Can You Help Your Subscribers Find Local Channels Elsewhere? – CNS | Cooperative Network Services

Can You Help Your Subscribers Find Local Channels Elsewhere?

Alternate TV Programming

This has been a busy year in terms of video contract negotiations. As live sports were shuddered during the spring and summer months, many networks that rely on sporting events for viewership and advertisers began to realize the economic pain this pandemic is bringing to people and companies across the globe. MVPDs across the country began to fight back against the high subscriber fees associated with live sports, as they were no longer seeing the value these channels provide.

In the world of broadcast channels, another war has been raging—the ever-increasing costs of retransmission consent fees. It wasn’t too long ago that these networks were free of license fees. Now, companies like Nexstar, Tegna, and Sinclair demand exorbitant fees for the ability to view their local broadcast channels.

Many retransmission consent agreements expire in 2020, and with these expirations, many MVPDs are assessing their approach to their video service offerings.

Did you know that some national streaming services provide access to local broadcast stations? It’s true! YouTube TV, Hulu, fubo, and Locast are just four examples of streaming providers that can offer your customers access to their local news and the programs they want to watch on your local broadcast stations.

How is CNS Helping MVPDs Curtail their Retransmission Fees?

We understand that many customers are investigating streaming services as a way to save money. Our goal is to help you help your customers make their decision by providing a tool that can help them understand what options there are to see their local channels, should they choose not to have your company as their video provider. Additionally, we may find in our negotiations that it is no longer economically feasible to carry broadcast stations due to unreasonable retransmission consent fees and we need to remove these stations from our lineup.

With CNS’s Channel Package Concierge App, your CSRs can instantly help customers identify which streaming providers will give them the best options, depending on their unique desires. Even if they choose to drop your video service, you’ll still be seen as an authority in the industry. This trust, in turn, will help them remain your broadband customer, enabling you to upsell higher internet packages and managed Wifi.

Our app can be used internally, externally, or both. In other words, it’s a great tool for customer service representatives, but it also serves an excellent purpose for the public, enabling your customers to find the packages that work best for them on their own time, and at their own convenience.

 

Channel Package Concierge App

Take a Page From Our Playbook

You can find a demo of the Channel Package Concierge App on our website. Paul Solsrud, CNS Product Manager, will walk you through the app, explaining how customers’ selections whittle down the streaming selections shown in the application. We never show other MVPD competitors, so your app’s link is just for your company; it will showcase your brand’s options, as well as the national streaming service options available in your area.

If you’d like to take the app for a test drive, you can try it for yourself on our website here: https://cooperative-networks.com/package-concierge-app/. Enter any address within the Minneapolis DMA, and see how the selections change with each option you choose.

 

If you’d like to learn more about your Cooperative Network Services’ Channel Package Concierge App can make life easier for your CSRs and customers, we’d love to talk to you. Reach out to Kristin, Video Services Coordinator, today!