Massive multinational media moguls that rake in billions of dollars love nothing more than to bemoan what in reality amount to little more than unfounded prophecies of digital piracy doom.
Instead of evolving with the rest of humanity as our kind progresses into the 21st century, the industry seems largely dead-set on digging its heals firmly in the 20th century despite earning huge profits. A quick Wiki search reveals that as of 2012, media tycoon giant Time Warner had reported revenue of $29 billion ó its highest growth rate since 2003.
That's even before the American HBO version of Netflix was finally released to tap into a mushrooming market of people in the U.S. who wanted the content but were in absolutely no position to be able to afford a deluxe cable package merely to gain access to a handful of shows, or perhaps even only one or two in some viewers' preferences.
But in Canada, the millions of people who find themselves captivated by countless HBO specials are still waiting for an online streaming service similar to HBO Now, the U.S. counterpart launched about a year ago.
"In the U.S., (Game of) Thrones fans can sign up for the streaming service, HBO Now, for $14.99 US a month. But in Canada, viewers must subscribe to cable to legally access the series," states a May 2016 CBC article on the subject.
That's thanks to a deal that gave Bell Canada full rights to HBO content distribution in this country.
Establishing what amounts to a monopoly on the licensing rights to own exclusive control of the content creates a market rigged by interests that aren't beholden to any kind of fair and legitimate competition, arguably pushing potentially paying customers away and in turn leading some to resort to the dreaded digital piracy. Meanwhile, HBO Canada has the audacity to tell these individuals the options to access its content have never been more affordable or easy.
One wonders if hearty laughs were shared when that press release was prepared.
In a world as increasingly digitally interconnected as ours, people should not find themselves restricted from gaining access to content that others have affordable access to.
Statistically speaking, people are increasingly signing up to stream television, making that kind of service a greater and greater part of the digital media market and earning enough for companies like Netflix to start generating content of their own. This trend is not likely to abate or regress, but it almost certainly will forge full-speed ahead.
Economically speaking, depriving a company of potential profits for lack of tapping into a very real demographic of people who are willing to pay a reasonable price for a service makes absolutely no sense at all.
And expecting someone in Canada to pay a premium charge on a cable package that includes an abundance of channels the customer has no interest in just to watch a few HBO shows that are available for a fraction of the cost in the U.S. is nothing less than shameless, ruthless consumer gouging.
However, I nevertheless remain optimistic for a less exploitative future.
"As long as HBO doesn't lock itself into another exclusive Canadian contract, in a few years you'll likely be able to experience HBO without the hassle of a cable subscription," reads a 2014 piece by the Ottawa Citizen.
That is a day I eagerly anticipate and with my credit card in hand.
