A Warning for HBO and CBS: Danger Lurks in the Stream

[Commentary] Do HBO and CBS know what they got themselves into? Do Lionsgate and Tribeca have a clue? Think parlor, spider, fly. Or, if you're of a more cinematic state of mind, think of a deal they can't refuse. Pick your metaphor.

The clever minds at the media companies think they will be able to cash in on the streaming technology that boosted Netflix and made stars on YouTube. They well might, but at some point, the same extortion racket that got to Netflix will get to them. And it won't be pretty. If HBO, CBS and the others think they can avoid the same fate, well, good luck to them. The only good that could come of this mess is that the entertainment industry wakes up and realizes that an open, neutral Internet serves their purpose. If the showbiz industry (minus NBC and Universal studios which are owned by Comcast), used its traditional muscle in Washington to team up with the tech industry and public-interest groups, to make a big push for Net Neutrality, there might be a decent chance something positive might result. But if they decide to tough it out alone, they shouldn't be surprised to hear a knock at the door and find someone saying, "Nice little video business. Be a shame if something happened to it." It's something that Tribeca co-founder Robert DeNiro would recognize from his film career.

[Brodsky is a communications consultant]