MrGPAC said:
Oski87 said:
Does your cable package sound like a monopoly? I am sure they will all be on Cable and ATT, etc as well. But really they are just saying, if you want to cut the cord, you have to buy us.
On top of any local options (Xfinity, Charter, Uverse, etc), off the top of my head:
DirecTV
Dish Network
YoutubeTV
Hulu Live TV
Sling TV
Just to name a few. Tons of options to go with to get cable channels. Internet providers are often far more monopolistic....and don't get me started about power companies (thanks for yet another rate hike PG&E, so glad I can go to a competitor...not).
As long as the joint venture continues broadcasting games on all of these providers there isn't a huge problem from the consumer perspective. There is a reason you can get Comcast Sports Net on all of these providers and Comcast didn't shut them all out.
That said, from the content provider side this is a bit troublesome. Fox and ESPN were pitted against eachother for the B1G and SEC rights and that is why they went for such exhorbinant rates. The Pac12 found out what happens when those two don't bid against eachother in terms of market value... What happens when the B1G contract renegotiations happen and no one is bidding against this new joint venture? Or when the only competition is a paultry offering from AppleTV who may or may not even be interested any more at that point?
I'm not sure if you're trying to suggest that cable isn't a monopoly. In case you are, allow me to reply.
Of "Xfinity, Charter, Uverse, etc," which can you actually connect to your home? I'm not sure if things have changed, but years ago, only one cable company had the rights to connect the homes in a given city.
"DirecTV
Dish Network
YoutubeTV
Hulu Live TV
Sling TV" none of these is cable.
That said, with all these broadcasting companies banding together to provide one streaming service, it eliminates choices for customers. More importantly, it reduces competition, especially as to costs, for the consumer.
It's been years since I took a business law class, let alone since we covered anti-trust, but IIRC, the main thrust of anti-trust law is to prevent just this type of anti-competitive joint venture.
That said, the broadcasters will likely reply that there are other options for consumers who don't want to subscribe to their streaming service. That is, consumers can watch HGTV, Fox, NBC, ABC, etc. for entertainment. But, IMHO, that's tantamount to saying travelers don't have to fly if they want to travel since they can take the bus, trains, or ships, and even drive to travel. Yet, the federal government has frequently prevented the consolidation of various airlines on anti-trust grounds.
In short, this reeks of a monopoly to me, but I'm not an anti-trust attorney so I really can't say if it is an unlawful monopoly.
