Cable operators all around the country are trying to migrate their customers to digital so eventually . . . they can reclaim some of that analog bandwidth. |
For companies like Disney and Viacom that don't have a distribution arm, using the Internet provides a way to have a direct relationship with the consumer. You eliminate the middleman. |
It's an ad model that's very much in evolution. There's a need for some kind of structure in this space. |
It's starting to look as though both camps have sufficient backing to stick around for awhile. |
More important is the opportunity to up-sell Comcast high-speed Internet access. You're getting this subscriber base to bring their own access, and Comcast can sell them cable-modem service pretty aggressively. |
They [Comcast] control the network, and so there is a service quality that they can ensure. From their perspective, it is worth the premium [price], and arguably it is. |