The cord-cutting landscape has changed immeasurably from the way it looked just a few years ago. Live sport and 24/7 news channels are now commonplace, while the amount of video-on-demand content on offer is larger than ever.
It begs the question: do you even need a cable TV plan anymore? With cable subscriber numbers continuing to plummet, it seems that for more and more people, the answer to that question is "no."
If you've still not taken the plunge, keep reading. Here are the top benefits of cutting the cord.
1. You Will Save Money
Cable prices have grown exponentially in the last decade. Indeed, cable is now comfortably the most expensive "utility" in American households. According to research by DecisionData, the average household cable package in the US was $217/month in 2020.
In comparison, the same household spends just $205/month on all other utilities combined (including electricity, gas, water, sewage, garbage).
Considering that an entry-level Netflix plan costs just $9/month (and even the four-screen, ultra-HD plan is only $18/month), it is little wonder that an increasing number of people are deciding that traditional cable is a service they can do without.
Remember, you can even cut the cord without paying a cent in subscription fees. Many networks broadcast their channels live on YouTube, while legal IPTV apps like Pluto provide access to a substantial number of free feeds.
2. You Can Watch in Any Room
A cable TV plan is fixed to the address where you live. In most cases, it is even tied to a specific room. If you want the service to be available on other screens around your home, you will need to pay a significant extra fee on a room-by-room basis.
While it's true that some cable services are beginning to offer a streaming option for their services, they often have notable drawbacks.
For example, you will typically not be able to use an HDMI cable or Chromecast to send the picture from your computer to your TV, and the apps will not be compatible with streaming boxes such as the Nvidia Shield and Apple TV.
That's because cable companies still want to be able to charge people for the multi-room add-ons; offering an any-screen/any-device streaming app would mean people would no longer pay the extra fee.
3. You Can Use Streaming Services While Traveling
Another big plus for cutting the cord is the portability you will gain; you can use your streaming apps anywhere in the country. If you have a reliable VPN, you can even watch from anywhere in the world.
If you spend a lot of time traveling for work or pleasure, you'll quickly appreciate what a boon this is. Instead of being stuck watching foreign-language cable TV every evening, you can binge-watch the latest series of Vikings just as easily as you could from your own sofa.
It's not just video-on-demand and live TV streaming services that offer this advantage. If you have decided to build up your own collection of content in lieu of a streaming app, you can use an app like Plex or Emby to tune into your movies and TV series remotely.
The benefits also apply if you move to a new house. There's no need to contact the cable company and pay a reinstallation fee at your new abode; you can keep watching without a drop in service.
4. You Can Watch More of the Content You Love
If you've ever had a cable TV plan, you will know just how many dross live TV channels are out there. Most people will watch the same small handful of networks and completely ignore 90% of the channels on the platform.
The beauty of cutting the cord is that you can take an à la carte approach to choosing content. For example, if most of what you watch is classic British TV and live sport, you can subscribe to either Acorn or Britbox along with the sports-centric Fubo TV.
Similarly, if you like US TV, you can buy whichever of the Sling packages has the channels you enjoy or subscribe to Hulu and use add-ons to customize channel line-up.
You could even subscribe directly to a network's own streaming service if they have a large amount of content you enjoy. For example, HBO, STARZ, and SHOWTIME all have standalone plans; you don't need a cable subscription to tune in.
Taking this approach might leave you with less total content than a cable package, but it will lead to a much better ratio of content you're likely to watch.
5. You Can Rotate Between Streaming Providers
Have you ever tried to cancel cable TV? It's a painful process. Cable providers will use every trick available to try and strong-arm you into keeping your plan. Their tactics include long contracts, exorbitant cancellation fees, endless hidden costs, and threats about other services you might use, such as the internet and fixed phone lines.
And the tactics work; many people simply give up and resign themselves to being tied into the provider for eternity.
But if you can break free of the shackles, a world of possibilities awaits. None of the major streaming or IPTV providers will force you into a long contract. Instead, you can cancel at any time, and the service will simply stop at the end of the current billing period.
The upshot of the lack of contracts is extreme flexibility for users. You can subscribe to Netflix for a month, binge-watch your way through all the shows you want to catch up on, then cancel your plan and repeat the process with a different provider. Over a year, you can easily keep your monthly costs under $20 while still not missing any of your favorite shows.
Is Cable TV Dead?
A study from OpenX and The Harris Poll in mid-2019 found that a massive 52% of cord-cutters did not miss anything about cable TV once they had canceled. That's ominous news for an industry that's seen subscriber numbers drop by more than 30% in the last decade.
Cable's one selling point used to be live sport and news, but even those two areas are no longer under the sole purview of cable companies. Businesses like the NFL, NBA, and English Premier League are quickly realizing that their future lies in streaming rather than cable.
So, is cable dead? Perhaps not yet, but it certainly appears to be heading onto its last legs. Make sure you take advantage of the benefits of canceling cable and cut your cord today.