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Marchand and Ourand had some guy named Justin Connolly from Disney's carriage unit on this week's podcast. I will admit that I have little respect for most upper-middle management types. Mostly empty suits, but this guy takes it to a different level. Truly clueless. Worth a listen, it made me yet more certain that ESPN, and perhaps Disney, are on the path to bankruptcy.

SamCdbs said:

Marchand and Ourand had some guy named Justin Connolly from Disney's carriage unit on this week's podcast. I will admit that I have little respect for most upper-middle management types. Mostly empty suits, but this guy takes it to a different level. Truly clueless. Worth a listen, it made me yet more certain that ESPN, and perhaps Disney, are on the path to bankruptcy.

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I can see why you did not like it, he pretty much mirrored everything I have been posting here, including the part about ESPN still being in the bundle for those who still want it and offering it to the cord cutters also.


View: https://youtu.be/gsmJlNbgfR8?si=7WkqdpOGZd37vLTN

Bruce said:

I can see why you did not like it, he pretty much mirrored everything I have been posting here, including the part about ESPN still being in the bundle for those who still want it and offering it to the cord cutters also.

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Yep. This guy ACTUALLY BELIEVES that there are people so stupid as to pay for a cable bundle of channels they don't watch and thus enable Disney to sell it to so called cord cutters (actually cord switchers) at a fraction of the legitimate price.

Memo: The cord switchers switched cords to get away from paying for sports. They don't like sports. At least not enough to pay for them. They have been doing without sports for years. People that can do without sports for that long, don't like sports. They are fine with their estrogen soaked melodramas.

Memo: In the bundle ESPN is very valuable. It is the only way to get ESPN is to get cable (or one of its alternative delivery methods). People that waiver on whether to drop cable or not, are, if sports fans, persuaded to remain because they cannot lose ESPN. People that feal the same way about some other genre do the same, paying for ESPN while not watching it. Outside the bundle, no cable company should carry ESPN at all, just toss up a cheap lineup for the remaining cable demographic and tell customers that want ESPN how to sign up. If actual cable won't, certainly a streaming alternative, or Cheap Charlie, will.

Multiply the ratings times the costs are you are in three figures per month for the legitimate price. The math is as undeniable as it is simple.

SamCdbs said:

Memo: The cord switchers switched cords to get away from paying for sports. They don't like sports. At least not enough to pay for them. They have been doing without sports for years. People that can do without sports for that long, don't like sports. They are fine with their estrogen soaked melodramas.

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Casual sexism aside, you're kind of close on this. Cord switchers wanted to pay less, and much of the cost of the cable bundle is sports. That said, aside from Philo and one Sling package, all the major live streaming services include a lot of sports, so mission failed?

ncted said:

Casual sexism aside, you're kind of close on this. Cord switchers wanted to pay less, and much of the cost of the cable bundle is sports. That said, aside from Philo and one Sling package, all the major live streaming services include a lot of sports, so mission failed?

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We are not there yet. As far as linear alternatives to cable/DBS are in their infancy. It doesn't really take much to set one up. A few servers and some wires. TODAY you need to bundle to get ESPN, the Worldwide Leader In Sports, so, of course, all include it. BUT if Disney is really stupid enough to sell it a la carte, it won't take 5 seconds for someone to figure out that there are millions of people who want a sports free, bundle entertainment experience. Those that want ESPN, can add it in. ESPN, if available, outside the bundle, serves no purpose within it. It can be one thing, or the other, but not both.

The same can be said for any genre. Millions would want the bundle, sans the ethnic channels, the religious channels, the children's and teen's channels, the news channels, the _____ wing news channels, the female oriented channels, the male oriented channels, etc.

A la carte means less diversity, because no one thing is popular enough to be made in the first place. Because the bundle protects the consumer.

SamCdbs said:

It can be one thing, or the other, but not both.

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I respectfully disagree.

SamCdbs said:

The same can be said for any genre. Millions would want the bundle, sans the ethnic channels, the religious channels, the children's and teen's channels, the news channels, the _____ wing news channels, the female oriented channels, the male oriented channels, etc.

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I agree, most people would want the bundle if, and only if, the content was there and it didn't cost way too much, which is not the current or recent state of things.

ncted said:

I respectfully disagree.

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Why would any cable (or alternative) company offer ESPN in a bundle?

The majority of customers do not like sports, do not want ESPN. So you offer a bundle w/o ESPN. Customers that want it can sign up for it, a la carte. In the bundle, ESPN is very valuable, the ONLY way to get ESPN is to get the bundle. A la carte, ESPN is toxic. Since the minority of customers who want it can get it outside the bundle, they will do so; and the majority of customers, who do not want it, will find the things they want w/o it.

Same for every other genre

SamCdbs said:

Why would any cable (or alternative) company offer ESPN in a bundle?

The majority of customers do not like sports, do not want ESPN. So you offer a bundle w/o ESPN. Customers that want it can sign up for it, a la carte. In the bundle, ESPN is very valuable, the ONLY way to get ESPN is to get the bundle. A la carte, ESPN is toxic. Since the minority of customers who want it can get it outside the bundle, they will do so; and the majority of customers, who do not want it, will find the things they want w/o it.

Same for every other genre

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The majority of customers are not living by themselves. The live with family, roommates, etc. with varied interests, many of whom like sports, drama, comedies, news, gardening, cooking, etc. A la carte ESPN solves the problem for the people who only want sports while bundled, either in a cable package or with other streaming products, solves it for everyone else. This is what happens when disruption fragments markets. Having been through this before in my job (online news media), I believe the only way to survive it is by having a diversity of options for customers to choose from. We called it the "and" business model because "either/or" doesn't keep the company afloat. Just my opinion of course.

Looks like it has come to fruition. Disney and Charter have reached an agreement and what is telling is that 8 channels have been excluded from the bundle: Baby TV, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform, FXM, FXX, Nat Geo Wild and Nat Geo Mundo. Perhaps the era of the overly bloated bundle is finally coming to an end.

Disney And Spectrum Reach Carriage Agreement, Ending Epic 10-Day Impasse In Time For 'Monday Night Football'; Eight Networks To Remain Dark In Deal Touted As "Innovative Model For The Future" – Update

Radioguy41 said:

Looks like it has come to fruition. Disney and Charter have reached an agreement and what is telling is that 8 channels have been excluded from the bundle: Baby TV, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform, FXM, FXX, Nat Geo Wild and Nat Geo Mundo. Perhaps the era of the overly bloated bundle is finally coming to an end.

Disney And Spectrum Reach Carriage Agreement, Ending Epic 10-Day Impasse In Time For 'Monday Night Football'; Eight Networks To Remain Dark In Deal Touted As "Innovative Model For The Future" – Update

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Disney has been planning to either sell or shut those channels down.

Shutting down is the option they have been thinking about the most, get a major tax break from doing so.