Anyone who has taken a good look at a monthly cable subscription bill knows it’s a ridiculous expense. Why does watching television through cable cost over a thousand dollars a year? There’s no good justification for how high prices have risen over the years. It is far more practical to look into other avenues of watching television.
The cost of a cable subscription far outpaces the rate of inflation, and the average household cost of cable currently stands at around $100 a month. That’s an expense of over a thousand dollars a year, just to maintain the use of a television. From 2006 to 2016, the inflation rate for the United States is 1.7% as of November, 2016. Back in 2005, it was more common for people to see a monthly cable subscription cost of $70. That’s more than a forty percent increase in a single decade.
This practice is unacceptable, so it’s no wonder that people are abandoning cable in great droves. Streaming service subscriptions like Netflix and Hulu are many times cheaper, but they have the flaw of being unable to provide live television. Local channels, news, and entertainment are still bound to television stations. However, people are still steadily leaving behind cable services because of the existence of HDTV antennas.
Cable does not exclusively hold access to live and scheduled television. HDTV antennas are also able to decipher broadcast signals and bring you quality television experience. Unlike cable subscriptions that will still continue to cost over a thousand dollars every year, an HDTV antenna is a one-time purchase that sets you up for free television indefinitely.
The most powerful of HDTV antennas are priced the same as a month of cable. In fact, most are significantly less. Instead of spending thousands of dollars over the years, a one-time purchase to far healthy for your finances. There’s so much more all that money can be used for. The pastime of watching television should be enjoyed for a reasonable expense, it shouldn’t require you to invest so much of your livelihood.
Additionally, there’s no sign that the increasing cost of cable is going to stop. Cable companies seem determined to keep their profits up, so they’ll keep consistently raising the subscription cost. It already requires more than a thousand a year to use your television with their services. In a few more years, it’ll cost a thousand and a half. How long will the wait be before it’s completely unaffordable? The average household income certainly doesn’t increase by the same rate.
Cord cutting and switching to streaming services and HDTV antennas is the strongest protest we can muster. It sends a message that we refuse to be held hostage by unreasonable contracts and uncompassionate business practices. When things are unacceptable, it’s time to leave.
