I disagree. None of the online, ad supported, free TV providers make anything. They simply rebroadcast old content. Time-shifting and commercial skipping may present a challenge. But it cuts both ways. I never watched Pluto or any of the rest before I could pull them into Channels. Now I do, and occasionally catch a commercial -- although a huge percentage of the ads I see are Pluto promoting itself. No revenue generation there. I have no idea how they make money. I hope they make a lot. But if they pull the plug, I'm not crawling back to the app. There are other more convenient ways to get the content I need -- some paid, some free.
I realize the TV industry is in the middle of huge change. The big boys have turned to regulation (rebroadcast fees) but I doubt that can last. Too many people have figured out what they're paying for broadcast television. That cat's out of the bag. Maybe that's why huge companies like CBS are dabbling with Pluto to hedge their bets. Hopefully some will respond to the current challenge with innovation and produce more compelling ads that people don't want to skip (ie Super Bowl) or make more compelling content that people are willing to pay for, like the stuff behind paywalls.
Either way, I don't think the answer is to do the current providers a solid and watch the ads anyway or use their crappy paid DVR solution. Just do what you can within the law while everything shakes out. It isn't our job to help them be profitable.
