Michigan viewers cancel cable TV in record numbers in 2022, report shows

[Martin Stett]

The number of households breaking away from cable television in Michigan accelerated in 2022, with over 151,000 households dropping the service, a 9 percent drop, the biggest one-year decline.
According to an annual report issued last week by the Michigan Public Service Commission, there are now roughly 1.5 million cable subscribers statewide, down nearly 900,000 since 2009, or 37.5 percent of all households.
The peak of cable TV in Michigan was 2009, when over 2,365,000 households subscribed, or 62 percent of all households. That number held relatively flat until 2016 as people turned to streaming services and satellite providers.

https://www.bridgemi.com/business-watch ... port-shows

Good news for OTA?

[Plate Cap]

The cable industry saw it coming a long time ago, and kept raising internet pricing. It's hard to find for $50 a month, and most are $80. A lot of people pay more for higher speeds they probably don't need.

The result is the same gross revenue as cable used to get before there was a high internet demand, plus no fees to program providers. Ka-ching. A big win for them.

We have many more options for things to view, but between the cost of the base internet and the various streaming services, we are paying more than we used to.

OTA will have a short day in the sun, but it's still expensive to throw a 30 or 40 mile radius of coverage to deliver a few channels. It's not a healthy industry.

[Taco]

Not really surprising in today's economic climate. Not only are there alternatives such as streaming, but also I'm sure people are cutting the cord to make ends meet.

[high fidelity]

I like cable since I enjoy having lots of channels available, on demand shows, DVR, and my provider (Comcast), throws in some extra apps like Peacock, Tubi, games, and Pluto TV. But, it is expensive.

[organman95]

Isn't worth it. For the amount of channels one actually watches, it isn't worth it. And with all the streaming services, you might as well pay the $70 for internet only.

[TC Talks]

I left cable in 2007. I occasionally catch it while staying at a hotel, it looks like I made a great decision.

[Realist]

I watch way too much Detroit sports (primarily the Tigers, occasionally the Wings) to ever cancel DirecTV

[tmurphy90]

Streaming has become more fragmented, and people are getting more frustrated with seeing their favorite content removed from respective platforms.

People want the convenience of having what they need in one place. I wouldn't be surprised if cable subscriber numbers start to tick upward in the next couple years.

What I don't understand is why people subscribe to multiple services at a time. They're wasting as much money as they did on cable. Why not sub to one service for a month, watch what you want there, then pause and sub to another servce the next month?