The Factors Of Consumers’ Preferences To Streamable TV Vs Using Cable Companies

In what is really becoming a competitive time of cord cutting and cord shaving. I thought I would delve into the market of cable television. For many years now, we have been at the mercy of Cable Companies when it came to watching the live television shows we all find immensely intriguing. Forced to pay for expensive packages with a handful of channels we watch while never knowing when our bill will rise higher, people wanted change. Thus, the start of streamable tv, in the form of cord cutting and cord shaving services. On one hand, you have the cable companies. These include companies like Time Warner and Comcast. On the other hand, you have a wave of streamable tv options.

These Include YouTube TV, Direct TV Now, PlayStation Vue, Netflix, Hulu, and Sling TV. In this scenario, streaming pioneers like Netflix and Hulu offered alternatives to paying for the expensive premium movie packages like HBO and Showtime that were offered by Cable Companies. One would pay for Cable to watch live TV, and add Netflix or Hulu for Movies and shows at a cheaper cost than Cable. Now recently, the streamable market has gotten even a little more innovative. The introduction of Streamable Live TV through companies like YouTube TV and PlayStation Vue. The differences in the viewing experience itself is unremarkable. What draws customers to streamable TV vs using cable companies is the differences in price, the ability to tailor packages (cord shaving) and the ability to avoid long term contracts. A customer can cancel at any time without penalty.

So when given the choice of a more expensive viewing platform, that requires a long term commitment, less customization at a higher cost vs. a cheaper alternative, that offers a choice in channels with less hardware, no installation and can be canceled at any time, one would think the answer is pretty clear, right? Consumers are beginning to say yes. The biggest hurdle the streaming services had when they started were licensing rights. I know for myself, that I wanted the ability to watch local channels on top of channels like ESPN and AMC. With each passing month, that hurdle becomes a bit smaller, as all the streamable options are offering those channels in the bigger markets. Honestly, I personally believe availability is really the only thing stopping streamable services from completely taking over, as consumers become more informed about what’s out there. It’s becoming clear to cable companies, as they try to add services like Netflix to their existing packages, that the streaming threat is very real. There hold on certain markets will evaporate once the agreements are available.

ON top of that major players like Disney, are set to launch their own streaming channels. Thus making Cable companies even harder pressed to keep customers. The competition will eventually move from away from cable to streaming, and more towards which streaming service do I choose. When you look at my other thoughts on Netflix, you can really see they have become real giant killers. Who in turn may become victims of their own doing, if they don’t evolve as well. Ultimately though, regardless of what a consumer chooses and why.