Comcast will spin off its cable networks - except Bravo - as linear TV continues to decline

Wonder if they'll force MSNBC and CNBC to rebrand.

If the long-speculated Comcast-WBD merger does happen it'll be interesting to see what happens to the Warner cable assets - whether Comcast just refuses to take them, or whether WBD joins in on the spin-off game before any deal, etc.

I have a feeling it’s being spun off expressly in anticipation of regulators for the Warner Bros acquisition

That would also suggest Comcast isn’t interested in acquiring any of WBD’s television assets save HBO

Paramount is also expected to shed all its television holdings including CBS

Linear tv?

Yes. Television that is derived from a channel where programs air at a fixed time.

The opposite is OTC (over the counter) or DTC (direct to consumer) television, where you can view content whenever you want.

They're keeping Bravo? Probably because it's the runt of the litter that will need a mercy strangling in a year or two. Most of the HW shows can barely scare up viewers on live TV or streaming these days.

r5 According to Variety:

[quote]Only Bravo, viewed as an important feeder of programming to the Peacock streaming service, will stay with the NBC TV business.

Which seems to be depressing confirmation that reality TV is important to attract people to your streaming service

For fucks’ sake, just give people the choice of basic TV reception or else getting to choose between several different providers offering variations on viewers upping a couple of bucks every time they wanna view a certain program and see who they can get the best deals from, like buying laundry detergent!! 😵

Bravo’s reality programming has replaced the niche of daytime soap operas for an entire generation.

I remember an SNL spoof of WWHL where they began with a voiceover into, “Your girlfriend’s watching Bravo.”

MSNBC shared resources with NBC News. It's going to be less valuable with its current ratings and with having to fully staff it as a separate news entity. It would make sense to seek a merger with CNN.

Enough with the fucking mergers. This is why everything is so expensive.

What ever happened to starting new businesses?

How much can you possible pump out of these tired old legacy names.

They are shoring to merge and squeeze these brands for every single nickel. Cut cut cut. Cheap cheap cheap.

We need to start new media companies. And new companies in every sector. People need to stop investing every penny into these hedge fund ran stock exchanges and open up your own companies.

What ever happened to the Ted Turner types?

Spin off into what?

[quote] Bravo’s reality programming has replaced the niche of daytime soap operas for an entire generation.

No it hasn’t, Andy Cohen.

MSNBC makes no money. It probably won’t be around much longer.

MSNBC posted lowest-rated week in over 25 years, Fox News snags 72% of primetime cable news audience after that.

R12 you mean the medium disrupters?

They caused this.

Fox News is also in trouble as it audience gets older and older. Do you know how many MyPillow advertisements they run all day? That’s bottom of the barrel advertising.

News Corporation is almost certainly going to be sold once Rupert kicks it. That’s why he’s fighting with his children and trying to fuck them out of their ownership.

R18, the only thing that endangers Fox is One American News and Newsmax. Fox News will rebrand and continue to exist. There is money in conservative talk. If there was money in liberal talk, Rupert Murdoch would have invested in it. He doesn’t give a shit. Conservatives have always fared better on the airwaves, all the way back to talk radio. They have a million successful podcasts now.

Except podcasters are replacing Fox News as the way conservatives get news.

Fox has podcasts.

But are they podcasts young people listen to?

[quote]The opposite is OTC (over the counter)

r4 The term is "over-the-top" (OTT). Over the counter refers to medication. OTT platforms are streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc.

I wonder why Comcast didn't make its own streaming service with their own cable network properties - through in the local NBC affiliate too. They could use the existing Peacock platform.

Because why the fuck would they make another streaming service.

I was listening to a podcast last week by British people who have produced a lot of TV. Their thesis is that the streamers' intention was always to come in, kill free-to-air TV, muddy the waters further with massive consolidations and rebrandings, and then re-established linear programming with a smaller range of "channels", with ads, but only accessible under paid subscriptions. You can already see the return to linear coming. For some time they've been dropping new seasons of popular shows week by week instead of all at once as of yore.

As usual in privatization events and corporate wars, the consumer gets screwed twice.

Several package bundles announced this year caused many people to snicker that it was essentially recreating cable (which was extremely profitable)

Netflix was the only streamer that dropped whole seasons at once but they’ve abandoned that in favor of two-part season drops. Churn made it a necessary. If someone only wants to watch a new season of a show which drops all episodes at once, they can binge all episodes on a weekend and cancel it after one month. If you drop eight episodes on a week by week basis, or in two parts, you force them to subscribe for at least two months.

I wouldn’t be surprised if contracts come back, once the subscription cow has been milked. There will be soft ways of making prepaid subscriptions more valuable than month to month. But at a certain point, the requirement for endless growth will outweigh the messiness of litigation, and hard contracts will again be a thing. 1 month, 1 year, maybe 5 years of pledged payments, with 100% due upon cancellation.

[quote]If you drop eight episodes on a week by week basis, or in two parts, you force them to subscribe for at least two months.

Easily got round, of course, by not subscribing till there are only two more eps to drop.

R29 that’s what I do because I’m cheap but young people who are impulsive and want instant gratification want to talk about their shows right away. Look at how each Agatha episode was talked about as soon as it dropped.

Plus will they be kicked out of 30 Rock? Move to CNBC HQ in New Jersey?

This is so sad.

So, this is why Joe and Mika went to Mar-a-Lago. They knew this was coming and started making moves. CNN has been courting them for years to bring their morning show to the network. If they want to be on CNN, they have to tone down the partisanship, which is why they are making nice with Trump now. Expect an announcement from them soon that they are leaving MSNBC.