As the pay-TV industry makes moves to retain and grow its video subscriber base, operators across the nation are eyeing broadband-only and cord cutting households now more than ever. SNL Kagan projects that, by 2021, broadband-only homes will grow to 22 percent. Many parties are feeling the pressure of this trend including operators, programmers and content makers.
But operators are in a unique position in that the U.S. household market is still in dire need of a high-speed, high-quality Internet connection to consume not only the over-the-top content that they like, but also the live content that they still need like sports, local news and events programming, all of which are not typically available from popular OTT services like Netflix. So, consumers are instead turning to virtual MVPD services, including DirecTV Now and Sling TV, to get specific live content. However, turning to these services oftentimes means paying multiple subscription fees resulting in a higher overall cost for those wanting to “cut the cord”.
As reported by Morgan Stanley, cable companies are hiking up the pricing of broadband as video revenue growth is increasingly pressured. Will this make consumers happy? No. Does it pain operators to rain prices on a single product due to industry pressures? Yes.
Where can operators and consumers find a middle ground? It exists in video content. Instead of losing video subscribers to the likes of third-party V-MVPD services, why can’t operators offer a similar service that can be bundled with high-speed Internet without spending massive CAPEX and gouging the customer at a ridiculous price point?
Evolution Digital offers this solution for cable and telco operators nationwide: eVUE-NOW!. Coupled with the operator’s high-speed broadband offering, eVUE-NOW! delivers broadcast and cable channels to consumers at a cost that makes sense. Because the operator already has deals in place with key programmers, it has the unique opportunity to offer a more competitive video product then other vMVPDs, like broadcast channels, in a skinny tier of video with its available with the operator’s Video on Demand programming.
eVUE-NOW! also features an important functionality that cord cutters want and, most often, need: appointment television viewing with DVR. eVUE-NOW! includes a network DVR capability allowing consumers to select up to 20 programs to record, pause and playback each week. After seven days, the intelligent cloud-based system automatically replaces the stored program with the next episode of that series or event. This greatly reduces the storage and streaming costs for the operator and provides a competitive TV viewing experience for non-DVR subscribers.
With eVUE-NOW!, operators nationwide can position themselves to grow and retain broadband and video subscribers by offering a revenue-rich solution with all of the features and functionalities that consumers crave such as simplified navigation screens with graphic-rich program tiles and sorted content. And most importantly – access to live and local content from the broadcast networks. Now, the consumer can access his or her favorite content at ease without breaking the bank or opting to cut the cord.