ESPN is considering a new plan to please cord cutters (DIS)

Cork Gaines/Business Insider

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ESPN has been struggling to adjust to the growing trend of cord cutting, but they might try a new approach.

Disney CEO Bob Iger spoke at the Deutsche Bank Media, Internet, & Telecom Conference and said that ESPN is still internally considering a streaming service aimed directly at consumers.

ESPN is available on skinny bundles such as SlingTV, but Iger's comments indicate that a direct streaming service is still a possibility.

The Worldwide Leader in Sports relies heavily on cable subscription fees, but as more customers cut their cords and move toward broadband offerings, questions have come up about the sustainability of its business model. Those questions intensified as ESPN hesitated to discuss a direct-to-consumer streaming service.

ESPN has lost 7 million subscribers in two years as of December 2015 and has been extremely slow to respond to the changing world of media consumption, but it seems like the company is finally ready to take some steps in the right direction.

But it won't be all smooth sailing, as ESPN has several hurdles to clear, most notably its contracts with cable companies. If ESPN were to launch a direct-to-consumer streaming service, then cable companies would be within their rights to remove the network from their core bundles, according to DSL Reports. This could negatively impact ESPN's subscription base and revenue.

ESPN is also the most expensive network for cable companies to carry at more than $6 per subscriber. These costs would most likely remain in effect for any standalone streaming service ESPN launched, but it's unclear if consumers would pay for such a service.

This situation will be worth monitoring as ESPN attempts to adjust to a world in which short-form mobile video has become the go-to viewing habit of many consumers. But how will ESPN utilize these mobile channels, and what does the future look like for mobile video?

Margaret Boland, a research analyst for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on mobile video that takes a look at how short-form mobile video has exploded. The report examines how YouTube, the historically dominant force in short-form video, was slow to implement a mobile video strategy, opening the door for new players —namely Facebook and Snapchat — to emerge.

It also takes a look at how winners will begin to emerge in distinct video content categories. YouTube, for instance, will rely heavily on its homegrown YouTube stars to distinguish its video library and drive loyalty. Facebook will become the go-to place for brands and media companies to engage with the largest audience. And Snapchat will utilize its live-events coverage and exclusive content to promote video communication among younger mobile audiences.

Cork Gaines/Business Insider

Here are some key takeaways from the report:

• The rise in mobile video viewing can be attributed to several factors: an increase in overall time spent on mobile, the convenience of on-demand viewing, a preference for digital video viewing, and the increased availability of mobile video content.
• As video becomes mobile-first, YouTube's hold on the short-form video industry is waning. The number of videos that are uploaded to the platform per month has remained stagnant over the past year, according to Socialbakers data shared with BI Intelligence.
• Facebook is in the best position to upset YouTube as the go-to place for brand and media companies to upload videos and for users to watch these videos. Although Snapchat may not be competing with Facebook and YouTube on video volume, the app is changing how consumers, brands, and publishers are using mobile video for communication, news and entertainment, and live-event coverage.

In full, the report:

• Maps out the rise of mobile video viewing and lays out the main drivers of this trend.
• Examines why YouTube's hold on the short-form video industry is waning as viewers migrate to mobile viewing.
• Illustrates the dramatic increase in the number of videos that brands and media companies are publishing to Facebook over the past year.
• Forecasts the number of videos that US brands and media companies will publish to both Facebook and YouTube in 2016.
• Explains how Snapchat is able to compete with larger video platforms and is changing how brands, media companies, and consumers are using mobile video.

To get your copy of this invaluable guide, choose one of these options:

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The choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, you’ve given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of the rapidly changing world of mobile video.