Why can’t we just pay for the channels we want?
“A It’s something TV watchers have hoped to see for decades.
But nowthese cheaper services are consistently climbing in price.
YouTube TV is now almost double what it cost per month when it launched in 2017.
YouTube TV tries to justify its higher price with intangibles.
When are we getting the real a-la-carte TV experience?
When can we pay for just what we watch, nothing more and nothing less?
That’s Not How TV Works
Let’s take YouTube TV as an example.
What if you' only want the Nickelodeon channels for your kids?
Well go pound sand, you’re paying the same $15 hike as everyone else.
Because Viacom-CBS is selling all of these channels to YouTube TV in one negotiated package.
DirecTV NOW still clings to the package model … without offering much in terms of actual choice.
For TV content, everyone is paying for all the channels all the time.
But the metaphor breaks down quickly.
Insurance companies, frustrating and scummy as they often are, provide an essential service.
Where’s the Leverage?
So, why don’t platforms like YouTube and Hulu fight back?
Part of it is that they’re sometimes the exact same companies.
Those corporations are shaking their own hands.
And, that means their users pay up, too, or the platform becomes unprofitable.
But that someone doesn’t work at Disney, Comcast, or AT&T.
Those folks are just fine with the status quo and have been for decades, ahthankyouverymuch.
What Can You Do About It?
Not a whole lot, unfortunately.
Local channels aren’t much compared to the variety of a paid service, but you might’t beat free.
