Disney will be most at risk as a TV content provider should pay TV operators (be forced to) "unbundle" their bouquets and provide separate TV channels to pay TV subscribers according to a so-called a la carte model, according to new research from the investor research market firm, Lazard Capital Markets, in America.
MultiChoice in South Africa carries several TV channels from The Walt Disney Company on its DStv pay TV platform, The Disney Channel (DStv 303), Disney XD (DStv 304), Disney Junior (DStv 309) with the Disney offering performing incredibly well for the Disney/MultiChoice partnership here.
According to the study, while other TV channels have a loyal enough following, Lazard Capital Markets concluded that the Disney TV channels from The Walt Disney Company in America doesn't have enough popularity, given the pricing of the channels in termsof programming fees.
Should pay TV subscribers be given the choice, Lazard Capital Markets came to the conclusion that Disney's programming fees would drop in America since a lot less pay TV subscribers would be choosing those channels voluntarily.
Other TV content providers such as Scripps, Discovery, NBCUniversal and Viacom - all who supply numerous TV channels to South African pay TV subscribers through MultiChoice's DStv and On Digital Media's (ODM) TopTV - however stand to gain, since they run more "in demand" TV channels. Payment for programming fees for their channels would increase, according to Lazard Capital Markets.
