US video site introduces live channels to accelerate the elimination of cable TV

In other words, the replacement of cable television by online video is being extended from "on demand" to "live channel".

According to the Associated Press, a few days ago, Hulu, the United States’ first-line copyright video site, announced that it would introduce Showtime, a well-known TV drama channel, and that Hulu would pay only US$9 for a monthly subscription. If you watch paid video and this live channel at the same time, Hulu's monthly fee is $17.

Showtime is similar in nature to the HBO channel. Prior to this, it was mainly provided to home subscribers through cable and satellite television networks, and subscription fees for the monthly subscription were US$10.

Obviously, Hulu's monthly subscription fee is a dollar cheaper, which will prompt more cable subscribers to watch exciting live broadcast channels via the Internet.

According to reports, Showtime currently also offers live broadcast services through its official video client, which charges a monthly fee of $11.

Hulu and Showtime said that the video site integrated live channel will be completed by July 12. On the 12th, the channel will broadcast the third season of the US drama scavenger.

In the era of mobile Internet, the way consumers watch video and television content has undergone tremendous changes. People gradually abandoned high-cost cable television and satellite TV that were forced to bundle hundreds of channels, and began to obtain television content through video websites or Internet streaming TV service providers.

Showtime, HBO, and Showtime's parent company, CBS, have already made adjustments in response to changes in television consumption habits. The ultimate goal is to allow more hardware devices and users on different platforms to watch the channel and on-demand broadcast programs anytime, anywhere.

Earlier this month, Showtime announced that its official video client already supports Apple's set-top box and Roku streaming media device, and it has also entered the Sony Internet TV service channel package.

When talking about the inconsistency between monthly fees for cable and video sites on the same channel, Showtime’s CEO Matt-Blank stated that the current retail price of live channels is determined by “distributors.” “Hulu is currently The price was subsidized."

The Associated Press reported that the Showtime channel currently has a total of 24 million subscribers, and Hulu has 9 million paid members.

For the price subsidy program, Hulu executives expressed their hope to return old users and attract new users.

In the past year, the TV market has undergone earth-shaking changes. Sony, satellite TV company Dish, and others launched cheaper Internet TV services, while CBS, HBO, etc. circumvented traditional cable television and provided direct monthly subscription services to netizens.

According to industry insiders, under the impetus of Internet companies, traditional pay-TV services for compulsory channel bundles will be eliminated in history. Consumers will realize "what channel they want to watch, what channel they order." In addition, free and easy video on demand will also be available. Will be phase out of the live broadcast television channel service with thousands of people.

In addition, Apple is preparing its Internet TV service and is expected to include 20 to 30 high-quality live channels, with monthly subscription fees ranging from $20 to $30.