http://recode.net/2016/01/22/would-you-pay-36-a-month-for-espn/

According to one projection, ESPN would cost $36 per month unbundled, while you’d have to fork over $3.72 per month for FX.

this list is almost perfectly inversely proportional to my viewing proportions & their value as a network to me:

ESPN $36.30 - I think I watched a hockey game on there a couple of years ago - if you aren't into football this channel is worthless to you
TNT $8.95 - with Rizzoli and Isles leaving, also worthless
Disney $8.25 - they at least try to put some entertaining shows on there, but seem to cancel as many good ones as bad ones and the latest crop is more bad than good
USA $5.45 honestly since the cancelled Psych this network has turned to complete garbage and I wouldn't pay a dime for it
NICK $4.99 after cancelling most of their decent shows they have been pretty bad
TBS $4.58 I'm not even sure what current shows they have anymore
FX $3.72 nothing for me on here at all
Discovery $3.40 when this wasn't just a home for crappy "reality" shows it was decent, with Mythbusters ending it is completely worthless
Lifetime $ $3.17 ummm no thanks to endless ridiculously brainless rom-com movies
Spike $3.66 - I do watch Bar Rescue, but it isn't worth $3 per month
SYFY $2.73 - this latest crop of new shows don't look anywhere near as good as the classics they cancelled five years ago
FAM $2.51 no idea what current shows they even have
AMC $2.58 nope
A&E $2.16 I used to watch Biography, but all this channel is now is more crappy reality shows
TOON $2.18 they still have some good shows in Adult Swim, but it is pretty hit or miss
Comedy Central $1.88 - I watch @midnight, Tosh.0 and some other shows, but they need to either cancel the Comedy Central Roasts, or start picking some honorees that are actually worth honoring - if I could have cancelled CC I would have done so because of that last Beiber love fest that was nothing more than an ego-stroking session with absolutely no resemblance to a roast whatsoever.
History $1.82 I watch History more than any other channel on this list and would probably pay $5 per month for it
TLC $1.82 worthless garbage, king of the completely idiotic reality shows
FOOD $1.64 I watch a lot of their shows regularly
HGTV $1.42 I don't watch all that often, but they still have better programming than 90% of the other networks on this list.

this list is almost perfectly inversely proportional to my viewing proportions & their value as a network to me:

ESPN $36.30 - I think I watched a hockey game on there a couple of years ago - if you aren't into football this channel is worthless to you
TNT $8.95 - with Rizzoli and Isles leaving, also worthless
Disney $8.25 - they at least try to put some entertaining shows on there, but seem to cancel as many good ones as bad ones and the latest crop is more bad than good
USA $5.45 honestly since the cancelled Psych this network has turned to complete garbage and I wouldn't pay a dime for it
NICK $4.99 after cancelling most of their decent shows they have been pretty bad
TBS $4.58 I'm not even sure what current shows they have anymore
FX $3.72 nothing for me on here at all
Discovery $3.40 when this wasn't just a home for crappy "reality" shows it was decent, with Mythbusters ending it is completely worthless
Lifetime $ $3.17 ummm no thanks to endless ridiculously brainless rom-com movies
Spike $3.66 - I do watch Bar Rescue, but it isn't worth $3 per month
SYFY $2.73 - this latest crop of new shows don't look anywhere near as good as the classics they cancelled five years ago
FAM $2.51 no idea what current shows they even have
AMC $2.58 nope
A&E $2.16 I used to watch Biography, but all this channel is now is more crappy reality shows
TOON $2.18 they still have some good shows in Adult Swim, but it is pretty hit or miss
Comedy Central $1.88 - I watch @midnight, Tosh.0 and some other shows, but they need to either cancel the Comedy Central Roasts, or start picking some honorees that are actually worth honoring - if I could have cancelled CC I would have done so because of that last Beiber love fest that was nothing more than an ego-stroking session with absolutely no resemblance to a roast whatsoever.
History $1.82 I watch History more than any other channel on this list and would probably pay $5 per month for it
TLC $1.82 worthless garbage, king of the completely idiotic reality shows
FOOD $1.64 I watch a lot of their shows regularly
HGTV $1.42 I don't watch all that often, but they still have better programming than 90% of the other networks on this list.
Well frankly the only channel I watch on that list is ESPN. The rest they can drop and I wouldn't miss them. I'd drop it for $36 a month though.

$8?

Still too expensive for a station with empty promises!

I doubt those types of prices are even close to being accurate. For example if Espn charged that high of a price I think they'd be out of business inside of a few months,same with some of the others.It sounds like they're just trying to mislead people.Anyhow I wouldn't pay a penny for any one of them.

I'd pay for the following:

FX - $3.72 - I think their large selection of movies and terrific original series make under 4 a month somewhat of a deal.

FOOD - $1.64 - There is always something to watch. Plus its all about food. Easy $2 to spend each month.

HGTV - $1.42 - Similar to Food, there is always something to watch and I wouldn't mind spending a small fee for light entertainment.

Total: $6.78 a month x 12 months = $81.36 a year (pretty much the same as cable for two-three months). I'd be A-OK with that price. Plus the $8 for Netflix, I'm more than set for my television.

My guess is that ESPN is so much higher because of the contracts with the various leagues and the NCAA, esp. NFL. If it were the ESPN from the early-80s, showing lesser-watched sports (Canadian Football, for instance), I bet the price tag comes way down.

Given how ESPN is mostly schtick and persona-driven nowadays, that's way too high for me. I can go to the bar for Monday Night Football.

As for the other stuff on that list, about the only thing I'd probably pay for is HGTV and Food Network. I imagine it's only a matter of time before the networks start unveiling apps with a full slate of programming, not just shows to cherry pick.

My guess is that ESPN is so much higher because of the contracts with the various leagues and the NCAA, esp. NFL. If it were the ESPN from the early-80s, showing lesser-watched sports (Canadian Football, for instance), I bet the price tag comes way down.

Given how ESPN is mostly schtick and persona-driven nowadays, that's way too high for me. I can go to the bar for Monday Night Football.

As for the other stuff on that list, about the only thing I'd probably pay for is HGTV and Food Network. I imagine it's only a matter of time before the networks start unveiling apps with a full slate of programming, not just shows to cherry pick.
Well MNF doesn't even have the best games anymore. SNF is the premiere primetime games. The only other times I watch is when the Terps are on it. I don't watch it at all from April to September.

I know I'm going to sound like a broken record,but almost all those channels are loaded with commercials,right.So realistically they have no right charging anything.

It would be really cool if you could just pick out the channels you want and have to just pay accordingly ! Like with me, I watch Antenna, METV , Cozi, IDTV, TLC, and maybe 3-4 others., than my husband watches a few others than the ones I mentioned ! That's it!!! A shame we just can't request the exact channels we want and not have all the other BS and be able to pay a lot less!

Honestly I don't want any of those channels listed above. If I could pick up anything with an Antenna I would have canceled Dish long ago.

Pretty much all I'd pick would be
TCM
Rural TV/FamilyNet
Bluehighway which is airing LAFF
FETV airing some of the Cozi shows
INSP
UP
Logo, they air Facts of Life, etc..

Those are the only channels we watch.

The ONLY current shows I watch are "Wheel of Fortune" and "Days of our Lives".

If it were up to me, I'd only have the basic channel package on DIRECTV but my parents enjoy several other channels like GSN, Hallmark, & Lifetime.

NBC is basically the only channel I watch for the shows above. If DIRECTV offered Anntenna TV and MeTV, I'd gladly pay more for them since I can't pick up anything with an OTA antenna in my area.

If DIRECTV offered Anntenna TV and MeTV, I'd gladly pay more for them since I can't pick up anything with an OTA antenna in my area.

I'm in the same boat, if Dish offered Me-TV I'd be willing to pay for it.

I would only pay for TNT between January and May since the NBA is not in session from June to December

I would only pay for TNT between January and May since the NBA is not in session from June to December

I really don't watch the NBA till the playoffs, but even I know the season starts the end of October.

I really don't watch the NBA till the playoffs, but even I know the season starts the end of October.

Yeah but I have no interest in NBA until around mid December

I would be the person who would "cut the cord", more or less. I am happy with the four networks and most anything I would want to see, I can see online. I am very content laying in bed with my Ipad watching a film. I could get Netflix, but I have seen all the content I have been interested to see from them for free online.

I would be the person who would "cut the cord", more or less. I am happy with the four networks and most anything I would want to see, I can see online. I am very content laying in bed with my Ipad watching a film. I could get Netflix, but I have seen all the content I have been interested to see from them for free online.

Fire stick is supposed to be better than Netflix and Hulu

I would not pay one cent more than I do now to watch any channel, especially if they kept all those commercials. I'd cut the cord and watch DVD's from Netflix and stream Netflix.

It would be really cool if you could just pick out the channels you want and have to just pay accordingly ! Like with me, I watch Antenna, METV , Cozi, IDTV, TLC, and maybe 3-4 others., than my husband watches a few others than the ones I mentioned ! That's it!!! A shame we just can't request the exact channels we want and not have all the other BS and be able to pay a lot less!


This is a decision that myself, and all Canadians, will have to make at some point this year. I mentioned here last year that in 2016, Canadian TV cable companies will be required by law to offer a la carte style programming choices to fit your tastes and budgets. Canadians will finally (we hope) be able to pick the channels we want and skip the ones we don't. This will be done in two stages: The first, to take effect in March, will be mandatory and will see all the major Canadian and US networks, plus a few local channels, to be offered as part of a "skinny basic" program which will cost no more than $25 a month.

The second stage, which will arrive in December, is optional and is the one I'm looking forward to. It's where all the specialty and digital channels will be lumped together as part of one package where you pick a specific number of channels and pay a fixed price. Any extra channels that you choose will become stand-alone options, each worth an additional amount.

To give you an example of what I mean, a small cable company in Southern Ontario called VMedia is already using this model, introducing it a full year before the major companies (Bell, Rogers, and Shaw) are set to offer their packages. Their basic package is simply called "The Skinny" and features 28 different channels, including CBC, CTV, Global, CTV 2, CITY, NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX, all for just $17.95 which is simply one great deal!

The specialty package is called "Any Twenty" where you have to choose between (for now, until December) 60 different specialty channels. You get to pick "any 20" of them for $30.

The Skinny + Any 20 (http://www.vmedia.ca/tv/theskinny/)

Overall, you get around 50 different channels, half of them chosen by yourself, for roughly $50 or about a buck each. With that kind of deal, I'm already thinking of getting my list in order.