News Corp COO Chase Carey has threatened to convert Fox to a cable-only channel if they lose their case against online streaming service Aereo, which allows users to stream antenna TV for $8 a month. Rebecca Greenfield analyzes the situation:
While News Corp.’s threat to stop broadcasting is more likely big talk than an actual game plan, Wall Street likes that idea. News Corp.’s announcement sent its stock soaring, even though it would have to wait until after its current NFL deals, which run for another seven years, expire.
But look around and content owners have already started pulling their best, most valuable stuff from the public waves. Sports, for example, have started moving to pay TV. Most regular season baseball, basketball, and hockey games now run on regional sports cable stations. While the really big sport events are still broadcast, that’s showing signs of slipping, too. Starting in 2014 the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament will be on TBS. That would follow Monday Night Football, the staple of ABC for decades, that moved to ESPN, and even the Olympics, which, aside from the primetime packages, was shown live (whether on cable stations or streamed online) only to people who pay for their TV.
The Dish 