Every month, cord-cutters are benefiting from increasing competition among tech and media companies' desire to adapt to consumers' changing TV-viewing habits. And nowhere is this more visible than in the rapid evolution of streaming TV services and their sometimes-called "skinny bundles."
This month, for instance, we saw the original cable TV alternative, PlayStation Vue from Sony, continue to beef up its lineup of local broadcast networks across the U.S.
PlayStation Vue, which I should point out does not require a PlayStation to view, last week added 11 local ABC broadcast stations and four local NBC broadcast stations in various markets. The week before, seven local CBS stations were introduced.
The aggressive rollout of more locals in more markets aligns perfectly with what Dwayne Benefield, who heads up the Vue division at Sony, told me last month. Making all four broadcast networks available to all Vue customers is a huge priority for the company.
Though perhaps not as exciting, Sling TV, the cable alternative service from Dish Network, had some big news last week, too. The company said that it's selling pay-per-view access to the much-anticipated Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor fight in English and Spanish on Aug. 26. At $100 plus taxes, the fight isn't being offered on the cheap, but it is a sign that Sling is committed to giving its cord-cutting customers the option to stream the kind of content that folks will be talking about.
As someone who watches a minimal amount of traditional television content _ just baseball games and all of Bravo's "Housewives" shows _ I default to Sling TV because it's so cheap (packages start at $20 a month). So it's encouraging to see the service make these types of incremental improvements.
But some other news last week has me a little concerned about Sling TV's future. The company's founding CEO, Roger Lynch, who I believe was genuinely committed to offering consumers the kind of TV service they wish they could get from their cable provider, was named as the new CEO of Pandora. It's a major blow to Sling TV. I can only hope that the Dish subsidiary will keep its independence under the leadership of current Dish President and Chief Operating Officer Erik Carlson, though I'm not encouraged now that Sling TV appears to be folded into the mothership.
In happier news, YouTube TV, the streaming cable alternative from Google's YouTube, is weeks away from launching in new markets.
The $35-per-month flat-fee streaming TV bundle, which comes with around 50 channels, should be an exciting proposition for many still exploring their cord-cutting options. It's famous for offering all four broadcast networks and regional sports networks in most of the cities where it operates, as well as an unlimited-storage cloud-based DVR. Plus YouTube TV comes with six accounts, with each getting its own personal DVR library.
If there's a downside, it's that those wishing to stream shows on their TV sets are limited to viewing through Google's Chromecast or tapping into the Airplay functionality available through Apple TV boxes.
Still, YouTube TV's price, channel lineup and feature set sandwich the service neatly between the lower-cost Sling TV and somewhat pricier options such as PlayStation Vue, Hulu with Live TV and DirecTV Now. Plus, having all four broadcast networks will put pressure on everyone but Sling, which under Lynch was committed to low prices over robust channel lineups, to up their local game.
