Still others have eschewed cable subscriptions in favor of less expensive content providers such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime, all of which now boast original programming. (In fact this year, for the first time, none of the four major networks won a Golden Globe for television programming, but Amazon and Netflix did.) CBS now offers a dedicated app making its programming available for a fee without requiring a cable TV subscription and HBO’s HBO Go service will also be available as a standalone streaming service starting in April. (A recent survey by Dallas-based international marketing firm Parks Associates found that a projected 7 million cable subscribers would drop cable entirely in favor of the HBO streaming service.) And, upping the ante, DISH Network has released a $20 per month streaming-only service called Sling TV that offers a basic package of 12 channels, including ESPN, CNN, TNT, HGTV, The Food Network and The Disney Channel. (But Sling TV doesn’t include any network TV or local affiliate programming.)

From the article "Betting big on local TV" by Richard Foster.