People still want the option of TV live for news, sports, or the comfort of old habits.
Thats only a two percent increase year over year.
A movement this is not, but 2017 may begin to move the needle for the internet TV market.
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A-la-carte internet TV was still plentiful and affordable by the end of 2017.
The market will soon be crowded.
Head starts in the tech industry only last you so long.
But it will continue to be viewed as the discount option at $20.
Cost and Channels
Sling is the lowest cost option for internet TV.
Slings Orange package is $20 per month for 31 channels.
Orange and Blue can be combined into one package for $40 a month.
Theres a sports extra, which includes NHL connection, NBA TV, ESPNU, and more.
Those add-ons run you $5 each.
Buyer beware: The Orange package allows for streaming on only one rig at a time.
The more family-friendly Blue package allows for up to three devices at a time.
AT&T boss Randall Stephenson is still giddy about AT&Ts prospects in this new frontier.
I border on the evangelical about it.
Customers should reciprocate Stephensons excitement.
DirecTV Now rolled out a $35, 100-plus channel introductory offer.
Thats the kind of deal that keeps Verizon Fios and Cablevision execs up at night.
DirecTV Now still has a $35 per month offer, but its for 60 channels.
So far this $35 for 60 channels model has extended into 2018.
The latter tiers start to move you into the cable box price range.
Users who purchase four months of DirecTV now upfront will receive anApple TV 4k for free.
All in all a decent deal as Apple TV 4K is the best of the streaming gear options.
Computer, Smart TV, Mobile Phone App, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Google Chromecast.
What sets DirecTV apart is that wireless streaming does not impact cell phone data.
DirecTV is most famous for being the rights holder to NFL Sunday Ticket.
You wont be able to get Sunday Ticket on DirecTV Now.
Many observers claim that DirecTV is the best and most versatile of the streaming options.
For sports fans or just thriftier consumers with different needs, however, its not as strong a choice.
The Elite plan is $55 per month for 90 channels.
The $75 per month Ultra plan includes all of the above plus HBO and Showtime.
Adding on HBO to the other plans will run you an extra $15.
PlayStation Vue is the best total package on the market thanks to its cloud capabilities.
Sonys product has a 28-day cloud DVR feature that has its competitors scrambling to catch up.
The final result was well-received with one of the most user-friendly interfaces in the business.
What else does it offer to set it apart from the pack though?
YouTube TV costs $35 per month.
That cost gets you thefour broadcast networksABC, FOX, CBS, and NBCand roughly 35 cable channels.
Among those cable channels are the ever-important ESPN and Fox Sports packages.
A big boost for YouTube TV is the inclusion of local sports channels included without any add-ons.
Computer, Mobile Phone, Tablet, Smart TVs.
gadget accessibiity is perhaps YouTube TVs biggest drawback thus far.
YouTube TV is not available on any of the traditional streaming devices like Roku and Apple TV.
Though YouTube has said those should be availablesometime in 2018.
The company received a windfall fromSky and 21st Century Fox in early 2016, raising $15 million.
fuboTV launched completely in 2017 and the early results are promising.
Originally the subscription cost was $9.99 for mostly soccer offerings.
The subscription cost has now been bumped up to $20.
With that price increase, however, comes the most complete offering of sports streaming in the business.
The service is expected to launch early next year, according toa feature in Crains New York.
Were not targeting pay-TV customers to switch, Hopkins told Crains New York.
But for the people who are going to shut off cable anyway?
Now with Disney owning an even bigger stake in Hulu, the future looks even brighter.
Hulu Live has a similar subscription model to YouTube TV.
Its a $40 cost per month service with no available add-ons.
Well, thats not entirely fair.
The Hulu subscription is a pretty important part of the package.
And the future looks bright with Disney being the biggest investor.
It may still be worth waiting to see what the final form of Hulu looks like.
XFINITY when launched will be available to only Comcast users.
Costs start at $18 a month to receive the traditional networks.
For everyone else, however, its not clear where Instant TVs value will lie yet.
Suffice it to say, the business model has changed a bit since then.
Now in November of 2017, Philo has pivoted to being a pretty straight-forward streaming service.
Philo is a service targeted almost exclusively at non-sports fans.
Were not sure how far along the project is, butits been rumoredfor almost two years.
