Comcast's Hunger Games! Will They Survive the Broadband Rebellion?

May the Odds Be Ever NOT In Their Favor

Well folks it seems even the mighty Comcast is feeling the sting of the arena. Their CEO Dave Watson dropped a bombshell: they're expecting to lose over 100,000 broadband subscribers this quarter. A hundred thousand! That's almost enough to fill a few districts back home. I mean remember when all we had to worry about was finding a signal to watch the Hunger Games? Now everyone's got choices and Comcast's stock is paying the price down nearly 10%. You could say they're not exactly volunteering as tribute for this situation.

The Wireless Rebellion: T Mobile and Verizon Strike Back

Apparently people are ditching the old ways for something a little…shinier. Watson's blaming intense competition particularly from those wireless upstarts Verizon and T Mobile. Seems like everyone's after the “price conscious” consumer these days. Reminds me of the Capitol always wanting more more more. I guess even they’re pinching pennies now (or should I say dropping coins into that bottomless well of extravagance?). The article hints that fewer home sales are a problem too. Less people moving equals less new subscriptions. Peeta says that’s economics but to me it just sounds like more Capitol hogwash.

Just Under 100,000: The New 'Lucky' Number

Watson admitted this quarter looks similar to the first half of the year when they bled “just under 100,000” customers per quarter. Just under? That's like saying the odds of surviving the arena are "just under" impossible. Technically true but doesn’t exactly inspire confidence does it? It’s almost like they’re trying to sugarcoat it. Newsflash Comcast: we see through the frosting.

High End Havens: A Glimmer of Hope?

But wait! There's a faint glimmer of hope (or maybe just a sponsor's donation to distract us from the doom). Watson claims their higher end internet packages are holding steady. So the wealthy are still clinging to their super fast downloads. Color me shocked. It’s just like the Capitol always shielded from the realities of the districts. While we're scavenging for scraps of bandwidth they're streaming 4K holograms of themselves.

A Season of False Hope? Olympics to the Rescue?

Apparently a slightly better third quarter was all thanks to…school starting? And the Olympics! Watson’s saying the return to school and NBCUniversal's Summer Olympics marketing helped. So basically they’re relying on kids needing to do homework online and people wanting to watch synchronized swimming to save their bacon. Seems about right. Use a distraction! After all NBCUniversal owns NBC Sports and NBC Olympics and is owned by Comcast! Distraction is all they know. Reminds me of the Capitol.

The Ballad of Broadband Begins Anew

So where does that leave us? Comcast is facing a full blown rebellion in the broadband market fueled by wireless providers and price conscious consumers. They're clinging to their high end users and hoping school and sports can distract everyone from their losses. Sounds like the Capitol trying to keep the districts in line. But here's the thing: people are getting smarter. They're seeing through the smoke and mirrors. And they're voting with their wallets. May the best internet provider win. And may Comcast…well may they at least try to offer something other than empty promises and endless reruns of Hunger Games themed reality shows.