In this post, we’re going to do something scary — but by doing it together, we’ll get through it. I’m talking about cutting the cord on cable television.
From my point of view, there are two types of cord cutters: Those who want live television with local programming, and those who are happy with seeking and finding their own entertainment from services like Netflix or Disney+. Personally, I would want to know if a water main has burst and inundated a street I use — or any number of potential, local inconveniences that aren’t accounted for in Google Traffic or on The Weather Channel.
I’ve narrowed my search down to three services: YouTube TV, Hulu TV, and Sling. They each include dozens of the most popular cable channels, with add-ons like Showtime generally costing under $10. All of the local affiliates of ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC are typically included in the basic package.
- YouTube TV: At $49 per month, cord cutters will want to carefully run the numbers to see if YouTube TV is really any cheaper than their cable plans. People are often “bundled” into services where the average cost of cable and internet is cheaper than if bought “à la carte.”
- Hulu TV: At $54.99, Hulu TV also begs the question: Is this any cheaper than cable? Again, there is an impressive selection of basic channels, with the ability to add individual channels for additional fees.
- Sling: Sling’s highest tier costs $35 per month. This might actually save us some money. What’s more, Sling has smaller packages available for under $20. As with the other services, Sling starts with a large field of basic cable channels, and premium channels are available for extra.
So my research left me a little crestfallen, I must admit. Now I have to sit down with my cable bill and figure out if cutting the cord is as cool as everyone says. I suppose being able to watch local news in Paris or Milan is pretty cool…but would I want to?
We can’t get cable tv where we live, we just changed from Direct TV to Dish….so far our bill is $75 a month less and we have much better service.
Judy,
I cut the cord around two year and ended up with Hulu because some of the others were not ready. Hulu is great. But after having it awhile and looking at all the free channels on my Roku box, I think many people could cut the cord without having to pay for a full service provider.
All the major networks have their own free channels and all their programming is free. CBS does have monthly charge of around $8. All the news networks have their own free channels which the evening news is included. Hulu’s basic service provides for $8 or $9 a month has most current shows and a trove of shows with all of their seasons available free. If you have Amazon Prime their Prime Video is free with tremendous content. Netflix, HBO, Showtime and Disney charge no matter how you get TV.
All news, tv programming and dozens of movie channels are free through my Roku box. SPORTS IS THE WILD CARD. To get the best sports coverage, a full service provider is needed . Sports coverage with a full service provider is unbelievably better than cable. On Hulu, every UCONN Mens/women basketball and football games are televised on the West Coast. If only one sport is of interest the NFL, MLB and the NBA have their own dedicated channels. For a very low price at deal time , you can get every single NFL game for the season ($50).
The only real financial advantage the major cable cutter providers have vs cable is no monthly cable box charge per TV. Cord cutters pay zero. If you have 5 TVs you save $50 a month. And of course, you never have to wait at home for Comcast to show up or answer the phone. This is worth 10s of thousands of dollars to anyone!
I think most people can find ways to see most everything they want to see without a major cable cutting service. If sports is important, pick a full service cord cutter provider and dump cable as soon as you can!!!
Good luck with your decision!