Outlook for Traditional TV Goes From Bad to Worse

[left-of-center2012]

More than 1 million consumers canceled their cable-TV or satellite subscriptions in the past quarter, one of the largest seasonal drops ever, stepping up pressure on pay-TV providers to generate revenue in other ways.

Satellite operators—AT&T’s DirecTV and Dish Network Corp. DISH -4.11% —have lost the most customers overall. Rich Greenfield, media and tech analyst at brokerage firm BTIG, said satellite firms were more vulnerable to subscriber losses than companies that sell cable TV and broadband access because demand for internet connections remains healthy. Many residents who sign up for cable broadband get TV as part of the bundle.

The pay-TV decline comes as many U.S. households are turning to the internet for entertainment and canceling their traditional subscriptions, a phenomenon called cord-cutting. A growing share of Americans, known as cord-nevers, are forgoing pay-TV altogether.

Research firm MoffettNathanson LLC estimates more than 10 million U.S. homes have either cut the cord or skipped over pay-TV distributors since 2010, when the share of households with traditional video service peaked.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/outlook-for-traditional-tv-goes-from-bad-to-worse-1542632401

[mia]

1. No wonder.

I've never had cable or satellite TV. My antenna gets the local news stations plus PBS and lots of other stations for downtime vieving. Everything else that I need I can find on the internet eventually. If I were into the latest sports events, probably life would be different.

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. Internet allows people to choose when and where they see content,

unlike tv that forces the viewers to watch on a network time table.
Not to mention being forced to watch loud blaring advertising that cuts into the shows and ruins the mood.
We dumped the tv years ago and haven't missed it at all.

[exxo1111]

4. Paid TV

You can also get paid TV on internet for HBO or any other channel you like. Regular shows you can get for free on the internet. We are cutting the cord after Game of Throne ends.

[OnlinePoker]

3. I would have done it years ago, but my wife won't let me.

She's addicted to crappy oldies TV stations and, at this time of the year, crappy Christmas relationship movies. About the only thing I watch on TV is NFL if the Seahawks are playing.

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. There are probably crappy tv sites on the internet.

There are a zillion oldies/boomer radio station online, surely the old tv shows can be found.

did you know there is a site of the old cartoons,? Like Tom and Jerry, etc?

https://www.b98.tv/videos_categories/series/

[OnlinePoker]

6. She's a complete technophobe

Rarely uses the computer and refuses to learn how to use the Roku stick to access Netflix or Amazon Prime. Drives me crazy some times.

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. My sympathies.

There is a whole world out there to see and explore, shame she is missing out.