DirecTV® Now
Sling TV of Dish Network and PlayStation VUE of Sony have been selling television packages for the last eighteen months like the cable companies, but via internet. Trends show that many more providers are also planning to follow their lead.
Experts say that Apple, Amazon, YouTube from Google®, and DirecTV® from AT&T®, are all working enthusiastically to jump in the internet delivered live streaming TV services arena. A recent report on live streaming TV showed that these options would reach a subscriber base of 15 million by the end of 2020.
The expected 15 million subscribers of live TV services is very small when compared to the 100 million US homes that pay for TV services from satellite or cable TV provider, but the growth of online TV packages looks big when compared to the shrinking traditional pay TV services. Satellite® and cable TV services have lost a total of 1.1 million users in the last year, and streaming alternatives are the sure cause of this fall.
It is believed that online TV services could be the next technology change in TV watching habits of Americans. In wake of that, many traditional TV providers and tech firms are rolling out online TV packages. However, there is also bit of throwback in these services, as those like Sling TV are very similar to the cable television services that people have been buying for years. It is a collection of channels, available for a fixed price; the only being the medium of broadcast.
Online TV Services
The typical appealing factor of online Pay TV service is the small number of channels that are included in the service. As there are only few channels, the service tends to be less expensive. For instance, Sling TV from Dish® Network offers a collection of 25 channels for a price of 20 dollars per month. So, if the number of channels were to be increased, the price of the package would be hiked accordingly.
Cable TV companies are not yet worried about the online TV services, but these services are a potential risk to cable TV networks. Online TV channels have so far been pitched as a service for those Americans who do not pay for any traditional TV services. However, the streaming services offered by Sony, Dish, and many others are potential assault on cable TV services.
