The cable bundle may be weakening, but Comcast is poised to be stronger than ever

A curious thing happened to the cable television industry after HBO and CBS announced streaming services that deeply threaten the lucrative cable bundle: the companies’ stocks have been climbing higher. The great unbundling of the cable television package is closer in sight, but it’s far from the end of cable companies. The same companies that for decades have offered all-or-nothing TV plans with hundreds of channels will still sit at the center of the new online video economy for one simple reason: They control the Internet pipes. And for consumers, it’s not clear if they will actually end up with better and more affordable options if only a few companies control broadband access.