CraveTV / Shomi Restrictions

Q70: By the beginning of 2016, will one or both of Shomi and CraveTV be available to Canadians without requiring a telecommunications or TV subscription?
Both: 18%
Shomi Only: 8%
CraveTV Only: 4%
Neither: 70%
(This question will be resolved based on availability in Ottawa, in the case that differs from availability in other parts of the country.  Differential pricing for those with and without a subscription is acceptable, as long as prices for those without a subscription are substantially lower than the price of a subscription.  If Shomi or CraveTV are withdrawn from the market completely, they will be deemed to be not available)

Shomi and CraveTV are two new Canadian online video services launched by Rogers/Shaw and Bell/Telus, respectively.  Shomi is available only to Rogers/Shaw Internet or TV subscribers, while CraveTV is only available to Bell/Telus TV subscribers.  Two consumer groups have called on the CRTC to end these restrictions.

The most likely outcome is that Shomi and CraveTV will both require some sort of other subscription for availability (although they might both substantially expand availability).  If Bell or Rogers wanted them to be generally available, they would have launched them with general availability.  They might decide to change strategy based on early data, but I think they are more likely simply to scrap the services.   I think that the CRTC will either make no decision in 2015, decide that they don't have jurisdiction over CraveTV/Shomi, or decide that the requirement for a subscription is acceptable.

If CraveTV or Shomi are made generally available, they probably both will be (either due to a CRTC decision, or due to competitive pressures).  If only one is made available, it is more likely to be Shomi, which is more widely available now, more expensive, and whose owners are "evaluating various distribution models".