Every day you read that more people have cut the cord; they’re getting rid of their satellite or cable TV service, watching their favorite programming their Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime. Or, they’re getting the programming through the traditional broadcast channels. Sport networks have looked for ways to stop people from doing this. However, more people are still saying “adios” to their satellite and cable providers.
A study from TiVo’s owned Digitalsmiths, found 8.2 percent of people who responded have totally cut themselves off from satellite or cable service. That’s an increase of 1.3 percent from the year before. The study also found that about five percent will cut their pay-TV services and three percent will switch to a rental or online app service within the next six months.
For people who have kept Dish or DirecTV, nearly half plan to reduce the number of channels they get known as cord shaving. These folks said they spend more time streaming services and would go with smaller packages that could include premium channels.
Digitalsmiths found more people are cutting the cord because of the high costs associated with satellite and cable TV. Along with that, they say it’s because of bad channels and customer service that’s driving many of them away.
ESPN is currently looking beyond the TV experience, talking with providers and services that don’t need a cable subscription. In January, it got on the Sling TV bandwagon, a service that Dish Network offers to cord cutters.
Will this move work? That’s still to be determined, but the sheer amount of people cutting the cord should be discerning to satellite and cable providers. It should make them find ways in which to stop and reverse the flow of cancelled subscription. Skinny packages or a la carte packages could potentially work. ESPN is debating about taking legal action against Verizon to quit its presence in company’s reduced bundle.
Sports networks are looking to keep the tide of people throwing out their pay-TV services or reducing their services down. As it stands, people are using their wallets to make the decision and many of them are cord cutting.
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