Sony is the latest company to enter the fray of cord cutting TV. PlayStation Vue will offer internet based TV that doesn’t rely on cable or satellite. This is a growing trend so it’s no surprise to see Sony try their hand. They have not jumped into the deep end of the pool however, just offering the service in Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia. The core service will be $50 monthly and there is no longterm commitment. That’s good news for folks that would like to give the service a spin. If you no likey, simply stop the service.
The question is whether the masses will see the value in a $50 TV service that doesn’t have quite the lineup that Dish, Direct TV, and some bigger cable companies have available. There is a certain price point in people’s minds that they are willing to shell out for limited TV. Sling TV is closer to that mark with their $20 a month deal. A twenty dollar bill is nothing in most consumers’ eyes nowadays. That amount is a good trade for a month’s worth of TV, including ESPN which is notably absent from Sony’s channel lineup.
I have a love hate relationship with ESPN. The 24 hour sports network is both the best and worst thing to happen to sports in history, but they are the king of sports broadcasting without question. Sony will eventually have to bring them on board or that will be a glaring excuse for sports nuts not to give the Vue service a shot.
I look forward to eventually cutting the cord on our cable service, which runs about $90 a month. I don’t know the exact number as I am super busy, not that bright, and Comcast is pretty shady / slick….allegedly. $50 a month for the Vue service is better than I pay now, but it isn’t the type of deal that makes me think I will be able to fatten up my IRA account with the savings. I need a deep discount to move me closer to ending my relationship with big cable. I also need ESPN.
