The news keeps pouring in, this morning two stories that relate to this group, first the exponential growth in Apple’s Podcast, the numbers in the article are amazing, the public seems to enjoy cherry picking the topics they wish to absorb. Then the article on Cord Cutting I’ve included as we’ve had many discussions over our options, the equipment we find most helpful, the software we like…seems the battle has become one the consumer is beginning to control rather than the cable cartels. John Apple Podcasts platform hits 50 billion downloads, over 500k shows now available Chance Miller <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__9to5mac.com_author_chmiller44_&d=DwIFaQ&c=OAG1LQNACBDguGvBeNj18Swhr9TMTjS-x4O_KuapPgY&r=F2GFXrjLFqVo3VwvIlo_XYeEiRRjHv15rxcenz7A21woG2aFGcrzndoSsskxfmOs&m=AmA1zyXeOdO0ymb-EOTwYmrKY5eNGoVoXh8JD5WdgL8&s=R5KTpNZqZQrdBPVcW6zuBcamrq0NUUDoynXFNqcUA4o&e=> Apple has made several improvements to its Podcasts app and service over the last year. Now, Fast Company <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.fastcompany.com_40563318_apples-2Dpodcasts-2Djust-2Dtopped-2D50-2Dbillion-2Dall-2Dtime-2Ddownloads-2Dand-2Dstreams&d=DwIFaQ&c=OAG1LQNACBDguGvBeNj18Swhr9TMTjS-x4O_KuapPgY&r=F2GFXrjLFqVo3VwvIlo_XYeEiRRjHv15rxcenz7A21woG2aFGcrzndoSsskxfmOs&m=AmA1zyXeOdO0ymb-EOTwYmrKY5eNGoVoXh8JD5WdgL8&s=CMhyqJlQ4v-qg_m7OwQvIKyiGFYHd4jBaPGWeYQ52UU&e=> reports that Apple Podcasts has passed a notable milestone in downloads and streams… The report says that in March of 2018, Apple Podcasts hit 50 billion all-time episode downloads and streams. That’s a massive increase from the 13.7 billion it sat at in 2017. These numbers include both downloads in iTunes and the Podcasts app, as well as streams. As content has grown, so has the fanbase: In 2014, there were 7 billionpodcast <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.fastcompany.com_40466064_these-2Dsmart-2Dpodcasts-2Dare-2Dperfect-2Dfor-2Dyour-2Dcommute&d=DwIFaQ&c=OAG1LQNACBDguGvBeNj18Swhr9TMTjS-x4O_KuapPgY&r=F2GFXrjLFqVo3VwvIlo_XYeEiRRjHv15rxcenz7A21woG2aFGcrzndoSsskxfmOs&m=AmA1zyXeOdO0ymb-EOTwYmrKY5eNGoVoXh8JD5WdgL8&s=5yZNa86bxRFUuLaX1zDuMFYQqQ_SO7Z42vQUZRjSP1c&e=> downloads. In 2016, that number jumped to 10.5 billion. In 2017, it jumped to 13.7 billion episode downloads and streams, across Podcasts and iTunes. In March 2018, Apple Podcasts passed 50 billion all-time episode downloads and streams. Apple launched support for Podcasts in iTunes back in 2005 and the platform has grown exponentially since then. Fast Company notes that there are over 525,000 active shows and more than 18.5 million episodes available on the platform, spanning 100 languages and 155 countries. For comparison’s sake, Apple touted 400,000 podcasts and 14 million episodes at WWDC last year. Apple made several improvements to its Podcasts platform as part of iOS 11 <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__9to5mac.com_2017_06_10_podcasts-2Din-2Dios-2D11-2Dinterface-2Dupdates-2Dseasons-2Dpodcast_&d=DwIFaQ&c=OAG1LQNACBDguGvBeNj18Swhr9TMTjS-x4O_KuapPgY&r=F2GFXrjLFqVo3VwvIlo_XYeEiRRjHv15rxcenz7A21woG2aFGcrzndoSsskxfmOs&m=AmA1zyXeOdO0ymb-EOTwYmrKY5eNGoVoXh8JD5WdgL8&s=d_esbzrGw2vegftn2tlbQDQHLdF0Fbepw47bdMadcjM&e=>. The service added support for seasons, Podcast Analytics, interface tweaks to the Podcasts app on iOS, and more. Viewers Are Ditching Cable For Streaming Faster Than Anyone Expected “Cord cutting” has been a kind of ghost story for cable providers for much of the past decade—a tale that, while foreboding, didn’t seem entirely real. But consumers are abandoning traditional cable for streaming services faster than ever, turning what had been an ominous prediction into a clear and present danger. Three major pay-TV providers last week reported dramatic declines in subscribers to traditional cable and satellite television packages. Some of the losses were more than double what Wall Street analysts expected, and stocks in major TV providers have fallen off a cliff. Those dismal results followed reports of huge subscriber growth at streaming services like Netflix <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__fortune.com_fortune500_netflix_&d=DwIFaQ&c=OAG1LQNACBDguGvBeNj18Swhr9TMTjS-x4O_KuapPgY&r=F2GFXrjLFqVo3VwvIlo_XYeEiRRjHv15rxcenz7A21woG2aFGcrzndoSsskxfmOs&m=AmA1zyXeOdO0ymb-EOTwYmrKY5eNGoVoXh8JD5WdgL8&s=HBHZw2JOaKmE9kCiLLQgcGJdkvcMamwlkx_aTeKnbIg&e=>, leaving would-be defenders of legacy TV with nowhere to stand. The numbers tell the story in no uncertain terms. Charter Communications <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__fortune.com_fortune500_charter-2Dcommunications_&d=DwIFaQ&c=OAG1LQNACBDguGvBeNj18Swhr9TMTjS-x4O_KuapPgY&r=F2GFXrjLFqVo3VwvIlo_XYeEiRRjHv15rxcenz7A21woG2aFGcrzndoSsskxfmOs&m=AmA1zyXeOdO0ymb-EOTwYmrKY5eNGoVoXh8JD5WdgL8&s=sHcpG_P4ZiVMGaAUWBsd51sz--noxa6J7tlyv6dsZd8&e=>, which offers cable service under the Spectrum brand, announced on Friday that it lost 122,000 TV customers in the first quarter of 2018. That massively exceeded Wall Street projections, which the Wall Street Journal said averaged about 40,000 lost subscribers <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.wsj.com_articles_cable-2Dtvs-2Dcord-2Dcutting-2Dwoes-2Ddeepen-2Dhighlighting-2Ddivergence-2Dwith-2Dnetflix-2D1524850536&d=DwIFaQ&c=OAG1LQNACBDguGvBeNj18Swhr9TMTjS-x4O_KuapPgY&r=F2GFXrjLFqVo3VwvIlo_XYeEiRRjHv15rxcenz7A21woG2aFGcrzndoSsskxfmOs&m=AmA1zyXeOdO0ymb-EOTwYmrKY5eNGoVoXh8JD5WdgL8&s=lN01DZnkWW9FnQYEISlpSwpLmtaYMQ8DGJHHwQJwakU&e=> ahead of the earnings report. Charter’s stock dropped as much as 15% Friday. That collapse followed similarly grim reports from other legacy providers. Comcast <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__fortune.com_fortune500_comcast_&d=DwIFaQ&c=OAG1LQNACBDguGvBeNj18Swhr9TMTjS-x4O_KuapPgY&r=F2GFXrjLFqVo3VwvIlo_XYeEiRRjHv15rxcenz7A21woG2aFGcrzndoSsskxfmOs&m=AmA1zyXeOdO0ymb-EOTwYmrKY5eNGoVoXh8JD5WdgL8&s=5KELlqjMee0Gu6bdZ6SlOG1Pgf7KG3djVouuAr701qM&e=> announced Wednesday that it had lost 96,000 customers for the quarter, its fourth straight quarter of subscriber losses, and slightly worse <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.investors.com_news_technology_charter-2Dcomcast-2Ddive_&d=DwIFaQ&c=OAG1LQNACBDguGvBeNj18Swhr9TMTjS-x4O_KuapPgY&r=F2GFXrjLFqVo3VwvIlo_XYeEiRRjHv15rxcenz7A21woG2aFGcrzndoSsskxfmOs&m=AmA1zyXeOdO0ymb-EOTwYmrKY5eNGoVoXh8JD5WdgL8&s=gOXt_vlgdFXCVw-3yAjfh6UV38EfSS7YgfMHSNKL6Bw&e=> than analyst projections. AT&T’s DirecTV satellite service lost 188,000 customers in the same period, driving down video revenue by $660 million despite growth of its own online streaming service. AT&T <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__fortune.com_fortune500_att_&d=DwIFaQ&c=OAG1LQNACBDguGvBeNj18Swhr9TMTjS-x4O_KuapPgY&r=F2GFXrjLFqVo3VwvIlo_XYeEiRRjHv15rxcenz7A21woG2aFGcrzndoSsskxfmOs&m=AmA1zyXeOdO0ymb-EOTwYmrKY5eNGoVoXh8JD5WdgL8&s=DW1XBSGWkrgB_bQKHFh4ebe8j2m4a_W-v_mrl5ahwFk&e=> stock tanked as much as 7% the day after its report. The reports continue a strong trend away from traditional cable services—total cable subscriber numbers declined 3.4% <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__fortune.com_2018_03_01_cord-2Dcutting-2Drecord-2Dinternet-2Dtv_&d=DwIFaQ&c=OAG1LQNACBDguGvBeNj18Swhr9TMTjS-x4O_KuapPgY&r=F2GFXrjLFqVo3VwvIlo_XYeEiRRjHv15rxcenz7A21woG2aFGcrzndoSsskxfmOs&m=AmA1zyXeOdO0ymb-EOTwYmrKY5eNGoVoXh8JD5WdgL8&s=JLLP73KKApW7wruIa9wLtYVOmf1tCjfQa0KfHOlBCv0&e=> over the course of 2017, a faster decline than in 2015 and 2016. The fact that the latest numbers so dramatically underperformed even grim Wall Street expectations suggests the dropoff is continuing to accelerate. At the same time, streaming services, also known as “over the top” or OTT services, are showing gains that are even more dramatic. Netflix, the 800-pound gorilla in the sector, reported earlier this month that it had added a net 1.96 million subscribers <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.cnbc.com_2018_04_16_netflix-2Dearnings-2Dq1-2D2018.html&d=DwIFaQ&c=OAG1LQNACBDguGvBeNj18Swhr9TMTjS-x4O_KuapPgY&r=F2GFXrjLFqVo3VwvIlo_XYeEiRRjHv15rxcenz7A21woG2aFGcrzndoSsskxfmOs&m=AmA1zyXeOdO0ymb-EOTwYmrKY5eNGoVoXh8JD5WdgL8&s=FsNDOT1Z8hR-5f0-socMWK7Sp9Noy_K59yBdQCuA_5I&e=> in the first quarter. Perhaps even more worrisome for cable providers are services like HBO Now, which deliver what had been exclusive cable content directly to subscribers, and whose growth is also accelerating <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.fool.com_investing_2017_02_13_hbo-2Dnow-2Dsubscriber-2Dgrowth-2Dis-2Daccelerating.aspx&d=DwIFaQ&c=OAG1LQNACBDguGvBeNj18Swhr9TMTjS-x4O_KuapPgY&r=F2GFXrjLFqVo3VwvIlo_XYeEiRRjHv15rxcenz7A21woG2aFGcrzndoSsskxfmOs&m=AmA1zyXeOdO0ymb-EOTwYmrKY5eNGoVoXh8JD5WdgL8&s=djrrfI-BQiDl4nw_S-zTEZCJ5G9TBKetvsqplj9Y_m8&e=>. There are a lot of factors driving the dramatic transition. Arguments about the appeal of “unbundling,” or the ability to pay only for the content a subscriber specifically wants, are widespread. In terms of user experience, the sheer convenience of browsing shows without being bound to a broadcast schedule—or worrying about programming a DVR—makes traditional cable feel downright prehistoric. Cable services have also spent years digging their own graves with bad service and opaque billing—both Comcast and Charter have regularly been among American companies most hated <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.pcmag.com_news_350979_comcast-2Dis-2Damericas-2Dmost-2Dhated-2Dcompany&d=DwIFaQ&c=OAG1LQNACBDguGvBeNj18Swhr9TMTjS-x4O_KuapPgY&r=F2GFXrjLFqVo3VwvIlo_XYeEiRRjHv15rxcenz7A21woG2aFGcrzndoSsskxfmOs&m=AmA1zyXeOdO0ymb-EOTwYmrKY5eNGoVoXh8JD5WdgL8&s=AzZ6IOzYbOK2jlUb3yscW8STG9hBW0cxxYd3fxmBRlg&e=> by their own customers. For years, it was thought that live sports would keep many subscribers from ditching cable, but that dam has cracked in half. Both broadcast networks and ESPN are available through services including Sling and Hulu <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__flixed.io_best-2Dlive-2Dsports-2Dstreaming-2Dservices_&d=DwIFaQ&c=OAG1LQNACBDguGvBeNj18Swhr9TMTjS-x4O_KuapPgY&r=F2GFXrjLFqVo3VwvIlo_XYeEiRRjHv15rxcenz7A21woG2aFGcrzndoSsskxfmOs&m=AmA1zyXeOdO0ymb-EOTwYmrKY5eNGoVoXh8JD5WdgL8&s=m7dEwwUcKIzhUiwyV-viz9PKWauh9evWo0GlTHvCj18&e=>. And a standalone ESPN streaming service, ESPN+, launched this month, at a stunningly low $4.99 a month <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__variety.com_2018_digital_news_espn-2Dplus-2Dsubscription-2Dsports-2Dstreaming-2Dlimited-2Dads-2D1202751319_&d=DwIFaQ&c=OAG1LQNACBDguGvBeNj18Swhr9TMTjS-x4O_KuapPgY&r=F2GFXrjLFqVo3VwvIlo_XYeEiRRjHv15rxcenz7A21woG2aFGcrzndoSsskxfmOs&m=AmA1zyXeOdO0ymb-EOTwYmrKY5eNGoVoXh8JD5WdgL8&s=1ss7H9_WosrE7UuOxkuWolyzZRNJV5Kb1XW67zg_MiA&e=> rate that seems likely to deepen cable’s losses further.
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