After HBO & Showtime, Will AMC Go Online a la Carte?

[seancaptain]

Two of Cable's top-tier networks are going online, a la carte next year. Will AMC follow? It probably has to.

After HBO & Showtime, Will AMC Go Online a la Carte? : Read more

 

[threefish]

Eventually the content makers will have to sell a show on its merits alone without packaging up other shows. At that point, the consumer wins. I don't watch any of the shows mentioned, so I guess I've already won. No?

 

[ubercake]

...AMC has already led the charge online by making some of its top shows available on Netflix shortly after they air, unlike Showtime, which never puts content on Netflix...

I'm currently burning through Californication on Netflix; a Showtime show. I also watched the complete Dexter series on Netflix.

 

[d_kuhn]

True a la carte would be the ability to purchase individual shows (Game of Thrones Season 2 Episode 3), that's where they need to go long term... but I'm OK with baby steps. This is a move in the right direction, instead of spending over a hundred bucks a month for 1000 shows I'll never watch and a handful I will, I'll instead spend a lot less a month for a lot fewer shows I'll never watch and a few I will.

 

[ubercake]

This is a win-win for consumers. The thing that scares me a little is in 5-10 years, will the Netflixs, Amazon Primes and Hulus of the World be gouging us like Comcast and Time Warner currently do???

Are we simply passing the proverbial profit baton as consumers from the current megacorps to the next megacorps?

 

[TNel]

Typo: "But the prices for fans are adding up. Let's guess that HBO and Netflix will each cost $10 per month (the networks haven't named prices yet). Netflix is another $8 or $9 (depending on when you signed up)."

I think you mean "Let's guess that HBO and Showtime will each...."

 

[deftonian]

"Eventually the content makers will have to sell a show on its merits alone without packaging up other shows. At that point, the consumer wins. I don't watch any of the shows mentioned, so I guess I've already won. No?"

I'm going to say you've lost, because Breaking Bad is a gem and should definitely be watched. Game of Thrones is also top notch but it's more niche then others so I can't recommend it unless I knew what style you were in to.

That said, I would suggest you use Netflix for Breaking Bad.

 

[glasssplinter]

I highly doubt you'll be able to get these for the $10-$15. That's what it costs to someone who already subscribes to a cable package. I think with DirecTV HBO is $17.99 and Showtime is $13.99 or $10 if you subscribe to a premium channel already. I think realistically you're going to be looking at closer to $25 for HBO and $20 for Showtime. You've got to remember that the studios have you exactly where they want you. You don't want to pay for cable but want to see their show so they can charge $20 a channel and people will still get it because it's cheaper than cable.

 

[soldier45]

AMC has been online for a while now, its called torrents.

 

[jakjawagon]

OK, but how long until we can download TV shows legally without any DRM?

 

[danwat1234]

jakawagon, we can already..for instance some old ones are on Youtube

 

[xyriin]

Another factor in favor of the online model is that you don't have to subscribe for the whole year. Take Game of Thrones. If that is the only thing you watch on HBO then you subscribe for three months to catch the 10 episodes. If HBO charges $10 a month you effectively pay $2.50 a month averaged out over the year. Even if the pricing is $15 a month that comes out to an average of $3.75. That's quite a few shows you could 'subscribe' to. Worst case scenario the premium channels like HBO are going to cost just as much as they do on cable, the bonus is that you don't have to spend $100 a month year round to get access to all the channels you'll watch. At $100 a month you could 'subscribe' to something like 40 TV shows a year.

 

[ubercake]

Another factor in favor of the online model is that you don't have to subscribe for the whole year. Take Game of Thrones. If that is the only thing you watch on HBO then you subscribe for three months to catch the 10 episodes. If HBO charges $10 a month you effectively pay $2.50 a month averaged out over the year. Even if the pricing is $15 a month that comes out to an average of $3.75. That's quite a few shows you could 'subscribe' to. Worst case scenario the premium channels like HBO are going to cost just as much as they do on cable, the bonus is that you don't have to spend $100 a month year round to get access to all the channels you'll watch. At $100 a month you could 'subscribe' to something like 40 TV shows a year.

Also, you have some real flexibility when you want to quit or add their service and won't have to wait on a phone call and talk to someone with poor customer service skills trying to sell you something additional when you want to just quit HBO.

I would subscribe to HBO only seasonally during Game of Thrones. If the cost is $25/month as some have suggested or if they force you into a yearly subscription, I'd just wait for the DVD release the next year.

 

[Bondfc11]

I am looking forward to jumping ala cart and planning the switch when HBO jumps out. Since I already have a large internet bill for my 50+ speed and a $150 bill for my Directv - picking up Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and few others will still save me cash. Heck even if the "bundle" I create comes in at $75-$100 that is still at least $600 a year in savings. However, based on what is watched at home I think we will be closer to $50. It all depends on how many channels decide to jump out.

 

[falchard]

If TV series producers don't look to the future then they will be left behind just like what has already happened in music. Before, in music you could produce 1 good song and 11 crap songs, then sell it for $12. Now you make 1 good song and sell it for $1. The same is going to happen for TV shows, only the strong will survive which is great for consumers.

 

[Maubruce]

Don't you need Internet access for Net Flix? We have Dish, soon to get rid of the premium channels and love some HBO& Showtime series. Ray Donovan. Need advice? Please & Thank you

 

[ubercake]

You do need internet access or a data plan through your wireless carrier for Netflix.

Also, I like what Amazon is doing with networks like AMC. If you want to watch the current season while it's playing on TV, you can buy a season pass. You can watch the show within a day after it airs. That's if you can't wait a year to watch it for free... With a season pass, you also 'own' the shows and they are kept stored in the cloud.

I did this for Walking Dead. This way, I don't have to even subscribe to cable TV in order to watch my favorite cable programming during the season it's playing on cable.

I can see this catching on. Actually subscribing to a show rather than paying for 100s of channels x 100s of shows you'll never watch. What a concept?! I could see HBO tossing their hat into this arena with Game of Thrones (fingers crossed).

 

[Maubruce]

You do need internet access or a data plan through your wireless carrier for Netflix.

Also, I like what Amazon is doing with networks like AMC. If you want to watch the current season while it's playing on TV, you can buy a season pass. You can watch the show within a day after it airs. That's if you can't wait a year to watch it for free... With a season pass, you also 'own' the shows and they are kept stored in the cloud.

I did this for Walking Dead. This way, I don't have to even subscribe to cable TV in order to watch my favorite cable programming during the season it's playing on cable.

I can see this catching on. Actually subscribing to a show rather than paying for 100s of channels x 100s of shows you'll never watch. What a concept?! I could see HBO tossing their hat into this arena with Game of Thrones (fingers crossed).

Thanks for the info, guess we are s.o.l. this year. Can't afford anything at all. T.I.A. Maubruce