After last week’s rather stomach-turning news broke that Netflix was trying to get in bed with cable companies rather than compete with them by offering its streaming service in the manner of a premium channel, now there’s a report that pay TV companies aren’t biting.

SNL Kagan (subscription required) reports that Comcast, DirecTV and Dish Network have all rejected Netflix’s overtures because they don’t think the company’s offerings would significantly add to their on-demand libraries. Collectively, the three companies reach 56 percent of the pay TV audience.

Along with the revelation that Verizon and Redbox are putting together a competing service, that leaves Netflix with few potential dance partners for its perceived goal to become the next HBO. Perhaps being rebuffed by the old guard will spur Netflix to try to strip customers away from cable and satellite rather than try to work with it.

Big 3 pay TV operators to Netflix: No carriage for you [SNL Kagan (subscription required) via Deadline]

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