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The Bundle is Back and Now “Comes With Streaming”

Understanding Legacy Media’s Problem As legacy media companies have launched streaming services over the past several years, they pushed their most consumer desirable content and a wide array of library content onto their direct-to-consumer streaming services detached from the legacy multichannel video bundle: Note: Max includes HBO and Paramount+ now includes Showtime, which were always…

Hulu Live Subs Get Streaming Apps for Free, Why Not Charter Subs?

In our analysis yesterday of the Charter/Disney blackout, (Can Chris Winfrey Destroy the Sports Media Death Star?), we highlighted how Charter was seeking something new beyond the normal rate/penetration asks that are customary in carriage battles. Charter is demanding that Disney provide its subscribers with the ad-supported versions of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ at no…

Can Chris Winfrey Destroy the Sports Media Death Star?

In mid-July 2023, Disney CEO Bob Iger sat down with CNBC’s David Faber in Sun Valley (link) and said the “inevitability [of] taking ESPN direct to consumer…I think I’m much more certain about when, but not prepared to say when that is…I’m enthusiastic about it.” All signs point to ESPN evolving into a direct-to-consumer service…

Is T-Mobile Pivoting To ARPU growth?

T-Mobile announced a new rate plan today called Go5G Next. The company highlighted the annual phone upgrade feature. But it’s hard not to see the resemblance to something out of a legacy carrier’s playbook. Annual phone upgrade offers by operators bring back memories of a time when consumers actually cared about upgrading their iPhone every…