Before anyone gets too excited, let me first wade through the muck…
Variety’s headline is a tad misleading. The number of people cutting the cord, that astonishing 22 million number, is quoted from a study, so fair enough. But the only number that matters is the number of overall households that cut the cord — meaning, how many households kick out that single leg holding up the rancid stool I referenced earlier this week.
According to the most recent estimates, around 90 million households still pay for television, either through a monthly cable or satellite subscription. This also represents a steady loss of only about a million households a year, starting in 2010.
Another misleading part of that sexy 22 million number is that as of 2017 about 193 million adults (in those 90 million households) still pay for television. According to this very same Variety story, however, that number is expected to decline to just 182 million by 2021. If that is confusing, if the net-loss of only 11 million total customers over 4 years doesn’t reconcile itself with that headline, that’s because enough new people are signing up for cable to offset at least some of those losses.
Nevertheless…
The awesome news is that cord-cutting *is* accelerating. There is no question about it. For starters, the 22 million is a big 33% leap over the number of adults who cut the cord in 2016, and well above what had been estimated at 15.4 million. Already in the first half of 2017, some 1.25M households cut the cord. We have a long way to go, the bloodbath is occurring in slow-motion, but at least it is occurring.
For our purposes, though, for the purpose of destroying the likes of CNN and ESPN, of annihilating a rigged system that makes you pay for the very networks determined to destroy you and everything you hold dear, keep your eye on that number of households or subscriptions. And…
Please, please, please cut the cord. If not for America, do it for the children.
In these two pieces (here and here) I lay out just how you can survive without your cable or satellite subscription … and save a ton of money.
To recap…
1) I think you would be amazed at how many high-definition channels you can get for free with a $35 antennae (one time cost). A few weeks ago, while camping about 30 miles outside of Chicago, we picked up over 40 channels. Where I live, about a hundred miles from a population center, a one-time cost of $100 for a powerful digital antenna got us 8 free channels, including one that plays Westerns 24/7.
2) If you are a news junkie, the Internet has plenty of free news. Moreover, a one-time purchase of a Roku will give you access to a completely free 24/7 news network produced by CBS (and countless other free entertainment networks).
3) Sports junkies still have a problem. You might pick up some local teams through that antenna. ESPN will soon offer a standalone streaming service. But who wants to give MSESPN money or watch the NFL with all of these super-wealthy, spoiled babies disrespecting America?
4) Netflix and Amazon cost about $10 a month each for tons and tons and tons of commercial-free programming. Compare this to your $100 a month cable bill that savages you with 20 minutes of ads every hour. If you want more current television programming (Netflix and Amazon are usually a season behind), you will get a lot of it through your antenna, or you can purchase an $8 Hulu subscription, or you can purchase individual episodes through Amazon, or you can watch it on a device for free online.
5) Remember, NOT watching CNN or ESPN or MSNBC or MTV or Comedy Central is not enough. If you are paying for cable, you are cutting a check to these evil fascists every single month.
This needs to stop.
So stop it.
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