The ‘Outrageous’ Cost Of Cable And Satellite TV

This question will be subjective, and a one-word reply can be misleading for many. However, in simple words, the answer to this question would be that it depends on the provider you are subscribed to and what they offer to their customers. At times, expensive service(s) means that they are offering something exclusive to their users, premium services, on-demand features, and anything of that sort. 

1. Cost Of Cable And Satellite TV

Cable and satellite TV are pretty different; cable TV is much more popular than the latter. A significant chunk of the population picks Cable TV, and Satellite TV is naturally restricted to rural areas mostly. Now let us look deeper into cable TV – with Spectrum channel lineup, you can watch 200 plus local sports & music channels for just $94.99 monthly.

It depends on what you choose, and you can even demand your favorite movies and TV shows as well. Furthermore, some companies such as AT&T and Comcast also have great features at low prices, but it all reaches down to what is serviceable in your area and what packages are offered there.

It depends on your affordability, too; for instance, if someone can afford it – they will be happily paying $250 per month and get themselves subscribed to the most expensive package the provider has to offer. If someone cannot afford much, they will use boxes with low dues. Thus, it largely depends on the user’s affordability.

It is fundamentally an equation between what companies offer at what price and what customers are willing to pay.

Moreover, if the market somehow had alternatives to cable and satellite TV that are less expensive than both, then to survive, cable and satellite TV had to change their services and packages to keep the customers retained.

The market first had streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Roku, and Apple TV. Then there came apps that could connect users’ Wi-Fi to DirecTV, and other providers are actively working on this. At the same time, Xfinity and Spectrum have launched their apps for their customer.

However, internet TV remained popular among urban populations, where fiber optic internet is available. They still have only one option in rural areas: satellite TV, as no cable company is willing to invest in locations with a tiny population.

2. Streaming Services Offer

The popular alternative option for cable services and cord-cutters is streaming services. Now let us see and briefly compare what streaming services have to offer, at what prices:

• Netflix – $13.99

• Hulu + Disney + ESPN – $12.99 ( it doesn’t have live TV and has ads)

• Amazon Prime – almost the same as above (however, it includes some prime offerings)

• CBS – $5.99 (has ads) – this package includes: CBSN, CBS Sports, and E! (Also, this lets its users keep the news running in the background)

• HBO – around $55.0

Similarly, with these services comes many free apps like YouTube, Ted TV, PBS, BBC (not entirely free), NBC (again, not completely free), and CNN (not quite free), and many more – although you can compromise a bit on quality and focus on quantity.

The latest generation, i.e., Generation Z, is emerging to be the first generation that believes in cord-less entertainment, which means they do not have any plans on getting cable services shortly. At the same time, millennials and Generation X and Y are the cord-cutters that gradually shifted and still are switching to streaming services.

One of the primary factors behind the intensifying popularity of streaming services today is the convenience of managing at your own pace, wherever you are and as many times as you wish – as long as you have a stable internet connection – which almost everyone has due to 3G and 4G and access to Wi-Fi connections. 

Final Word

We have discussed why Cable and Satellite TV can be outrageous in the article, as mentioned earlier. The prices fluctuate based on demand and supply, too, and cable services are not fully functional in all the states. However, satellite TV is available at most places where the rest of the services may not be serviceable.

Irrespective of all the trends and constantly changing consumer habits, some people will not leave cable TV services for the sake of traditions and their love for sports.