Future TV Viewing AKA How To Rope-A-Dope

ESPN, ABC, Fox News, Fox Sports All Joining Hulu’s Eventual Live Streaming Service
Kate Cox | Consumerist.com

"Channels that have agreed to be a part of the live and on-demand service include broadcast networks Fox and ABC as well as a whole pile of cable channels...

If you feel like you’re sensing a pattern here, you’re right: All of the participating channels announced to date are owned by Time Warner, Fox, or Disney. Time Warner now owns a 10% stake in Hulu; founding partners Disney and Fox each currently own a 30% stake in Hulu."

In My OpinionBy the time this is all said and done people will be paying far more then they do now for cable services. Some of these very same already own (or shortly will) cable companies which charge for ISP services in order to receive them in the first place. Yeah all of this is now all fine and dandy at a couple of buck$ a month, but how long will this last once these various streaming providers own the whole ball of wax?

If they mange to put the independent cable providers out of business they will be able to charge whatever they want for access to the internet. Without it all these streaming services are less then useless.

Something else to keep in mind, cable providers usually offer phone service as well. No way should any one company, two or maybe three control all the network programs we see nor the distribution of them and telephone services all the way from the top down.

Most alarming thing of all-- privacy:
Cable companies don't know what channels or programs I watch nor how many hours I spend a week watching them. That all goes out the window when someone streams them. These companies then have full access to each.

Further, via the use of algorithms it will not only allow them to gear individual advertisements but also create an analysis of their individuals users. This is turn could be used to infer one's medical, financial or whatever else could become part of they or their family's profile.

People complained for years about cable company packaged deals wanting to pay al la carte for only the channels they wanted. This goes even further in the opposite direction. Not only are these streaming companies not allowing al la carte, now they want to own the whole shebang. From the very start of production all the way down to how viewers will be allowed to view what they produce That's way too much power in too few in hands. The economics of competition is best served when the entertainment companies are subrogated from owning movie theaters, TV providers or anything else disallowing them to hold all the marbles in one bag.

Unfortunately I've seen time and again how easy it is for consumers to be duped

I suspect this shall be no different.