The subject of “cord cutting” has long been enmeshed in the ongoing dialogue regarding the future health of television consumption in the U.S. While cable television networks are perhaps most at risk from declining subscriber rolls, broadcast television companies also face a pending conundrum — retransmission consent revenue that could collapse, should cable TV services wither away.
The latter topic is a key reason why extending retransmission consent regulations established by Congress some 30 years ago to virtual MVPD services such as YouTubeTV is a key desire of TV station owners and the NAB.
Based on a Wall Street analyst’s assessment of the pay-TV market by examining Q3 revenue reports from MVPDs, ensuring broadcast TV gets their “fair share” in compensation from vMVPD may be the most vital long-term goal for the industry. Why? “There is no light at the end of the pay-TV tunnel.”
