Cable TV subscribers down for the first time
The Cord Cutting movement , in which people choose to do away with cable TV packages in lieu of entertainment provided over the Internet, seems to be picking up the pace. In 2013, the number of American cable TV subscribers dropped for the first time ever, and by the impressive amount of 105,000. A recent report by the Leichtman Research Group finds that the top nine cable companies lost about 1.8 million video subscribers in 2013 (more than they lost in 2012), while other providers gained some users, for a total (net) loss. 2013 was the first year numbers dropped.
Just a blip on the radar? Or the beginning of something more?
Just a blip on the radar? Or the beginning of something more?
I've got DirecTV and I'm paying $165/mo for expanded programming plus HBO/etc, two tuners, two televisions, and some friggin' insurance thingy that we got because there's a kid in the house. Here's my costs for replacing that with what's available online.
One time costs:
- $99 for a Roku - unless I wait till mid-April, and then it's $50
- $100 termination fee for the cable
- -$165 next month for dropping the cable.
Total up front costs: $34 .Recurring costs:
- Already paying for Netflix - $17/mo. (I actually get and mail back DVDs. It's awesome.)
- Already paying for Hulu Plus - $8/mo.
- Aereo - $8/mo. Starts with a free month trial and is available in my city.
- Amazon Prime - $99/year. Another free month trial thing.
- Plex - free, or $4/mo if I decide to get fancy.
Total monthly charge: $45.25 , and I was already paying more than half of that already anyway.All the shows I watch, I can get. Any shows I can't get "officially", I can toss into Plex - with subtitles, even, and no annoying "extra content" about car theft. Any shows I want to keep permanently, I can buy the DVD for with the $120 worth of "wiggle room" per month from dropping cable - and I'd have to buy 6 new releases at full price before I hit the levels I was spending before. Nobody buys that many new releases per month. Plus, once I've done that, I will own a physical fucking copy , not revokable "digital media" crap. There is literally no reason for me not to do this.
Worst part? I don't even like sports. I have no idea why I was wasting all this money before. Thanks, guys.
My cable company thinks otherwise, of course. I'll be talking to them later today, and they will no doubt give me the hard sell and desperately try to keep me. I just don't see how they can match this, though.