Network television is hamstringing itself. Not only are executives rehashing old content but they're also refusing to allow premium cable operators such as Comcast (CMCSA -0.52%) to stream more than a handful of prior episodes of current season shows. Apple (AAPL 0.64%) may very well be to blame.
For example, at XFINITY, Comcast's top-tier service, you can only order up the last three episodes of the surprising winner Elementary. Meanwhile, over at iTunes, you can buy the full season in HD for $34.99. Why the disparity? Some of it surely has to do with advertisers who'd rather not give viewers the choice of merely watching episodes on demand.
But Apple wins, too, and in a big way: iTunes is responsible for roughly two-thirds of television and movie content sold through on-demand stores. And why not? A recent poll says a significant portion of us are more than willing to pay up to circumvent limits on favorites such as Game of Thrones.
For Tim Beyers of Motley Fool Rule Breakers and Motley Fool Supernova, it's enough for him to wonder if the late Steve Jobs is smiling at us from above, admiring how his TV strategy is coming together exactly as planned.
Do you agree? Please watch to get Tim's full take, and then let us know which shows you buy from iTunes or another on-demand store and why.
