The Streaming Bundle Wars

Cable died, the saying went. Then streaming got expensive, and the industry reinvented cable under a new name: the bundle.

Major platforms now offer two-for-one deals, sports-and-drama combos, or ad-supported tiers designed to undercut rivals.

Subscribers are the winners in the short term. Prices per hour of content have fallen for the first time since streaming began, and content libraries shuffle more frequently.

Long term, consolidation may shrink choice. If three conglomerates own every bundle, the promise of the streaming era — infinite choice at a fair price — begins to sound suspiciously familiar.