Video Competition in a Digital Age

Abstract

(Testimony before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, Committee on Energy and Commerce)Statistics and trends in the video marketplace show that consumers have abundant and diverse viewing options. There is more competition than ever before for viewers among all video providers - from traditional broadcasters to pay TV distributors to Internet distribution platforms - and new rules would hamper the ability of operators to grow and offer innovative new programming options.Contrary to views that there is a problem with diversity in media, we can cite steady growth in the number of local broadcast channels and an increase in pay TV channels owned by independent programmers. Internet video is also a viable competitor to traditional multichannel video providers as more content migrates to online platforms.America's video marketplace should be viewed as a pro-consumer success story. With an abundance of choices, competition, and diverse viewing options, the only real scarcity remaining today is our personal time and attention spans - not video options. We should celebrate that fact.