Time Warner Cable continues to test a so-called "skinny bundle" in the New York City area, which consists solely of a free Roku 3 and an limited assortment of channels streamed via broadband. According to thepromotional flyer being sent to users, customers under the trial have the choice of a $10 20+ channel bundle, a $20, 20+ channel bundle with Showtime and Starz, and a $50, 70 channel bundle that also includes Showtime and Starz.
So far, the trial only appears to be offered in the New York City market.
While Time Warner Cable has paid a lot of empty lip service to cheaper, more flexible programming options, like most in the cable and broadcast industry it has avoided seriously competing on price. In fact, Time Warner Cable's CEO recently went so far as to state that the company's cable TV services are so expensive because they're the Mercedes of the television industry.
But as the number of Internet video options have blossomed over the last year, these companies are increasingly finding they have no choice but to offer a better value if they don't want cord cutting to become an avalanche.
Granted Time Warner Cable will soon be gobbled up by Charter and this trial may very well disappear, but Charter has been experimenting with a similar, free Roku and skinny bundle of its own that will hopefully see broader deployment in time.
So far, the trial only appears to be offered in the New York City market.
While Time Warner Cable has paid a lot of empty lip service to cheaper, more flexible programming options, like most in the cable and broadcast industry it has avoided seriously competing on price. In fact, Time Warner Cable's CEO recently went so far as to state that the company's cable TV services are so expensive because they're the Mercedes of the television industry.
But as the number of Internet video options have blossomed over the last year, these companies are increasingly finding they have no choice but to offer a better value if they don't want cord cutting to become an avalanche.
Granted Time Warner Cable will soon be gobbled up by Charter and this trial may very well disappear, but Charter has been experimenting with a similar, free Roku and skinny bundle of its own that will hopefully see broader deployment in time.
