- Cord-cutting in cable could be turning around. A growing number of people who had abandoned cable subscriptions are changing their mind. Costs and reliability are the two most cited reasons.
Roughly 15 years ago, a movement began to take shape as people got fed up with the ever-escalating cost of their cable subscriptions. Cord-cutters began to drop their subscriptions to Comcast, Time Warner, and other providers. But as so many things do, that trend is starting to reverse itself.
As the cost of cable alternatives begins to hit new heights—and streaming services move from a customer acquisition model to a profit-focused one—a growing number of people are rethinking their divorce from cable operators.
A new study from Coupon Cabin finds 22% of the people who cut the cord have changed their minds and returned to a cable subscription. Another 6% are considering making the switch back in the near term.
Cost isn’t the only reason for the second-guessing. Cable service isn’t reliant on an internet connection, meaning it can be more reliable and isn’t subject to slowdowns that impact picture quality. It’s also a reliable way to watch live sports, which has become a key differentiator for broadcasters (and one which streaming services are quickly trying to buy rights for).
In 2013, the study reports, some 81% of U.S. Homes had a cable subscription. Today that number is down to 37%. A lot of that cord-cutting took place during the pandemic. An estimated 6.6 million households dropped their cable subscriptions in 2020.
Cord-cutting hasn’t had as harsh an impact on cable TV providers as some expected, though. That’s because most cable giants are also among the top providers of broadband home internet service. Growth rates for that service has begun to slow as well.