Ever since Sling TV launched 2 years ago a debate has been going on among cord cutters. Can you really be a cord cutter if you pay for a service that is owned by a cable company.
At the core of this argument is a question of what is cord cutting and who are cord cutters. Can you really pay DISH or AT&T for their streaming services and still call yourself a cord cutter? We decided to take a look at this question.
What is cord cutting?
The definition I think best fits cord cutting is breaking free from high overpriced cable TV and long-term contracts.
(Note: We are not talking about Internet. Cord cutting is not about breaking free from Internet.)
What makes something cord cutting?
So to be a true cord cutting service it has to meet two things. First, be less expensive than the average cable TV bill of $100 a month and anywhere from $30 to $50 in fees every month. Second, it has to be free from a long-term contract.
Can you be a cord cutter if you pay for Sling TV or DIRECTV NOW?
That seems to be a major issue for some cord cutters right now. If you pay something to a traditional cable TV provider are you a cord cutter? I would say yes. DIRECTV NOW and Sling TV both meet the cord cutting definition because they are less expensive than traditional cable TV and, more importantly, have no long-term contract.
So what does this mean for cord cutting?
One of the best things about cord cutting is control and options. Cord cutters have far more options than they ever did with cable TV. This means for some people they are happy with free over-the-air TV and nothing more. Others are happy paying $60 for a big package of channels from DIRECTV NOW. Yet both can be cord cutters.
In the end we are both getting what we want: less expensive entertainment and no long-term contracts with hidden fees.
So, yes, you can be a cord cutter and still pay for a live TV streaming service.
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