With Q1 earnings calls underway, this week we’re seeing the impact that cord cutting is having on the cable industry. In yet another disagreement between a streaming service and streaming platform, Roku dropped YouTube TV from its Channel Store. We also finally got updates about HBO Max pricing and the Locast case.
Here’s what happened in the world of cord cutting and streaming.
Breaking News
Here are some of the top streaming stories from the past week.
YouTube TV Has Left Roku
After Roku and Google failed to come to an agreement to keep YouTube TV on the streaming platform, the deal expired and Roku removed YouTube TV from the Channel Store Friday morning. The decision came after both Roku and Google made statements about the negotiations – Roku claimed Google wanted to manipulate search results. Google said Roku was making baseless claims.
HBO Max Finally Gave Us a Price Point
HBO Max has been talking about plans for an ad-supported tier for months, sharing during an investor event that the tier will launch this June. We now know that the ad-supported tier will cost $9.99/month.
Pluto TV is Expanding Its Spanish Language Selection
Pluto TV is adding more Spanish language content to its free streaming service with 20 new channels and 20,000 hours of content. The content will include movies, reality and scripted series, news, novelas, anime and more with select titles available on-demand, with a mix of original Spanish and content dubbed into Spanish.
Check out what’s coming to Pluto en Espanol here.
Industry Report
What’s the latest in the industry?
Cable Numbers are Dropping
Q1 numbers are starting to come in and cable customer numbers continue to drop as cord cutting grows (at least for most services.) Last week, AT&T reported the loss of 620,000 customers. This week, Comcast reported 491,000 cable losses, Altice reported a loss of 54,000, and Charter reported a loss of 138,000 customers.
Get the details on Comcast here and AT&T’s losses from last week here.
And Sling is Hurting, Too
With Dish losing 230,000 video customers for Q1, Sling TV took part of the hit, contributing 100,000 losses to that total.
Read more about Dish’s losses for the quarter here.
The Locast Lawsuit is Moving Forward
The case of broadcasters vs Locast stalled during the pandemic, but moves were made this week. Both the broadcasters and Locast sent letters to the court.
Read about the arguments both sides are making here.
Deal Alert
Save some cash with these current and upcoming deals.
Sling is Just $10 for Your First Month
Sling is following in Vidgo’s footsteps and offering a deal for new customers to get their first month of service for just $10. The offer also includes DVR Plus, giving you 200 hours of storage, normally an additional $5/month.