Showtime officially announced Wednesday that it will now offer its network in streaming form. The big news is that you no longer have to purchase a bundled cable package in order to subscribe to Showtime. The cost is $10.99 per month and you can get it as a standalone through Apple TV.
The official launch is July 12.
In even bigger news, the NFL has partnered with Yahoo to offer a regular season NFL game via streaming for free. The game, between the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars, will air stream October 25 at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Under the pact, Yahoo will provide live streaming video of the NFL’s International Series game in London on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015, between the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars. The Internet-media company will offer the game on multiple properties and devices, including Yahoo, Yahoo Sports, Yahoo Screen and Tumblr, which collectively reach about 1 billion users per month.
The London matchup has lower value for TV networks, given that it will air starting at 9:30 a.m. ET. Still, the move marks a new step for the NFL in finding digital distribution partners for its most-valuable content — live games.
As more people cut their cable and satellite cords, content providers are feeling the pressure to move content to where the eyeballs are — online through streaming providers. As more content become available online, more people will see the cost benefits of cutting the cord and moving to streaming.
It is a death spiral, and a beautiful one.
People tired of paying a $100 a month for 450 cable channels they do not watch and the 5 they do watch, more and more are finding the content they desire online for a fraction of the cost.
Your current cable bill — yes, I’m talking to YOU — funds CNN, MSNBC, MTV, E!, Comedy Central, etc… Whether you watch or not, if they are available on your cable package, those left-wing garbage-spewers are making money off of you . You are funding your own cultural destruction.
If you want to put those networks out of business, you have to cut the cord. It is the only way. The game has been so rigged by Hollywood that these networks make can now clear hundreds of millions of dollars, even without viewers.
Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC