# CORD-CUTTING ACCELERATES, RAISING PRESSURE ON CABLE PROVIDERS



## Bamby

Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2020 17:25:39 -0500
Cord-Cutting Accelerates, Raising Pressure on Cable Providers

Large cable and satellite companies lost 5.5 million traditional pay-TV 
subscribers last year, compared with 3.2 million in 2018

By Lillian Rizzo and Drew FitzGerald
Feb. 19, 2020

The pace at which people are abandoning traditional pay-TV packages accelerated by more than 70% last year, as prices continued to rise and consumers gravitated to more affordable streaming options.

Large cable and satellite companies lost about 5.5 million traditional pay-TV 
customers last year, a roughly 8% decline, according to public filings. The 
numbers—which exclude smaller providers that have yet to report results for the entirety of 2019—are much larger than the loss of 3.2 million subscribers in 
2018.

Traditional pay-TV customers are expensive for cable companies to keep, between installation and equipment costs and the ever-rising price of programming, which has led cable and satellite providers to raise their rates. Analysts predict more American households will cut the cord this year.

...

https://www.wsj.com/articles/cord-c...ising-pressure-on-cable-providers-11582149209


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## Bannedjoe

I sent DTV packing a few years ago when I found out the new guy gets the same pkg I've been paying $70 a month for years for only $29.

I told the lady this is BS!

I've been with you 20 years, but the new guy gets a better deal on the same programming?
It should be the other way around!
She said it doesn't work that way.

I said, well pound sand beetch, now it doesn't work at all.
Come get your shit.


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## Bamby

Being on the outside its appears that programming is going to who is willing to pay the most lucratively for the right to rebroadcast the program. I'm with Dish and have been for years but won't be much longer.

They did send out notices that rates were going up and some programming adjustments were on the way but I sure as hell didn't think I'd see what I'm seeing. A lot of the old shows have gone elsewhere and it appears they're attempting to fill the void with infomercial channels. They don't seem to have done much with sports yet but then again I could care less about sports myself. The last thing I'd want to do is sit down and watch a bunch of people enjoying themselves playing a gave that they love while I'm sitting on my ass doing nothing. And as far as infomercials go does that even require any explanation?


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## Bannedjoe

I think the absolute worst part of ALL of this is this:

Not so long ago in the distant past, all we watched was on air broadcast television.
That's all there was.

The average 1/2 hour tv show was actually about 20 minutes with 10 minutes of commercials.

Then came the cable people.
Look, pay us X many dollars a month, and you can have a zillion channels, and the best part? Since you're paying for the programming, we don't need sponsors, so hey, NO COMMERCIALS!!!!

But slowly and eventually the cable companies became greedy, and opted to add sponsors, so the commercials came back.

Then some of decided that was pure BS, and had monstrous satellite dishes installed in our yards.
Yay!
Many satellites to choose from with a jillion channels on each, and no commercials!

But those were almost impractical from the beginning.
They were huge, subject to high winds, and were worthless when they filled up with snow.

Then the DTV people came along with a much smaller, more affordable dish system, and all seemed good....until of course, commercials.

Due to life, the universe, and everything, including politics, fake news, and being talked down to like a six year old with mind numbing programming, my wife and I have pretty much given up watching the toob.

We have prime, so we'll watch a commercial free movie, or find a fun series, and watch that at dinnertime, but anymore, that's about it.


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## pirate_girl

Joe, I still don't have a television and don't miss it one bit.
Even if I did, it would be on for background noise.
That's why I bought a radio.


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## mla2ofus

We are on dish because our local cable co. decided they could only provide internet w/ no TV. I'm just waiting for dish to say they have increase the price and I get to tell them they are not a necessity in our lives. I can still get a local  channel thru my streaming service and I can get several locals thru antenna so  dish is just a convenience, not a necessity.
Mike


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## Bannedjoe

mla2ofus said:


> We are on dish because our local cable co. decided they could only provide internet w/ no TV. I'm just waiting for dish to say they have increase the price and I get to tell them they are not a necessity in our lives. I can still get a local  channel thru my streaming service and I can get several locals thru antenna so  dish is just a convenience, not a necessity.
> Mike



I remember when I had one of those 7 or 10 foot long TV antennas and an amplifier, I could maybe get 3 channels.
My place is in a bit of a valley, so line of sight pretty much sucks.

I'm almost curious to try one of those digital TV antennas, but I'm pretty sure the content I would be bringing into my home would be highly objectionable.


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## mla2ofus

Joe, it's only objectionable if you choose to watch it. 
Mike


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## Bannedjoe

mla2ofus said:


> Joe, it's only objectionable if you choose to watch it.
> Mike



Indeed.


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## jwstewar

I'm waiting to see what DirecTV dos with us. Three years ago, I dropped them. I called them back up because they shorted me a box to send the equipment back. They offered me almost everything I had for less than half I had been paying - $50 a month for 2 years and all new equipment. So that went on until last year. I threatened to quit again. They said, you've been with us for a long time, we don't want to lose you. Not only will I extend the deal, I will take another $10 per month off your bill. So we've been paying $42.40 (with taxes) for the past year. I think this is our last month, we will see what happens next. But for $40, it isn't worth trying to do the streaming services, though we do have Amazon Prime and recently signed up for Disney+, so we are getting there.


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## Melensdad

I would eliminate DishNetwork if I could get a fast/reliable internet connection.

Seriously, download an email with photos and Netflix starts to 'buffer' because our internet is so slow.  We are on a wide-area wifi system.  Best I can find other than satellite internet and I used to have that and was not thrilled with that.  The internet I have, I can a least be happy about, because its cheap.  The service I use does off a slightly faster version but I have to cut down a couple walnut trees to get line of sight to the transmitter and we have decided the walnut trees are more important than faster internet.

So I have a basic DishNetwork package + we have ROKU streaming boxes with Netflix, Hulu, CBS and Amazon Prime ... plus all the free stuff too.  But honestly basically just watch the premium streaming channels


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