, Columnist
For Streamers, the Great Unbundling Was Too Good to Be True
A parade of TV apps has consumers missing their cable-TV bundle. Media giants can't ignore that.
Time to put the bundle back together again?
Photographer: Daniel Acker/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Netflix Inc. broke the cable-TV bundle. Now it’s time to put it back together again, and cable giants like Comcast Corp. look eager to help.
It’s true that streaming has created more choices for consumers. You don’t necessarily need to subscribe to a $100-a-month cable package just to access kid-friendly Disney programs or re-runs of “The Big Bang Theory” (or pay extra for the ability to DVR the episodes you’ll miss). There are on-demand apps for both of those now — Disney+, which launched on Tuesday, and HBO Max, which becomes available in May.