What's the story? Streaming TV providers seek market stability

Light Reading Senior Editor Jeff Baumgartner joins the podcast to explain the competitive challenges that virtual multichannel video programming distributors (vMVPDs) are facing as the market becomes more saturated. In addition, vMVPDs face some of the same challenges that their cable counterparts have grappled with for years – YouTubeTV recently warned subscribers that Disney-owned channels may go dark if the companies can't reach a pricing agreement.

"One of the biggest [challenges] is, how do they keep pricing down as they add content or they need to renew existing carriage deals?" says Baumgartner. "Another is keeping churn from getting out of hand. With most of these services, there are no contracts and people can come and go as they please."

Baumgartner also shares his thoughts on streaming TV startup FrndlyTV, founded by former SlingTV executives, and discusses whether it can hold its own with incumbents such as YouTube TV, Hulu Live + TV, Sling TV and FuboTV.

— Kelsey Kusterer Ziser, Senior Editor, Light Reading