a ISP care what content is available, they are in business to just deliver the pipe

PlusOne
@69.142.79.x

1 recommendation

PlusOne

Anon

Re: maximize profits

said by Jim_in_VA:

why does a ISP care what content is available, they are in business to just deliver the pipe

Maybe 20 yrs ago, but not any longer. The ISPs are not in the business of being dumb pipes. That is what SOME misguided individuals wish their business were in.
Jim_in_VA (banned)
join:2004-07-11
Cobbs Creek, VA

Jim_in_VA (banned)

Member

Re: maximize profits

I have a internet only connection with my cable provider ... they don't give a damn what content I'm streaming, or who it is coming from, as long as I pay the bill ...so yeah, they are a dumb pipe making money

Snuffbox
nice irl
Premium Member
join:2011-04-15
Milwaukee, WI

Snuffbox

Premium Member

Re: maximize profits

said by Jim_in_VA:

I have a internet only connection with my cable provider ... they don't give a damn what content I'm streaming, or who it is coming from, as long as I pay the bill ...so yeah, they are a dumb pipe making money

Oh Jim, so naive.

PlusOne
@69.142.79.x

PlusOne

Anon

Re: maximize profits

said by Snuffbox:

said by Jim_in_VA:

I have a internet only connection with my cable provider ... they don't give a damn what content I'm streaming, or who it is coming from, as long as I pay the bill ...so yeah, they are a dumb pipe making money

Oh Jim, so naive.

+1

Jim Kirk
Premium Member
join:2005-12-09
49985

Jim Kirk

Premium Member

Re: maximize profits

-2

PlusOne
@69.142.79.x

-2 recommendations

PlusOne

Anon

Re: maximize profits

said by Jim Kirk:

-2

No need to post your IQ. We all know what it is.
Jim_in_VA (banned)
join:2004-07-11
Cobbs Creek, VA

Jim_in_VA (banned) to Snuffbox

Member

to Snuffbox
then educate me
rahvin112
join:2002-05-24
Sandy, UT

rahvin112

Member

Re: maximize profits

They do care, both Comcast and Verizon are using their last mile connections to demand concessions from large content providers that compete with their own offerings. Which IMO is a clear case of anti-competitive behavior that either constitutes monopoly abuse, price fixing, extortion or some combination of such.

Arguing they don't care what comes across the wire is naive at best. Because they very much do care when it competes with their own product offerings.

Take heart Jim, there are a lot of us that believe they should NOT be able to care, including legal restrictions and severe penalties for them taking these actions to prevent competition.
78036364 (banned)
join:2014-05-06
USA

78036364 (banned) to Jim_in_VA

Member

to Jim_in_VA
said by Jim_in_VA:

I have a internet only connection with my cable provider ... they don't give a damn what content I'm streaming, or who it is coming from, as long as I pay the bill ...so yeah, they are a dumb pipe making money

Jim your ISP rather you get HBO via a cable subscription rather than a stand alone streaming version of which they get NO money. This isn't hard to understand.
Jim_in_VA (banned)
join:2004-07-11
Cobbs Creek, VA

Jim_in_VA (banned)

Member

Re: maximize profits

understand. I have Dish for programming and Metrocast for internet. Metrocast just supplies internet access ... nothing else.

fiosultimate
join:2014-06-09
San Antonio, TX

fiosultimate

Member

Re: maximize profits

we are talking about the other 99% of the US, never even heard of metrocast
78036364 (banned)
join:2014-05-06
USA

78036364 (banned) to Jim_in_VA

Member

to Jim_in_VA
Jim most people get their internet from an ISP that also provides TV service. Those ISPs DO care where you get your HBO from.

fiosultimate
join:2014-06-09
San Antonio, TX

fiosultimate to Jim_in_VA

Member

to Jim_in_VA
they are in the business to get customers money,there corrected you, u are welcome
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray to fiosultimate

Member

to fiosultimate
There is nothing wrong with maximizing profits.

"Dragging" a company will only result in higher prices and lower service levels.
ISurfTooMuch
join:2007-04-23
Tuscaloosa, AL

ISurfTooMuch

Member

Don't hold your breath

Companies like HBO aren't in any hurry to do anything like offering standalone streaming packages, especially if those packages will be less expensive than what they offer now. The reason is simply that they'd essentially be competing against themselves, or, rather, their streaming packages would be competing against their traditional offerings. As long as their current model is working for them, they see no need to change.

And that's the thing with any sort of OTT video service. While we want one, the programmers see little reason to change, and any change is fraught with pitfalls for them, at least in their view. And, believe it or not, there are actually OTT services out there, such as Nimble TV and Sky Angel, but, if you look at their offerings, the channels are, by and large, niche services. For OTT to really take off, someone has to cobble together enough channels to provide a decent slate of programming, offer it at a good price, and, most importantly, promote the hell out of it. Only when that happens will you see a crack in the big programmers' resistance to the concept.

buzz_4_20
join:2003-09-20
Dover, NH

buzz_4_20

Member

I'll take Notice

When you can skip the TV subscription.

Until then it's just a gimmick.

Ark4
join:2002-06-08
Lansing, MI

Ark4

Member

Price

Comcast's 25/5 costs me $75/month already, for nothing else. You're saying I can get free basic cable and HBO, for the same monthly price? Can I skip any yearly-lockin contracts and just have them start giving me HBO without any increase in my bill then?
Hooper
Premium Member
join:2001-10-22
Castle Rock, CO

Hooper

Premium Member

Re: Price

said by Ark4:

Comcast's 25/5 costs me $75/month already, for nothing else. You're saying I can get free basic cable and HBO, for the same monthly price? Can I skip any yearly-lockin contracts and just have them start giving me HBO without any increase in my bill then?

As a new customer I didn't have to sign a contract. 39.99 intro rate, 59.99 year two and 69.99 regular price.

Johnny wad
@70.215.204.x

Johnny wad

Anon

So?

I get 50 Meg cable, all HBO and all Starz for 64.99 from Cox.
2 year guaranteed price.

Dunno what's the big deal¿?¿