cord cutting

Stalking the Elusive Cord-Cutter: Pay TV Grew Last Quarter (Again)

Peter Kafka in Media on May 8 at 10:20 am PT

It’s easier than ever to get what you want to watch without paying for TV. But you’re still doing it.

Cable Fee Fight Takes Another Turn as Dish Networks Uses iTunes, Netflix and Amazon as Weapons

Peter Kafka in Media on May 7 at 12:07 pm PT

Wait long enough, or pay enough, and you can see repeats of last night’s “Mad Men” in lots of places. So why pay to see it on cable last night?

Maybe You’re Going to Have to Pay for Cable After All, Silicon Valley

Peter Kafka in Media on April 4 at 11:47 am PT

Bravo’s upcoming seasons feature two shows — and maybe more — all about you! Or at least a version of you, brought to you by Randi Zuckerberg and Ben Huh.

Apple TV on the Outside, Same Old TV on the Inside

Peter Kafka in Media on April 2 at 5:34 am PT

Another analyst guess about what an Apple TV could look like: A really big, really cool iPad that sells for $1,500. But about the programming …

Here’s What a Netflix-Cable Deal Could Look Like: The One That Netflix Just Announced With Apple

Peter Kafka in Media on March 7 at 12:43 pm PT

Apple will let users sign up for Netflix directly from Apple TV, and let them pay their bill using iTunes. So no reason Comcast, Time Warner Cable, etc., can’t do the same.

News Byte

Broadcast Stations Sue Aereo Over Web TV Plans

Peter Kafka in Media on March 1 at 3:30 pm PT

The owners of four New York-area TV stations have sued Aereo, the start-up that plans to give users Web access to live broadcast TV. Aereo, which has raised $25 million from backers including Barry Diller’s IAC and venture investors like First Round Capital, has been expecting copyright challenges from the TV industry. It argues that its technology is legal because individual users will be getting streamed TV from their own individual antennas. One of the plaintiffs, Fox Television Stations, is owned by News Corp., which also owns this Web site.

Where Did the Cord-Cutters Go?

Peter Kafka in Media on March 1 at 7:47 am PT

If lots of people are ditching cable for Netflix, YouTube and Apple TV, how come pay-TV numbers went up last quarter?

Google’s Cable TV Lineup: A Wishlist

Peter Kafka in Media on February 22 at 3:29 pm PT

Don’t expect Google to break the bundle when it experiments with cable TV. But you could see some cool features, like a cloud-based DVR, and a programming guide that doesn’t make you want to scream.

Comcast’s Netflix Killer Isn’t One Yet. But It Could Be.

Peter Kafka in Media on February 22 at 7:39 am PT

Comcast won’t sell you its new Web video service unless you’re a Comcast cable subscriber. But it could change that overnight.

NBC Reruns on Netflix Boost Comcast’s Bottom Line

Peter Kafka in Media on February 15 at 8:08 am PT

Yes, Netflix is playing around with new shows. But it is spending the really big bucks on old stuff — just ask NBC, which picked up hundreds of millions of high-margin dollars last year.