Cord Cutting Caused By 74 Percent TV Price Hikes Since 2000, Says Report (dslreports.com)

A new study by Kagan, S&P Global Market Intelligence finds that cord cutting is being caused primarily by a 74% increase in customer cable bills since 2000. From a report: That increase is even adjusted for inflation, and it should be noted that individual earnings have seen a modest decline during that same period, making soaring cable rates untenable for many. This affordability gap is "squeezing penetration rates, particularly among the more economically vulnerable households," the research company added. As their chart illustrates, prices for multichannel packages have steadily risen from just below $60 a month in 2000 to close to $100 in 2016. All while incomes remained largely stagnant. As customers grow increasingly angry at cable TV rate hikes and defect to streaming alternatives, most cable operators are simply raising the price of broadband (often via usage caps and overage fees) to try and make up for lost revenue. And because most parts of America still don't really see healthy broadband competition, they can consistently get away with it.

Comments

Econ 101

[Anonymous Coward]

And that, kids, is how the free market works

Cox just raised the price of internet

[rsilvergun]

by $20-$60 dollars in my area by imposing bandwidth caps. Their costs hadn't raised a dime, this was just a cash grab because the current (Republican) administration isn't likely to regulate them for abusing their duopoly (yeah, there's one other provider, who's exactly as bad).

I know it's not popular to call a political party out by name around here, but what else can I call it? I had 8 years of steady prices (going up a buck here, a buck there) and as soon as the Rs where in charge *blam*, $big raises. I've got biz class and the next time my contract's up It'll be $160/mo. Meanwhile Cox lobbies the Rs to prevent muni broadband and any competition whatsoever.

These are the same folks who killed Net Neutrality and just deregulated Wallstreet (albeit with the help of some Corporate Dems like that bitch Pelosi and that bastard Schumer). Enough already. There comes a time when you call a spade a spade. Vote Bernie's party. Listen to him and his and vote there. Or stop bitching about getting screwed by mega corps.