Back in 2020, I wrote a column questioning how many streaming services the average household would be willing to support over time. Since then, over-the-top has exploded with everyone except my cousin Joe’s home movies entering the space. With the explosion still going on, I expect my cousin to launch sometime next week. He will probably call it Joe+. I’m going to suggest an introductory price of $4.99 a month.
Whenever an industry goes through radical change, such as the current streaming eruption, several things happen. First is the rush to groupthink, always based on a deep-seated fear of being left behind. That fear creates the kind of California Gold Rush we’ve been seeing the past 24 months. Next comes an eventual shakeout, a phase we are not yet in, but is clearly on the horizon. The final step is the rise of consumer power, which determines ultimate winners and…
