Quote of the Day: ‘There’s Nothing On’ Edition

According to media analyst Rich Greenfield, Cablevision CEO Jim Dolan apparently stated on an earnings call today that he is not threatened by the rise of over-the-top (OTT) video because:

“There is not enough content on the Internet to interest a mainstream audience”

DisCo, of course, has disagreed.  We’ve covered the launch of OTT services from major brands like HBO and CBS, and the rising media consensus that OTT isn’t going anywhere.

But it’s not just about studio-produced video content being made available via the Internet.  Competition for people’s attention involves more than streaming television and movies.  The sky is rising, with more content being created and consumed than ever before.  There are blogs and podcasts and playlists and vines and online communities, which all provide endless ways to stay entertained and informed, and most cost far less than a cable subscription, if they cost anything at all.  By empowering more people to be involved in the creative process, it’s pretty clear that the Internet is a disruptive threat to traditional cable TV and middlemen in general.  And with cord-cutting on the rise, it’s apparent that more people view content available on the Internet as a legitimate replacement for the cable bundle.  As one cable industry analyst noted: “It’s too soon to panic. But it’s not too soon to be genuinely worried.”