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from the After-they-practice-their-piano dept.
When HBO decided to take the Internet seriously, it was only a matter of time before it started getting interested in your kids. The deal for rights to premiere the next five seasons of Sesame Street on HBO's cable channel and streaming services, alongside other Sesame Network content produced exclusively for HBO, shows just how important children's programming has become to anyone who wants to build and maintain a massive subscriber base in a marketplace being reshaped by cord-cutting behavior. To prove the point: Both Amazon and Netflix are launching new kids' shows today.
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The battle for kids, at bottom, is about keeping their parents around even when a favorite show about a murderous politician is on hiatus. Streaming services are far easier to cancel and resubscribe than cable-TV, notes Rich Greenfield of BTIG, so the goal is to make that decision harder. "Remember when Netflix launched House of Cards, dropping all episodes at once, and investors feared consumers would sign up for three days, binge the entire series, and then disconnect?" he observed recently. "Netflix combated this risk by adding a significant amount of content that targeted all members of the family, with children's content a critical 'glue' to its offering."HBO didn’t have to worry much about using kids shows to retain customers until recently. Its streaming service doesn't even include Fraggle Rock, which premiered on the cable network in the 1980s, even though rival streaming services currently offer the old episodes. Cable channels are offered as part of larger bundles of channels and within other services, such as broadband and phone service. Getting rid of your HBO just because the latest season of Game of Thrones ended is, to most subscribers, probably more trouble than it's worth. But appointment viewing keeps people loyal to only a certain extent. It makes more sense to be all things to all people when your subscription service is an easily eliminated line item in the household budget.
Do you keep Netflix, Hulu, etc. for the kids?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 15 2015, @06:32PM
One of the best and worst things about kids is that they will watch the same damn thing a million times. Who needs a subscription when you can set them up with a copy of Frozen and they will continuously rewatch it for a couple of months?
(Score: 1) by DECbot on Saturday August 15 2015, @06:38PM
We keep Netflix for the kids on a roku. The instant access to the PBS kids library is worth it. Between Netflix and Amazon Prime, we have more than enough to keep them entertained with halfway worthwhile entertainment.
cats~$ sudo chown -R us /home/base
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 15 2015, @06:46PM
Setup a PLEX box (linux and Plex cost $0, plus machine and power), steam anything internally. Plex player is on Roku, Blueray players, smart tvs, apps for phones and Chromecast.
Download, copy form your own media, upload family videos. hours and hours of viewing for family.
(Score: 2) by davester666 on Saturday August 15 2015, @08:38PM
Real reason...children are used as currency when trying to bribe some officials, so they need as many of them as they can get.
And white virgin children have the most value...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 15 2015, @06:38PM
Amazon Prime: is a yes. pay once per year, plus "free shipping" and other benefits
Netflix: is a "yes". Value prop month to month.
The rest no value. Redundant or over ad centric.
RedBox: for a "new" movie that will be months or year before Amazon or Netflix.
And yes, Amazon and Netflix are redundant too, but there is enough new unique shows that both are OK.
"Cut" cable 2009, have not looked back. But I did go back to cable Internet because needed more up-link speed (at least 5Mb) for offset backup (backblaze), so not totally cut.
Oh and kids... youngest (now 14) been getting videos and programming on-line by self since 2009 with netbook.
(Score: 3, Funny) by richtopia on Saturday August 15 2015, @07:21PM
http://www.theonion.com/article/area-man-constantly-mentioning-he-doesnt-own-a-tel-429 [theonion.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 15 2015, @11:05PM
Oxymoron - no TV but does have computer w/ a screen.
The question is TV a thing by itself? Or is it just a monitor with built in wireless receiver, like every computer, smart phone or other device.
The question is "who's software can run on it?"
I have TV (with built in wireless receivers), but they are cheaper than true monitor. So why not take gift of free wireless reciever, and not use it?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 16 2015, @02:15AM
> I have TV (with built in wireless receivers), but they are cheaper than true monitor.
Ah, but are they cheaper than false monitor?
That is the question any oxymoron should really be asking.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 16 2015, @03:40AM
The IKEA monitor looks great and all, but no remotes or any kind of connection on the back. Though it does say 60", so makes friends drool.
(Score: 2) by efitton on Sunday August 16 2015, @02:39PM
"Do you keep Netflix, Hulu, etc. for the kids?"
Yes.
Her attention span is too short for movies and that is too much screen time for most days. But a 1/2 a George or Daniel Tiger or queuing up a Doc McStuffins with breakfast is golden. And she is growing up without worrying about when a show is on. She simply has no idea about broadcast T.V. True she isn't quite 3 yet but it really is a new world.