Disney closing 100 cable channels

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Disney is set to close 100 of its cable television channels this year as it continues its move towards a streaming future.

Speaking at JPMorgan’s annual Global Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Conference, The Walt Disney Company’s Chief Executive, Bob Chapek, revealed the plans to shut down the international channels in favour of placing its Disney+ streaming service at the forefront.

He added that “when the time is right to really stomp on the gas”, the Disney will “go even stronger into our direct-to-consumer platforms for sports”.

“We closed 30 channels in Fiscal Year 2020 or in 2020. We plan to close 100 in 2021,” Chapek said. “We will continue at a robust rate […] the great majority of that content will migrate to Disney+. The decisions that we make in individual channels and individual markets, and the timing of such, are sort of framed up by existing deals […] some of the constraints we’ve got there. But as you can see, that continues to be a core strategy for us as we pivot toward direct-to-consumer.”

https://advanced-television.com/2021/05/27/disney-closing-100-cable-channels/

[Tommy Carcetti]

1. There was more than one Disney Channel?

More specifically, more than 100 Disney Channels?

[ZonkerHarris]

10. internationally, yes.

[Fiendish Thingy]

22. They own ESPN's numerous channels, National Geographic and many others, plus ABC. Nt

[AllaN01Bear]

2. not all of us have computers , nor the interent.

[A HERETIC I AM]

4. Then it's time they bloody well got with the program, don't you think?

[ZonkerHarris]

11. We sent them an email to the computer they don't have. Guess they missed it.

[A HERETIC I AM]

14. Makes sense

Next time we should try carrier pigeon

[Lochloosa]

12. As far as the internet, that is about to change.

https://www.starlink.com/

[dixiegrrrrl]

23. Sounds promising.....

Except for this: During beta, users can expect to see data speeds vary from 50Mb/s to 150Mb/s and latency from 20ms to 40ms in most locations over the next several months as we enhance the Starlink system. There will also be brief periods of no connectivity at all.

When we had tv out here in the boonies, we had DISH.
and found out how frequently storms interrupt satellite signals in our area.

gonna keep my eye on this service, tho. thanks for the info.

[dixiegrrrrl]

24. Found out the price per month for Starlink, during beta.

SpaceX has been charging $99 a month for the Starlink beta service, plus $499 upfront for the user terminal/satellite dish, mounting tripod, and router.

Once set up, the kit connects to 1,300 Starlink satellites that beam the internet down to Earth.

I could cheerfully ditch the landline phone and dsl internet for that price, but we would have to mount the dish on the roof, too many trees around us.

[Happy Hoosier]

16. Then step into the 21st century.... NT

[msfiddlestix]

3. Never understood why Disney had to have more than one.

Why on earth did they ever need more than one? Ok, maybe two. One for the regular real kids, and for the other kids?

[underpants]

5. Languages, Kurt Russell, etc.

[stillcool]

6. I think they may own other stations

that don't say "Disney".

[msfiddlestix]

7. Oh. There you go then. Wonder why they used to different names?

After all, the Disney brand and all that....

[lagomorph777]

18. "ABC" is actually Disney.

You probably wouldn't tune in for a Disney newscast. Each channel has a different brand.

[msfiddlestix]

20. I'd forgotten why I don't watch ABC, thanks for the reminder

Yes I do recall Disney bought out ABC some years ago I think, if memory serves.

never watch ABC, can't stand Georgie porgy interviews or reporting.

and I don't watch regular tv shows, not hooked up to cable. I do Roku, and every time I plug in a new roku device, I get a shitload of disney channels that I have to remove, because they clutter up my menu, as a number of unwanted, unsolicited streaming apps.

removing an app on Roku is a one at a time process, and about four steps to proceed. pain in the derriere.

[onenote]

9. Why on earth? Because on earth there are lots of countries where English isn't spoken.

The 100+ Disney channels included dozens of channels that are in languages other than English. It also includes versions (again in multiple languages) of the Disney XD channel, which is programmed for the male 7-14 demographic and Disney Junior, which is aimed at a younger demographic. It also included Disney Toon, which already has been discontinued.

[msfiddlestix]

15. Well, if this post isn't a fantastic advert, I don't know what one is!

you should post to youtube!! or twitter!

[onenote]

21. Advert? Just information.

For those who don't take the time to google before posting.

[msfiddlestix]

26. I Google stuff of serious concern to me everyday, not stuff I have no F**ks to give

Asking a question of casual curiosity doesn't imply what you apparently assume it does.

Disney has long ago lost any respect from me and my family. Just another extremely greedy corporation, in my view.

Kindly take your superior and condescending attitude somewhere else, thanks.

[onenote]

28. Sorry, but I have the same right to be here and post as you do.

And you seem to have attitude issues yourself, accusing me of running an advertisement for Disney simply because I posted information addressing questions raised in this thread about how many channels Disney has and why.

[msfiddlestix]

31. Never said you didn't have a "right" to be here. Of course you do.

You can CHOOSE not to engage in condescending remarks to people asking a simple question in passing. No one was twisting your arm.

You're intelligent enough I was joking on the advert, since it was clear you were attempting be snarky with me, i simply returned the favor. But of course you knew that.

You can have the last word. I'm done.

[TxGuitar]

30. Wow

you seem to have a real bone to pick with onenote. They only posted some general info. The superior and condescending attitude is coming from you.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

8. 100 different channels?

The mind boggles.

[hunter]

13. I remember when cable channels were so limited Disney had to rent its cable slot from Pat Robertson.

Those were the days...

57 channels and nothing on.

When Robertson's The Family Channel was sold to Fox News Corporation, and later Disney, there was a stipulation that the channel carry Robertson's 700 Club.

It looks like Disney is cutting out the floats from the tangled mess of cable networks it has acquired (ESPN, etc.) and is throwing out the rest.

I'm pretty sure traditional television and radio networks, broadcast and cable, are dying. My adult children, nephews, and nieces pay no attention to any of it. They are "internet only" households.

My wife and I quit cable television many years ago, and then broadcast television a few years after that. The last new broadcast television show I recorded was an episode of Chuck.

Mostly my wife and I watch DVDs and a $8.99 a month Netflix. We have an inexpensive DSL connection.

[dixiegrrrrl]

25. they is a sudden proliferation of streaming "channels"

We dumped tv years ago. At that time Netflix was still a mail biz.
As streaming grew,we used it more.

Netflix streaming is worth the price.
and I get Prime video for "free"

but,in the last 12 months, have noticed a huge increase in streaming sites.
Amazon Prime offers the opportunity to add other streaming sources, like HBO, sundance, etc for a monthly fee.
A year ago there many be 6-7 on offer.
Now the list is almost endless.
And one thing I now notice is some sites offer a movie streaming program and a tv shows streaming program,
thus 2 different packages you have to pay for if you want movie and tv shows choices. whereas just recently you could watch either with one subscription.

I use one "channel" at a time, this month I am paying a few bucks to watch all the shows on Showtime. Couple months down the road I will cancel that and maybe watch the HBO stuff I missed in the last couple years.
The other thing I am noticing is that various streaming providers will add content which has previously been on another streaming "channel".
BBC/Acorn/Brit Box/ Masterpiece channels offer some of the same shows over the course of different time periods,so a BBC show which I watched on one Brit channel will often appear on anther channel a year later. Which comes with a monthly fee,of course.

Point is..streaming has turned into the old game of competing tv channels, only online, but with the option of paying just for that channel, which tv shortsightedly refused to offer.

I am waiting for them to ruin things completely with commercials,as Youtube is now doing more and more.

[ananda]

27. Same

I saw a couple of shows on HBO Max and then cancelled.
Then I saw three shows on Epix and cancelled.

I'm going to try AMC+ next.

[roamer65]

17. Linear cable and satellite programming is dying.

The sky high prices and lack of smaller, more affordabke bundles of programming is driving people to an over the air and streaming combo.

The loss of cable retransmission fees is going to squeeze broadcasters as well. That’s why Scripps bought ION. ION uses must carry, rather than the retransmission fee scheme. The ION stations are on cable for free.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

19. I had no idea that they ever had that many!

That means there's even more of them! Wow!

I technically have "cable" now, after years of cutting it from my life, but it's all streamed to a Roku TV.

An "a la carte" package of only 10 cable channels, plus many dozens of premium channels which only costs me $15 more a month.

I regret choosing ESPN among my 10 basic channels, since I rarely ever watch it. I was debating between IFC and ESPN at the time, and I chose poorly.

Picked both CNN and MSNBC among the ten, but certainly not Fox!

I mostly picked channels that I'm more likely to watch, though, which is better than having hundreds of never-watched channels like I did years ago.

Edit: The 10-channel package comes with several free channels too, like all of the C-SPAN channels and local broadcasts. Plus a bunch of music and home-shopping channels that don't interest me.

[Kaleva]

32. I pay $38 a month for phone and internet via cable

[Buckeye_Democrat]

33. $35 a month for my internet.

The download speed is about 480 Mbps according to Speedtest.

About 80 times faster than my previous cable/internet subscription from about six years ago! I later learned that they offered faster speeds at the time, but they kept me throttled at the original speed because I had never complained!

Then I decided to pay $25 for their basic streaming package, and an additional $15 for all of the premium channels from HBO, Showtime, Starz and TMC.

I can cancel the TV subscriptions at any time, and I just might cancel the premiums soon. Among all of those movies and TV shows, it's amazing to me how infrequently I ever want to watch any of them. And "Last Week Tonight" isn't even shown every week.

There's a free "On Demand" feature too, but it's even hard to find highly-rated movies there that I haven't already seen. Most of the well-rated movies, per websites like RottenTomatoes or IMDb, require paying extra money to watch them. Nope, not giving them more money.

Edit: I have PlutoTV and other free apps set up on my Roku TV, plus an antenna connection for local channels. So I might keep the internet and cut the cable TV subscriptions entirely. I've been enjoying CNN and some other channels, though, so that part could be a tough call for me. The free TV apps don't stream those types of channels live.

[BlueWavePsych]

29. Unlimited internet + bundled channels for streaming is the new model.