We are only a week away from the start of 2018. 2017 was an amazing year for cord cutting, and 2018 looks to be even better. So let’s take a moment and look forward to 5 cord cutting stories to keep an eye on in 2018.
#1 ESPN
ESPN has long been the leader in sports TV. Now Disney, the parent company behind ESPN, has decided to jump into the world of subscription streaming services called ESPN+.
Disney CEO Bob Iger said that the new app will be able to “stream our channels on an authenticated basis and subscribe to ESPN+ for additional sports coverage including thousands of live sporting events.”
ESPN made it clear that this will not be a live stream of ESPN cable channels content, but rather additional sports events not included on their cable channels.
As best we can tell ESPN+ will launch in spring 2018.
#2 Verizon Live TV Streaming Service
Verizon is hoping to follow AT&T’s lead and diversify so as not to rely so heavily on a wireless business that is increasingly crowded by the day. For months now we have heard that Verizon has looked at everything from buying Comcast or Charter to launching their own live TV streaming service all in the hopes of diversifying their product lineup.
Now as best we can tell this Verizon live TV streaming service will launch in spring 2018.
#3 CBS Sports
CBS is hoping to build off of their success with their free CBS News streaming service by launching a free sports streaming service.
CBS Sports won’t air live games but will air highlights and sports recap coverage, allowing sports fans to have 24/7 access to what is happening in the world of sports.
#4 Hulu
A few months ago Disney announced they will be buying most of Fox including their part ownership of Hulu. This gives Disney 60% ownership of Hulu and, for the first time, Hulu will have a single majority owner.
What will Disney do with Hulu? We will have to wait and see.
#5 5G Wireless Internet
One of the biggest issues for many wannabe cord cutters is fast Internet at home. It can be time consuming and expensive to run fiber to every house in a town. Now 5G home Internet brings the promise of fiber speeds without the need for a fiber line.
Right now Verizon and several other companies have announced plans to launch 5G wireless Internet in a handful of cities in 2018 with more on the way in 2019.
This could be a pivotal moment in the United States because for the first time we will start to see real competition in home Internet. Keep an eye on this because it may be the most important thing to happen since the Internet boom of the 1990s.
What would you add to this list? Leave a comment and let us know.
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