COMMENTARY

Streaming 'Everything' Bundle Coming? Linear TV's Demise Closing In

• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, 7 hours ago

As TV consumers, we want everything -- preferably in one place. Picking and choosing a streaming platform here or there can be fun (as well as unsubscribing from time to time). 

But consumers might really want to have an easier time figuring out this whole TV network/platform buying thing -- at least according to Jason Kilar, former CEO at WarnerMedia and Hulu.

And not just for consumers -- but also for business executives running legacy media companies, who are facing challenges with their mostly money-losing streaming services.

Here’s the deal, he says: Give consumers a new form of pay TV “everything” bundle, in a new age streaming version.

Admittedly, this is something President and chief executive officer of Warner Bros. Discovery David Zaslav has also been considering -- even as he has methodically been cutting back on TV and movie production costs at Max. 

Kilar believes, as many others do, that Netflix seemingly has an insurmountable lead, with more 230 million global consumers and -- compared to other wannabe platforms -- really doesn’t lose many subscribers to “churn.”

Why? Netflix is big -- real big. It is the mothership streaming product for consumers.

Apart from this, Kilar thinks Hulu -- a place he used to work -- could have been a nascent streaming “everything” bundle thing.

He believes it could still evolve into that, at least as a model.

And think about it from the “everything” bundle perspective. Initially, major media companies were partners in Hulu -- NBCUniversal, 20th Century Fox, and Walt Disney. 

Still, he believes all this will take some determination and long-term thinking -- and yes,even more cost and investment. 

It's uncertain whether any of these Wall Street sensitive big media companies could buy into this -- enduring even more years of billion-dollar annual losses for their streaming D2C services.

If this isn’t the answer, what is?

Know this: Declining linear TV businesses are waiting for no one to save them.

Maybe send them a care bundle.