[bluntly_said]

Even assuming the numbers here are correct (and I'm rather skeptical) it means that channels like ESPN are getting heavily subsidized by cable subscribers who aren't interested in that content. That's not a win to me. That's my money going to produce shows that I don't like and don't want to watch.

If ESPN is unable to sustain the level of content/quality they currently show without huge subsidies, they shouldn't be making it. The subsidy to ESPN implies that channels and shows that I DO WATCH are not receiving a fair amount of my bill for the time I spend watching them.

This is not a "better for all" type of socialism. It's a "better for the entrenched" type of taxation.

To reiterate a common theme in the comments: "A la cart distribution is good for consumers and content creators, and is bad for networks and cable providers"