This week we finally learned more about NBC’s plans to launch a new streaming service in the Spring of 2020. This, as you would expect, has resulted in a new wave of anti-cord cutting attacks once again pushing the idea that you can’t save money with cord cutting (even though we don’t even know the cost of NBC’s new streaming service). So today we wanted to take on these arguments head-on and let you know why for most people cord cutting is still the cheapest way to get the shows and movies you want to watch.
Here is one example of the anti-cord cutting attacks coming from a writer who has worked at The New York Times, NY Mag, and Vice:
subscribing to every streaming service is almost the same price as just getting cable, really makes you think… pic.twitter.com/IONsK2OKgY
— eve peyser (@evepeyser) September 18, 2019
Here is a similar post from CNN’s Media Reporter:
HBO Max
Disney+
Netflix
CBS All Access
Amazon Prime Video
Peacock
Apple TV+
Hulu
ESPN+
Starz
Showtime Now
HBO Go
HBO Now
WWE Network
YouTube TV
AT&T TV Now
Sling TV
DAZN
The Criterion Channel
Shudder
Vudu
Playstation Vue
Philo TV
Pluto TV
NBA League Pass
NFL Sunday Ticket
Quibi— Frank Pallotta (@frankpallotta) September 17, 2019
These are just a few of the growing number of arguments that you might as well stay with cable because it will be cheaper. So let us break down why these attacks fall short and why cord cutting is still the best deal out there.
Average Cost of Cable TV is $107 a Month Just For TV
According to Fortune, the average cost of cable TV for TV only was $107 a month in 2018. That means even if you get all of the streaming services listed above you will still be saving $16.09 a month.
Most Cord Cutters Subscribe to 4 or Fewer Services
Recently, multiple studies have come out to show that most cord cutters subscribe to 4 or fewer streaming services. A recent survey of over 3,000 of our readers shows that over 90% pay for 4 or few services, and more than 72% of our readers pay for just 3 or fewer TV services. So this idea that cord cutters are paying for 9 services is not a typical cord cutting experience.
HBO, Showtime, and Starz Cost Extra With Cable TV
The average cable TV bill now costs $107 a month but things like HBO, Showtime, and Starz are extra. So you can’t count HBO, Showtime, and Starz as a cord cutting expense as you would also have to pay for these channels with cable TV.
Most Cord Cutters Plan to Drop a Service When They Add a New Service
A recent new study showed that most Americans who plan on getting Disney+ will drop another streaming service to keep costs low.
Most Cord Cutters Are Extremely Happy With Cord Cutting
According to this study from Roku, 98% of Roku users who have cut the cord say they would never go back to cable TV. Two out of three cord cutters also say they wish they had cut the cord sooner, according to the Roku study. And 74% of cord cutters say a streaming service is more convenient than a traditional pay-TV service. So this idea that cord cutting is just about money misses the fact that most cord cutters prefer streaming over pay-TV.
You Can’t Get This Content With Cable TV
The truth is many of the most popular shows right now are just not on cable TV. The Handmaid’s Tale, Stranger Things, Orange is The New Black, and more are all award-winning shows you can’t get with cable TV. Much of the most popular programming on Disney+ and CBS All Access is content that does not air on CBS or The Disney Channel. This is why most cable TV subscribers also pay for a streaming service.
So next time you see someone arguing how cord cutting costs more than cable TV, remember to remind them of these simple facts. Cord cutting still may not be for everyone, but the idea that you can’t save money with cord cutting just does not add up.
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