TV A La Carte Pricing- Is it worth it?

[charknicks]

For many years, we have asked why we aren't able to just pay for the TV channels that we want, thinking we can save some money.

I have looked up the rates that each channel charges a subscriber per month for their channels. From reading all of these economic sites, its estimated that you would be charged double the current rates in a la carte pricing.

Here are what the each channel would charge if doubling their current prices (per month):

$20-$25: HBO
$15-$20: Cinemax, Showtime/TMC
$10: ESPN
$8: TW SportsNet (Lakers, Dodgers channel)
$5-$7: Regional Sports Networks (MSG, Fox Sports Net., etc)
$3: TNT
$2: Disney Channel
$1.75: NFL Network, Pac 10 Network
$1.50: Fox News
$1.25: ESPN2, USA Network
$1: CNN, FX, MTV, VH1
$0.75: Big Ten Network, NBC Sports Network, Discovery Channel
$0.55: Golf Channel, NHL Network
$0.50: AMC
$0.40: ESPNews, ESPN Classic, ESPNU, NBA TV, Fox Soccer Channel, CBS Sports Network, Tennis Channel, FUEL TV, MSNBC, Bravo, BET
$0.30: Comedy Central
$0.25: BBC America, Oxygen, Lifetime Movie Network
$0.20: Food Network

These are just the prices for the channels. No HD, no DVRs, etc.

If you wanted a la carte pricing, how much would you be paying a month? Is is worth it to you?

 

[-DMP-]

You dont think they would have combos and shyt?

Treat that shyt like Mcky D's and order a number 3 (sports pack), hold the tennis, and a number 2 (local channels) both super sized (all hd)

and you good

I'd be willing to pay 5-10 dollars per channels if they didnt have combos tho.

As long has they have on demand channel rentals (is that even possibel )


-DMP-

 

[charknicks]

Where I got the figures from:

What Cable Subscribers Pay for Channels They Don't Watch - Peter Kafka - Media - AllThingsD

SNL Kagan chart — paidContent

How Much Do You Pay for Each of Those Cable Channels You Don't Watch? | UPROXX

 

[NatiboyB]

I don't know but looking at this I'd be paying 15.50 which beats this 149

 

[charknicks]

You dont think they would have combos and shyt?

Treat that shyt like Mcky D's and order a number 3 (sports pack), hold the tennis, and a number 2 (local channels) both super sized (all hd)

and you good

I'd be willing to pay 5-10 dollars per channels if they didnt have combos tho.

As long has they have on demand channel rentals (is that even possibel )


-DMP-

I think they would have combos, but now each of these channels will have to think about their own ad $'s instead of giving us one price, like ALL Viacom channels or ALL ESPN's. (For instance, I found out AMC owns IFC, Sundance Channel and WE.TV)


I am sure on demand channel rentals would be available as some point, but since each channel is for themselves now, who knows what they would charge for that.

Most of these low channels would shut down pretty quick, cause none of us would be watching that shyt.

 

[-DMP-]

I think they would have combos, but now each of these channels will have to think about their own ad $'s instead of giving us one price, like ALL Viacom channels or ALL ESPN's. (For instance, I found out AMC owns IFC, Sundance Channel and WE.TV)


I am sure on demand channel rentals would be available as some point, but since each channel is for themselves now, who knows what they would charge for that.

Most of these low channels would shut down pretty quick, cause none of us would be watching that shyt.

Id be willing to pay a SMALL fee based on the amount of channels you order.

the more channels your order. the less your fee.

Kinda like when you buy in bulk, and the seller cuts you a deal.

-DMP-

 

[winb83]

they would likely more than double the rates. they'd have to make up for all the money they'd lose from people who wouldn't buy. i know people that watch stuff like A&E and the History Channel i'd never buy.

For instance, ESPN currently gets something like $4 for each subscriber, but only about 25 percent of cable subs actually watch the network. So in an a la carte world, Disney would end up charging something like $16 per ESPN customer to keep its revenue steady. ESPN is at the top of the food chain, but still, you can see how an a la carte bill could jump up fairly quickly.

http://allthingsd.com/20100219/how-...od-network-cablevision-wants-to-know/?mod=fox
i think a la carte would be bad for cable. your bill for say 10 channels would likely approach $50 or so a month probably closer to $70 if they're popular channels. so you'd pay more for less.

 

[Liquid]

netflix + hulu + espn is about $30 per month.

the old days of cable are coming to an end...embrace it

 

[Maddmike]

Dont forget that cable companies fees would more then likely rise also.

 

[GoldenGlove]

Well considering the NBA Playoffs are about to come on and I don't have cable and they don't broadcast the fukking games on NBA League Pass... Yes it's worth it.

I would GLADLY play 3 dollars for TNT for the next 3 months to see all the games.

Now I'm going to have to add some dumb package to my cable package (which I don't even use, have the box just sitting in the closet) just to watch the damn playoffs.

 

[StatUS]

HBO & Showtime aside if I picked the channels I wanted out of that pricing I'd be paying like $15. Now how much would be added on for HD & DVR remains to be seen but you can't lose at that price.

 

[GoldenGlove]

There are work arounds for HBOGo and ESPN viewing. I would only need TNT for the NBA and I would be set.

 

[SuburbanPimp]

I used to be for that and I still am but I doubt if I would do it now...

Now if I was single by myself in a bachleor pad, Hell yeah

I don't use all of my channels all the time but I watch quite a bit of them. I don't just watch sport, I like Documentaries and some TV shows that aren't on network channels., not to mention what the kids watch and wifey watches.

Also I NEED DVR service in my life and I wonder how that would work with this setup.

It would be great to have that option though, i would have to at least think about it