Last week, news broke that several cable networks were trying to put together a sports-free online TV package for less than $20 a month.
The thinking goes like this: Sports rights are incredibly expensive, and tons of people are paying for sports they don’t watch in their cable bundle. In 2016, ESPN alone cost $6.10 in carriage fees per subscriber.
So why not have an option where you can chop off sports and pay a cheap rate for a good entertainment-only bundle. Makes sense, right?
Not exactly.
The main problem is that the parent companies of the major broadcast networks — NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox — have paid a lot for sports rights, so they want no part of a bundle that makes sports seem less vital. The cable networks they own are also out. Bye-bye FX.
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http://www.businessinsider.com/sports-free-cable-tv-bundles-2017-4Been wanting to cut the cord for some time now, getting closer due to pricing and selection. Wife is almost convinced to cut, but if not, a la carte is the way to go...sick of paying for hundreds of garbage channels that are blocked from the tuner.