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Cord-Cutting Keeps Churning: US Pay-TV Cancelers To Hit 33 Million in 2018 (Study) (variety.com)

Posted by msmash on from the up-next dept.

Millions of Americans have already scrapped traditional pay-TV service, and the exodus is expected to continue apace in 2018. From a report: This year, the number of cord-cutters in the U.S. -- consumers who have ever cancelled traditional pay-TV service and do not resubscribe -- will climb 32.8%, to 33.0 million adults, according to new estimates from research firm eMarketer. That's compared with a total of 24.9 million cord-cutters as of the end of 2017, which was up 43.6% year over year (and an upward revision from eMarketer's previous 22 million estimate). That said, even as the traditional pay-TV universe shrinks, the number of viewers accessing over-the-top, internet-delivered video services keeps growing. About 147.5 million people in the U.S. watch Netflix at least once per month, according to eMarketer's July 2018 estimates. That's followed by Amazon Prime Video (88.7 million), Hulu (55 million), HBO Now (17.1 million) and Dish's Sling TV (6.8 million).

5 of 200 comments (clear)

  1. Still have to pay Comcast... by Kenja · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Do we really think the cable companies care, so long as we're still paying them for the internet access? They have a monopoly no mater how you look at it.

    --

    "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
    1. Re:Still have to pay Comcast... by jwhyche · · Score: 4, Interesting

      They certainly give the impression they do with their internet+TV+phone bundling

      That is the impression that I got when I cancelled my digital TV service to go only internet. That lady was tripping all over herself to make sure I had at least basic cable. She even took $25 off the internet only option I was looking at to give me basic cable. So I basically got free basic cable and a $25 discount.

      Suddenly, I'm not so sure I got a great deal. What did Aahz say? "Count your fingers and your toes, then your nearest relatives?"

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
  2. "Cord-cutting" is a presumptive term by Pfhorrest · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I've always disliked the term "cord-cutting", because it presumes that having a cable TV subscription is the normal default state of affairs, and that it's some weird deviance from that norm to not buy a service that you would normally not have if you didn't go out of your way to buy it.

    When I first moved out on my own, and had to start paying my own utilities and such, I was really tight for cash and so decided that I didn't need to spend my very limited money just to watch TV. Fast forward a decade or two and I still don't have TV. I never have had TV, at least not since it could rightly be said that *I* did or didn't have it, rather than my parents.

    I'm not a cord-cutter, because I never had a cord to cut.

    How many of the tallied "cord-cutters" in these figures are like me? Especially younger people, who increasingly see TV as unnecessary, and who are increasingly strapped for cash they are unlikely to waste even starting up service for an unnecessary entertainment package when they could just as well do without.

    --
    -Forrest Cameranesi, Geek of all Trades
    "I am Sam. Sam I am. I do not like trolls, flames, or spam."
  3. Re:this is how you tell friendless nerds by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    they donâ(TM)t watch live sports

    We participate in live sports. We have a bunch of soccer, swim, softball, touch football and tennis leagues all over my area - and they're pretty cheap - less than the cost of one month of cable or satellite.

    We get exercise, hang out, talk face to face, and the single people meet other single people. For the price of three months of Comca$t XFinity, I can buy a whole years of tennis league and two new rackets.

    Now watching professional or college sports on TV is just passive entertainment.

  4. Re:Nickel and dimed to death by jwhyche · · Score: 4, Interesting
    how much TV can a person realistically watch?

    Depends on how big your family is. But to answer your first question, No. If you have Netflix you really don't need HBO.

    My whole family uses our netflix subscription. I personally subscribe to Curiosity Stream and Great Courses Plus. My daughter has a Cruncyroll subscription. My son and son in law are pretty cheap so they both get by with youtube.

    If it was just me in the house there would only be GreatCourses Plus and Curiosity Stream and the PBS app. I'm not sure about Netflix.

    --
    I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.