DISH LIKELY TO OFFER ONLINE EQUIVALENT OF CABLE TV

With the announcement this week that DISH Network has reached an agreement with Disney to put its TV content online, the satellite company now appears to be positioning itself to become the first to offer an Internet-based competitor to cable TV, Advertising Age observed on Wednesday. DISH chief Charlie Ergen resportedly is now attempting to negotiate similar deals with other cable and broadcast networks. Such an enterprise AdAge observed, would give DISH “a way to gain new subscribers at a fraction of the cost, since online delivery doesn’t require as much physical equipment. It also gives Dish a potentially bigger market since it would no longer be limited to consumers who are willing or allowed to mount satellite dishes on their homes.” The trade publication indicated that DISH is considering charging $20-30 per month for the service.