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Message: [QUOTE="Stern, post: 194970, member: 527"] Cable TV might be in store for a shake-up. And COX CABLE is leading the way... ( I got this from an MMA website) [SIZE=13px][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#333333][I]In what is a story to watch with the increases in carriage fees combined with the very slow stream of people leaving cable and satellite due likely to the economy, Cox Cable announced a few weeks ago that they are creating a low tier service for $35 per month that would include the networks, local affiliates and some major cable networks including WGN, TBS, CNN, Galavision and USA.[/I][/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE] [SIZE=13px][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#333333][I]But what they aren't carrying will include ESPN, Spike, Syfy, FX and MTV. They would all be available for a $60 monthly package. Obviously hardcore fans of wrestling and MMA would likely buy the more expensive package. But if this becomes a new direction other systems take in order to keep customers and offer an inexpensive alternative, what it will do is potentially limit creating new fans through television, particularly lower income level fans who may choose the most economical package.[/I][/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE] [SIZE=13px][FONT=Verdana][COLOR=#333333][I]The two things most interesting are what percentage of subscribers move to the cheaper tier and if other companies follow suit. And different companies will offer different stations in the packages. The key is that ESPN is charging $4.69 per subscriber per month, which means about $466 million per month. Cable companies are feeling ESPN is holding them hostage by constantly raising the rates, given that even though ESPN is not No. 1 on cable, because of all the sports it carries, no cable company can risk not carrying them. Putting it in a more expensive tier passes the costs to the consumers for that price plus enables companies to offer more economic versions of cable.[/I][/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE] [/QUOTE]

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