Google is working on to make big additions to its Google Fiber TV channel lineup, adding all missing stations to the service.
Just after adding several Disney channels, now the lineup has included major channels from Time Warner’s Turner Broadcast company such as Boomerang, Cartoon Network (Adult Swim), CNN, CNN en Español, CNN International, HLN, hTV, infinito, TBS, TCM: Turner Classic Movies, TNT, and truTV.
Earlier added Disney’s television stations include ABC Family, ABC News Now, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, ESPN, ESPN Buzzer Beater, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, Longhorn Network, Ovation, SOAPnet, TBN, TBN Enlace, and Velocity.
Trying to shape-up nicely, Fiber TV is currently available only for those residing in Kansas City bundled with a 1Gbps broadband Internet service.
A truly competitive service, Google Fiber offers services at $120 per month. Certain complaints had lined up following the announcement of services, which included it being available only in the Kansas city and limited channels. But now that Google Fiber TV has taken care of adding channel lineups. It now has both Adult Swim and ESPN sports channels.
Google plans to add up more channels in future. The business has just started up. Earlier in the month, Google announced reaching over 50 percent of its goal for Fiberhood signups.
Although Google Fiber TV is doing well, some believe it offers no competition to other big cable companies. Irene Esteves, Time Warner Cable, CFO recently said that Google Fiber TV can’t really expand business outside of Kansas. She also said that the business model of Fiber TV doesn’t make sense. She estimates that a nationwide broadband network build-out could cost upwards of $200 billion all said and done.
She also said that what TWC is losing in terms of market share to Google in the Kansas City area is a drop in the bucket as well as how Verizon spent $30 billion on its FiOS network to occupy just 15 percent of U.S. homes.
Esteves, TWC, and other cable providers often mention the big “numbers” game when discussing the threat of competition from Google. They are expected do this as they know Google didn’t base its decision to enter the cable market on the numbers. It plunged as it saw a prospect to do better. Also, Verizon doesn’t seem to be interested in expanding its broadband business and maybe Google could one day buy it.
