Comcast will drop $45.2 billion for Time Warner. Wow. That is a lot of cake. It is expected that that the deal will be approved. Although it might not have been a decade ago. But how things have changed when it comes to this industry.
It is coincidental that the other day I was watching an early Seinfeld episode where Kramer convinced Jerry to get illegal cable – since the Mets would be on cable 70 times that season. But would Jerry need cable today? He could stream the audio through Sirius or get the television broadcast through MLB.com. If Jerry wanted to watch HBO or Cinemax he could sign up online, get the app and then stream it 
directly to his tablet, smart phone or laptop. Oh and if he went out and got a Chromecast or Apple TV device, he can just send the signal directly to his 60 inch LCD television and watch on the big screen. Need to watch some Winter Olympics from Sochi? Stream that heated Russia vs China curling match directly through the NBC sports app. Need a recap of the day in sports? Flip over to your ESPN app and watch Sportscenter. If Jerry wanted to watch “Rochelle Rochelle” he can probably find it either on Netflix or on Amazon direct. All this…without having to go through the cable companies.
Cable companies still have the advantage of being in many of our homes, right there next to the TV. Most consumers are very familiar and comfortable with the set top box – DVR function, pay per view and content. But the are fighting a defensive battle, trying to protect what they have as they are being assaulted from multiple angles. The ability to cut the cable and still get your fix is easier and easier – click here for such a plan.
Good luck to Comcast and Time Warner. That is a lot of capital to grow your empire. But could this be similar to the expansion of the Ottoman empire in the 1900s, looks impressive on paper, but fundamentally flawed.
The Thinking Frog 