A top executive at the Fox broadcast network claims that changing from cable bundles to an a la carte system is a “fantasy.” But other factors demonstrate that the Fox boss may be indulging in a little fantasy himself.
21st Century Fox‘ COO Chase Carey
recently stated that it is a “fantasy” to believe that Cable Choice will one day replace the current “bundling” scheme, claiming that there is “no evidence” that more people are dropping expensive cable subscriptions in favor of watching shows on broadcast TV or online.
But Carey’s bold assertion is flatly contradicted by
a recent survey showing that nearly a million households have dropped cable in the last year, And the trend is accelerating; in the previous year, only 250,000 households did. “Cord cutting used to be an urban myth. It isn’t anymore,” says market research expert Craig Moffett.
With viewers increasingly accustomed to services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and others, which allow them to watch (and pay for) only what they want, when they want, it is clear that the idea of forcing customers to purchase hundreds of channels they never watch is doomed. Chase Carey may claim this is “fantasy”; but when a network boss claims, as Carey did, that “People will give up food and a roof over their head before they give up television,” it’s pretty clear who is living in a fantasy world.
