Time Warner Cable launched a pretty cool (and extremely popular) iPad app a couple weeks ago, one which allows TWC cable and internet customers to watch a selection of cable channels in any room in their house, via their iPad.
It took almost no time for television networks to cry foul.
Almost immediately, media giants like Viacom (MTV, VH1, Comedy Central) and Scripps (Food Network, HGTV) claimed the channel streaming was a violation of their contracts with Time Warner, and began threatening legal action.
Time Warner, who says 300,000 customers have downloaded the iPad app, responded to those threats with a public campaign asking "Why do some TV networks want to take it away?" In those ads, TWC also maintains that since their customers have already paid for access to the cable channels, they have a right to watch them over the iPad.
Currently, Time Warner streams about 30 channels to the iPad, but they hope to add more.
According The New York Times, other cable companies say they are also working on streaming apps for their customers, but they will likely wait to see what happens with Time Warner first (NYT also outlines all the nitty gritty details of the dispute).
My take: I don't see the problem with the streaming, which is only available to those already paying for the channels, and only inside their homes. What's the difference between streaming channels to the iPad and watching on a second or third television set in another room? A hardwired cable. That's it. It's not like customers are getting anything extra or free, just another way to watch the content they are already paying for.
UPDATE: Time Warner Cable President/COO Rob Marcus discusses the battle over free streaming television on CNBC -- VIDEO.
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Comments
That app is whack
Fri, 04/01/2011 - 23:59 — NicoleTeeConsumers are already embracing the notion of TV everywhere. I work for DISH Network and they gave me a sling ready VIP922 last year to test its functionality with relaying all of my subscribed programming including all of my DVR recordings onto my Smartphone. As a customer I've completely embraced my TV everywhere because I have my phone everywhere I go. I'm able to watch my live TV programming from anywhere I have Wi-Fi or mobile 3G Network. I'm not the only DISH customer that has taken advantage of this and I must say TWC is running more and more behind.
exactly.
Tue, 03/29/2011 - 15:51 — k_a_bobThese companies are getting $$$ from Hulu for letting them stream their programming, and since TWC has done it (through their own internet service, mostly at least) so now they are mad that a potential revenue stream is taken by their partner.
Irritating.
The heck of it is, it's not
Tue, 03/29/2011 - 18:31 — snowmentalityThe heck of it is, it's not even competing with Hulu. As far as I can tell, the app only lets you watch the cable channels in real time -- same as if you were watching them on your actual TV. You can't watch last week's episode that you missed, or watch a whole past season of a TV show, like you can on Hulu. It is literally just like having another TV hooked up to TWC.
I really can't figure out what they're so mad about! Is TWC putting extra ads on the iPad app and not giving them a cut?
TV streaming is real time, no extra ads
Wed, 03/30/2011 - 10:35 — brookecain (author)You're right that the streaming is real-time, so it's whatever is already playing on your TV in the very next room. And there are no extra ads from Time Warner. I think the media companies are mad because they wanted to figure out a way to do this BUT also charge extra for it (or load it up with extra ads).
Network or TWC...
Tue, 03/29/2011 - 13:40 — nopunin10did... no matter who wins this argument, we're going to lose as customers. Either we lose access to a cool piece of technology (the app)... or the networks will just charge TWC more than the typical contract because they now have to provide mobile device support.
Which in turn translates to higher cable prices.
I agree with you
Tue, 03/29/2011 - 14:49 — brookecain (author)That's exactly what I told someone this morning. It'll either go away or we'll pay extra for it. I think the reason those media companies are so upset is b/c they were probably already planning their own apps to either charge for mobile content or load the content up with extra ads and make more money. They want to cash in. But as far as I'm concerned, as long as you're watching in your own home, you paid for it already. I say kudos to anyone (TWC, etc) advancing technology and giving us more options on HOW to watch.