Apple TV and HBO Now put another nail in cable’s coffin

Apple’s spring forward event this week just fundamentally changed the way we consume media. It had nothing to do with their ugly watch or stupid laptop without any ports. Rather, it was a cheaper Apple TV and its new HBO app.

Tim Cook announced the company’s set top box would be cut in price to $69. It would also be getting a software update along with HBO Now. The no-strings-attached movie streaming service will be $15/month. You can now get your Direwolves and Dothraki on any iOS device without needing a cable or satellite subscription. All for about the same price.

That’s sure to have more than a few cable execs worrying.

It’s precisely why Big Cable has been consolidating and lobbying against net neutrality. Not to make more money, but to stop the bleeding.

Cord cutting has been sending subscription numbers downward for some time now. Up until recently, cable only networks like HBO were the only things keeping pay TV afloat. Now networks are learning that they can connect with the customer directly, on any device, without having to pay carriage fees.

Large corporations are like cruise ships captained by a committee. They’re slow to change course even when they’re in imminent danger. So they decide to fight the storm regardless of how many passengers they loose along the way. Nobody wants to decide on any other course of action. They’re perfectly willing to throw consumers and businesses overboard just to stick to their outdated business model.

Of course, you can’t hold back the tide. Others, RIAA most notably, tried and failed.

The future of television is a la carte, over the internet. Not piped into your home by some conglomerate telling you what to watch. Apple and HBO Now just made that a little bit easier.