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The TV streaming apps broke their promises, and now they’re jacking up prices

For a moment, it seemed like the streaming apps were the things that could save us from the hegemony of cable TV—a system where you had to pay for a ton of stuff you didn’t want to watch so you could see the handful of things you were actually interested in.

Archived version: archive.ph/K4EIh

iMastari ,

Since these are turning to shit, are there any good Soap2Day replacements?

HappycamperNZ ,

Bflicks.something

demonsword ,
@demonsword@lemmy.world avatar

I’ve never threw away my jolly roger, it’s just safely hidden away

csolisr ,

If companies are so adamant in both raising prices to the point of unaffordability, and making alternate routes to enjoy their art illegal, then what we should collectively do is to just go without them, maybe use that free time and money for something more useful than art.

baronvonj ,
@baronvonj@lemmy.world avatar

According to CNN article, in a recent earnings call Bob Iger indicated that ad-supported streaming is a better revenue stream for them than ad-free subscriptions. So they’re apparently raising prices on ad-free subscriptions to get people to drop down to ad-supported.

neptune ,

Smh

baronvonj ,
@baronvonj@lemmy.world avatar

Yeah.

shirro , (edited )

Some people can’t stand advertising and will turn off rather than sit through it. I have been ad blocking and ad skipping for 20 years. I am not going to change my habits. The alternative is piracy. I don’t want to go back to piracy. It is a superior product in many ways but it isn’t sustainable and I want a fair share of my subscriptions to fund creative jobs (not that that is happening). There are a lot of shows I can’t stream or buy digitally here that are only available via the black market which is crazy in 2023 when streaming was supposed to fix this. We have companies taking shows off their services to claim tax writeoffs now at a time when the market is fragmented and overpriced.

The super rich and powerful think we are livestock to lead to slaughter and often they aren’t wrong. The sensible thing is for consumers is to walk away (same for X, Facebook, Reddit and all the other time wasters) and let the whole thing burn down and hope that whatever replaces it learns from the mistakes and greed. Unfortunately I don’t think enough will to make a difference.

flop_leash_973 ,

Yep. When it comes to dealing with these types of things, if it is something that can be lived without, the only winning play is to take your ball and go home.

If you’re not willing to go without watching tv, movies, playing new games, etc then these companies already own you.

Personally, I won’t go back to pirating their content. That implies what they make has more value to me than it actually does. If they make it nearly impossible to legally consume their product or service then I will take that as a sign they don’t really want to sell it and move on.

If the masses want to see change, then they should do likewise. Even if it doesn’t change the world, there is real power for a persons mental well being in always being willing to walk away.

Techmaster ,

I say we bring back running down the sidewalk with a stick in your neighbor’s fence.

MrGerrit ,

Cable companies: You could not live with your own failure. Where did that bring you? Back to me.

AccidentalLemming , (edited )

deleted_by_author

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    Corkyskog ,

    Is Disney+ bleeding money or is that just fancy accounting realizing costs that increase the other parts of Disney’s revenue?

    AccidentalLemming , (edited )

    deleted_by_author

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    ZoopZeZoop ,

    Disney is a bit unique with their streaming, though, because their content helps foster interest in their merchandise, parks, theatre movies, etc. The more engagement with their streaming content, the more likely someone is to engage with some other part of their business. Also, if I’m watching Disney+, I’m not watch any other streaming services (at that moment). They want to be a dominant streaming service because it helps them dominate in the parts of their business.

    Netflix, Paramount+, etc. don’t really have that, at least not to the same degree. Prime is more similar, because while you’re not investing in their own merchandise as much, you might be more like to use Prime shipping or music if you have Prime for video streaming (and vice versa).

    AccidentalLemming , (edited )

    deleted_by_author

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    ZoopZeZoop ,

    I don’t think that producing content by itself is sustainable, but things that aren’t quite profitable enough might be enough to be profitable overall with the reach and market share.

    I could totally be wrong, but it feels like they’re fairly invested in D+, and I don’t think it’s because they want everyone to have access. After all, they had a “vault” for many years and only sold movies that were rotated out of the vault at the time.

    Corkyskog ,

    It wouldn’t be a lie, it would just be accounting. And honestly I don’t know the accounting practices around such large organizations.

    Basically Disney+ charges Disney studios for Disney IP. Disney studios gets $3B let’s say over x amount of time for the deal, and Disney+ spends that amount of money. Meaning Disney+ loses money, while the Disney portfolio as a whole breaks even on the trade. That’s not even to mention the value there is bringing people into the Disney ecosystem, making it more likely to visit them parks and buy more merchandise.

    I don’t think it’s fair to look at Disney+ in a vacuum to compare to other services.

    SlopppyEngineer ,

    Sounds like a good time to cancel a subscription and finish the ol’ Steam library

    shirro ,

    I am going to need more gaming PCs to keep the family engaged in the post streaming world. Not sure how I am going to do it. Even finding space for them is going to be a challenge.

    qbus ,

    Let me introduce you to the wonderful world of steam deck

    Gutless2615 ,

    Arrrrr whatever be i to do? 🦜🏴‍☠️

    ThirdNerd ,
    @ThirdNerd@lemmy.world avatar

    Currently paying for YouTube ad-free, Netflix ad-free, and Hulu ad-free.

    YouTube’s algorithm seems intent on making me look elsewhere for content, as it suggests the same twenty things over and over again, despite the fact that I’ve watched half of them already and ignored the other half for months now. We only keep it because spouse wants it for YouTube music. Me? I’ve wandered off to piped and peertube, mostly.

    The Netflix app locks up and crashes the Roku at least once every movie. It used to do this just now and again, but recently it’s so bad I don’t even load it anymore and spouse is THIS CLOSE to being talked into just cancelling it.

    Hulu…? Well, it’s ok. I wish it still had a lot of the older stuff, as a lot of the newer stuff is just stupid and/or revolting. Because of the above, we’d probably keep this one and dump the others, based on price and what (mostly spouse) finds useful to watch.

    I’m actually checking out other things. Like Hoopla through the local library, eBooks, real books (the local library is free). Spouse and I have also learned to play several different card games, and sometimes we actually interact with each other instead of alpha-wave mind-bending into the electronic hallucination machine on the other side of the living room. We’re also exploring more outdoor activities, like hiking, birding, nature walks, team sports, and so on.

    Sometimes, a “bad” thing is just the right thing that needs to happen.

    ClassyDave ,

    We’ve all got to find balance in our lives! Sounds like you’re doing that! Wish more people would take this approach, if the streaming eco system no longer suits us we can simply choose to not participate, we don’t NEED the entertainment they provide. That’s the only way the product will improve, if we just continue paying for it what incentive do they have to improve the service?

    salient_one , (edited )
    @salient_one@lemmy.villa-straylight.social avatar

    despite the fact that I’ve watched half of them already and ignored the other half for months now

    What’s up with that anyway? You don’t have to have a fancy algorithm to not show me the things I’ve watched already!

    Also congrats on finding new hobbies. Sometimes we forget that there’s life outside of screens. Or perhaps not many have the energy for anything beyond staring at the black mirror.

    CapnAssHolo ,

    I’ll plunder yer coffer, ye mutinous, squiffy gob! … Hoist the Jolly Roger!

    tok3n ,
    @tok3n@lemmy.world avatar

    The only reason I have Netflix is because I get it through T-Mobile as a last resort. Fuck the state of streaming content. Raise the pirate flag boys!

    June ,

    I’ve set sail on the high seas again for the first time in like 15 years.

    CreativeCider ,
    @CreativeCider@sh.itjust.works avatar

    Fun thing, the captain still knows the major trade routes

    googlesnarfen ,

    Capitalism turns everything into shit. Not promises, only profit.

    Nekobambam ,

    Over the past few months, I’ve canceled my subscriptions to Audible, Disney+, Netflix, and appleTV. I still have Amazon Prime since it’s an annual subscription, but that’s it. It’s been a surprise to realize how much pressure I was feeling to consume all this content and how freeing it felt to just get rid of it all. I have a lot of audiobooks I haven’t gotten around to listening, and books I haven’t read yet. I can still watch stuff on Amazon and ahem other places if I want. But really, there has to be more to life than just endlessly binging tv shows.

    sndrtj ,

    For me it’s back to the pirating era.

    MaxPow3r11 ,

    I hear sea shanties are making a comeback.

    uriel238 ,
    @uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

    So piracy is a check on the abuses of the media market?

    Interesting!

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