Should We Say Goodbye to Cable TV?
By: Avery M.
Is cable television on its last legs? With the many “internetainment” options available in the world today, some suggest that cable TV usage will soon come to an end. Today’s advancements in technology are making it easier for people to get on board and drop their cable providers.
TV streaming services are a somewhat new phenomenon. In fact, Netflix, the world’s most popular online entertainment service, just introduced streaming in 2007. Compared to cable TV (which has been around for 70 years), the last decade seems like a blink of an eye. But despite its lack of history, online streaming is growing in popularity very quickly.
A study done by Fluent, LLC showed that 61% of Americans were subscribed to a cable TV plan in 2017, while 67% of Americans had access to streaming services. In America, there are more people who are subscribed to online streaming services than cable TV, and according to Statista, the number of cable TV subscribers in the U.S. is steadily decreasing. This trend is continually being reinforced as people all over the world decide to drop their cable subscriptions and switch over to online streaming services.
Why are people deciding to move from cable TV to streaming services? Cost, convenience, and variety are three major factors. Streaming services offer a monthly fee that is easy to understand, while cable TV providers are constantly increasing their costs due to higher programming expenses. It’s not hard to imagine that paying for cable TV can get a bit confusing. The convenience of being able to take a plethora of entertainment options anywhere with an internet connection is also appealing to consumers. The variety of shows and movies now offered by companies like Netflix, Amazon’s Prime Video, and Hulu have only further captured the attention of film and television fans all over the world.
Will cable TV be replaced overnight? No, probably not. Many people enjoy the familiarity of cable, and sometimes the comfort of knowing how to use something is better than the convenience that new technology can bring. While streaming services are becoming more popular, there is still a large majority of people who are loyal to their cable subscription. It may be too soon to tell if the next generation will live in a world without cable TV, but one thing is for sure – online streaming services are a big part of the future.