Why Are Channels Disappearing?
On, or about July 1, 2026, the FanDuel networks will drop from our HTC channel lineup. These are the latest casualties in a trend that is becoming all too familiar. Luckily, HTC was an early provider of BravesVision (as soon as it came on the air) and watching baseball went uninterrupted.
Why are so many channels going away? There are a variety of reasons. First, we’ll look at FanDuel specifically. FanDuel Sports is winding down operations and losing nearly all its 29 MLB, NBA and NHL team partners. The channels are likely to cease operations over the next couple of months. Recent years have seen multiple changes in the network, as they went from FOX Sports to Bally Sports, then finally FanDuel Sports. It is important to know that HTC does not have any say in these networks going away and it is completely out of our control.
What about the others? Over the past five years there have been multiple networks that have ceased operations. Among them are multiple MTV channels, a few of the HBOs and some of the lesser watched cable channels such as Universal Kids, Circle Network and more. Sometimes they disappear, other times they find new life withing the parent company’s app. Take HBO suite of channels as an example. HBO Family, Movie Max and Outer Max went away but even though the channel is no longer there, the content lives on and you will find most of it on through HBO Max. Companies like HBO and Paramount continue to push viewers to their app. Â
The 30+ year-old trend is reversing.Â
Back in the late 90’s and early 00’s, more was better. Cable providers were adding channels and sub-channels as fast as the networks could roll them out. When we look back, the success of MTV, which launched in the early 1980’s, spawned a host of additional networks. VH1, MTV2, MTVU, MTV Hits and more. HBO was another example of the ‘more is better’ philosophy. The premium subscription network which used to have HBO East and HBO West, then, over time expanded to include HBO (East/West/Hawaii), HBO2, HBO Family, HBO Comedy, HBO Latino, HBO Signature and HBO Zone. There was an abundance of programming and only so many hours in the day to air it. Each of these add-on networks came with their own business model, staff, overhead and production costs. At the time, it seemed like a solid business model.
Along came streaming.
Like it or not, streaming is here to stay. The ability to take all the programming and have it available at any time on a streaming app alleviated the constraints of the 24-hour clock. The user is in control. So, if you take all the programming and load it into the app, the clock no longer exists, and subscribers watch shows when they want.
The Bottom Line.
The biggest reason is simple; viewers have changed the way they watch television. It started with cord-cutting in the mid 00’s and then accelerated significantly with the advent of streaming. Streaming allows people to watch what they want, when they want, without waiting for scheduled programming. Traditional TV channels were built around fixed schedules and live viewing habits, but modern audiences increasingly prefer on-demand content available across phones, tablets and smart TVs.
To answer your questions about why the costs keep going up even though the channels are going away (I know you were going to ask), the answer lies in the agreements the networks signed. The networks based their agreements on a certain number of subscribers. As more and more people cut the cord, and their subscriber numbers drop, they need to raise the cost to make their agreed upon contract numbers.
Television isn’t dying, it is transforming. And as consumer habits continue to shift, the number of traditional channels going off the air will likely continue to grow.
