The YouTube TV Thread

[Bruce]

By the way, found this-The only notable subscription-TV services to add subscribers in the first quarter of 2020 were Hulu + Live TV — which picked up about 100,000 to stand at 3.2 million — and Google’s YouTube, which netted approximately 300,000 to reach 2.3 million per Moffett’s estimate.

So the good news is YTTV gained 300,000 this quarter, the wacky news is only 400,000 went to a live TV streaming service, while 1.8 million total left Traditional Service ( plus a few hundred thousand left Sling and NOW).

That means a vast majority is only using Netflix and the likes, next quarter will be brutal for Traditional Providers, my guess is Satellite Providers will have major losses because of the bundling option that cable has.

AT&T Misses Q1 Revenue Target, Citing COVID-19 and Declines at WarnerMedia and Pay-TV Unit

AT&T missed Q1 2020 revenue and earnings estimates, blaming the coronavirus crisis and declines at WarnerMedia and its pay-TV biz.

variety.com

 

[lparsons21]

All of that makes sense in the current uncertain economic and social climate. Many are adjusting to having less income.

So instead of opting to cut the cord with a live streaming service like, YTTV, Hulu+Live and others, they are instead opting for a mix of services. Netflix and basic Hulu are growing huge numbers, as are the ad-supported services like XUMO, Pluto and others.

And since live sports is off the table, that makes live streamers less important. Add in that all the broadcast channel’s series are ending and many of the new/returning series for the upcoming series might not even start or at minimum, be delayed.

The big question going forward is will those that cut the cord and didn’t pick up on live streamers return to cable/sat/live stream when things normalize again?

 

[Zookster]

I could see myself dropping YouTube TV by the end of summer if there are no live sports or new shows/seasons by then. For now, there are just enough new/returning shows running through at least July, along with DVR backlog, to keep me around. But come September, if we aren't seeing anything new (that isn't filmed inside someone's home), I can deal with watching my local news and anything else with commercials OTT.

 

[Ronnie-]

I could see myself dropping YouTube TV by the end of summer if there are no live sports or new shows/seasons by then. For now, there are just enough new/returning shows running through at least July, along with DVR backlog, to keep me around. But come September, if we aren't seeing anything new (that isn't filmed inside someone's home), I can deal with watching my local news and anything else with commercials OTT.

I feel the same way. My main reason for having it is sports, and obviously that isn’t on right now. I do have a couple of shows that are wrapping up this month. Once those are off, I don’t have anything really that would keep me with live tv until perhaps sports starts up again or the new shows start up. And who knows when that will be.

 

[lparsons21]

I’ll stay with live TV, actually have no real choice. Signed up for ATT TV @Entertainment level for a year. I’ll cancel at the end of the year and my average cost for that with the included year of HBO/HBO Max will be $57/month.

 

[Bruce]

As long as Food Network is on, I will have to continue with a live TV service, gotta keep the wife happy, specially now.

 

[goaliebob99]

Live sports is coming back. It wont be long now.


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[Bear Paws]

Live sports is coming back. It wont be long now.


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Said the Rabbi, as he slipped with the knife on the the kid's cucumber

 

[lparsons21]

Live sports is coming back. It wont be long now.


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While I don’t actually care about sports one way or the other, sports without fans is as boring as a comedian doing standup without an audience. Just not worth watching!

 

[goaliebob99]

Said the Rabbi, as he slipped with the knife on the the kid's cucumber

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[camo]

Without live sports, I'm completely satisfied with Pluto TV. WOW, I was shocked when I checked it out about a week ago they offer much more now than before and its oriented toward what I like even more than YTTV. I'm not a network watcher other than sports anyway. The only problem is the commercials and no DVR so you can't skip so I end up channel surfing. I refuse to watch mindless commercials.

 

[Bear Paws]

Without live sports, I'm completely satisfied with Pluto TV. WOW, I was shocked when I checked it out about a week ago they offer much more now than before and its oriented toward what I like even more than YTTV. I'm not a network watcher other than sports anyway. The only problem is the commercials and no DVR so you can't skip so I end up channel surfing. I refuse to watch mindless commercials.

There is no free lunch..nor free TV for that matter. .There is still commerce going on somewhere on the network even if you don't notice it. One way or the other, your seeing commercials....It’s been suggested that they’re also building a revenue stream by selling watcher demographics and information to marketing firms.. You are a commodity for sale no mater how you dice it.,

$13 Million For Web-Based Television: Pluto TV Gets A Cash Injection

 

[Mochuf]

There is no free lunch..nor free TV for that matter. .There is still commerce going on somewhere on the network even if you don't notice it. One way or the other, your seeing commercials....It’s been suggested that they’re also building a revenue stream by selling watcher demographics and information to marketing firms.. You are a commodity for sale no mater how you dice it.,

$13 Million For Web-Based Television: Pluto TV Gets A Cash Injection

Sadly, all services sell user data. It doesn't matter if it's a free or paid service.

 

[ncted]

US pay-TV losses rocket to 2.15M subs in Q1 as virtual MVPD market unraveled | Light Reading

Fueled by the pandemic, subscriber losses among traditional pay-TV service providers fell to a record 1.8 million and OTT-TV players lost 341,000, according to new analysis from MoffettNathanson.

www.lightreading.com

Sony's PlayStation Vue closed down in late January. Meanwhile, AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now) and Dish's Sling TV lost subs in Q1 and Hulu's live TV offering "hit a wall" and added just 100,000 subs in the period. YouTube TV is still growing (YouTube TV added 300,000 subs in Q1, per Moffett's estimate), but didn't make up the full difference.

 

[Bruce]

US pay-TV losses rocket to 2.15M subs in Q1 as virtual MVPD market unraveled | Light Reading

Fueled by the pandemic, subscriber losses among traditional pay-TV service providers fell to a record 1.8 million and OTT-TV players lost 341,000, according to new analysis from MoffettNathanson.

www.lightreading.com

Yep, when you add in the losses from NOW and Sling, that is 2.15 million that canceled pay live TV, add in the gains from Hulu Live and YTTV, that is still 1.7 million that are sticking with or adding Netflix type services and OTA, just found a article that showed a big increase in Antenna Sales.

US pay-TV losses rocket to 2.15M subs in Q1 as virtual MVPD market unraveled | Light Reading

Fueled by the pandemic, subscriber losses among traditional pay-TV service providers fell to a record 1.8 million and OTT-TV players lost 341,000, according to new analysis from MoffettNathanson.

www.lightreading.com

TV Antenna sales surge in wake of economic fallout

The largest antenna-maker in the U.S. is seeing sales surge the in wake of the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

cordcuttingreport.com

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[lparsons21]

Depending on what you want to watch and how ad-tolerant you are, it is pretty easy to do streaming with or without OTA pretty cheaply.

Here’s one way without OTA:
Hulu basic - $6/month. NBC, ABC, Fox next day showings.
CBS:All Access - $6/month for CBS and originals, and live CBS if your local stations are in the mix.

Those cover the big 4 broadcast stations. And Hulu has many other shows from other channels, like FreeForm and others.

Comedy Central app - free to use

And a slew of ad-supported free ones too. XUMO, Pluto, Tubi, Crackle and many others.

Considering that the current seasons are ended or are about to, and that many of the new summer seasons haven’t started and may not, it is a viable solution.

 

[Zookster]

I discovered new live sports yesterday on the Tennis Channel. Not a major tournament with big names, but good enough to have on in the background. Tennis is probably in my top five of sports to watch on TV, and I have YouTube TVs auto-tune feature to thank for showing me there was a new tournament on.

 

[ncted]

Yep, when you add in the losses from NOW and Sling, that is 2.15 million that canceled pay live TV, add in the gains from Hulu Live and YTTV, that is still 1.7 million that are sticking with or adding Netflix type services and OTA, just found a article that showed a big increase in Antenna Sales.

TV Antenna sales surge in wake of economic fallout

The largest antenna-maker in the U.S. is seeing sales surge the in wake of the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

cordcuttingreport.com

I didn't realize Antennas Direct had purchased Mohu.

 

[docdaddy]

OK guy, help me an my wife learn if we can make the switch to YTTV from Dish. We just closed on our house in IA where we had Dish and we're in an apartment until we find a new house. I cancelled Dish, and we are seeing if we can learn to live with YTTV before we move to a house and have to decide whether to get Dish again. We need help in learning how to best use YTTV and the changes. We've had satellite TV (Directv or Dish) since 1995 so this is a major change for us (and we watch a lot of TV.)

First: In addition to YTTV, we have Netflix, Hulu and Prime. Also, all questions are on the smart TV app as that is the only way my wife will be watching (at least for now.)

Second: The only channels we REALLY need to have in addition to the current YTTV lineup is (according to my wife) - Hallmark, Lifetime, and A&E. How do we get those in the easiest way for her to use. She is not a tech person, she likes that our new Sony 950G TV has the apps built in and she doesn't have to switch inputs etc. FWIW.

Third: There's no YTTV remote, I have a Logitech Harmony 650, but we're currently using the Sony remote. Normally, for say Roku for example, I'd program the Harmony for the key commands. But we can't figure out some things for YTTV. For example, with the live guide, how do you do a page down instead of a single channel scroll?

4th: along those lines, what are the "shortcuts" we should know about?

5th: UI. When you are looking at the episodes on a smart TV app, is there any way to see info other than selecting the show to watch? On the apps there's a drop down arrow (we STILL don't have the ellipses to mark a show as "watched") but nothing on the TV app.

6th: Is there a difference in the Roku app and the TV app? Is one "better?"

Thanks! I'd love to be able to cut the cord, so we are forcing ourselves to use YTTV instead of the cable than comes with the apartment.

 

[docdaddy]

I wish that they would put MeTV on their lineup. I would switch to it.

I don't see MeTV but I see a MyTV which appears very similar, but I suspect that is a local channel.