Cable TV Subscribers Have Fallen to 1980s Levels

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https://cordcuttersnews.com/cable-tv...-1980s-levels/

By

Kayla Wassell

on

June 4, 2023

Linear cable television audience numbers are falling fast as more people cut the cord. Estimates show that by 2025, 72 percent of Americans will have severed ties with cable TV, either to rid themselves of live television entirely or to switch to streaming platforms.

Back in the 1970s, only eight percent of U.S. homes had basic cable and the most popular networks were ABC, CBS, and NBC, which attracted over 90 percent of audiences.

That number climbed to 23 percent by 1980 and doubled within a few short years. By the end of the 80s, the number of cable users increased to 60 percent and held strong through the 90s, half of which had some type of premium channels included in their contracts. Different channel options branched out into a variety of niches, such as ESPN for sports, CNN for news, HBO and Showtime for film enthusiasts, Lifetime for women-centric programming, MTV for music lovers, and Nickelodeon for the kiddos, to name a few.

Now, reports from Coach Potato show that approximately 53 percent of all U.S. households don’t utilize cable, satellite, or a telco TV access provider. In 2022, 7.37 million subscribers bounced from cable, an 11 percent decrease. This brings cable television subscriber numbers down to before the heyday of 80’s cable programming.

The Coach Potato report estimates that an additional 14 percent of cable subscribers will become cord cutters this year. By 2025, the report estimates a 16 percent loss. If Coach Potato is correct, and all signs point to yes, by 2025 70 percent of all TV subscribers in the U.S. will cut the cord. Numbers this low haven’t been seen by cable providers since the early 1980s and could go down to the low numbers reported back in the 1970s.

Cable providers had their time to shine but it appears streaming platforms are taking it from here. What do you think? Will you be one of the cord cutters or have you already made the switch? And, if not, why?

[Merry24]

Yes, I already cut but where we live we are required to have cable but we don’t use it except for maybe during the Holiday season for Holiday episodes.

In the 80’s cable gave every channel an identity and stuck with it. Was creative with it and made fun commercials with jingles. Today they just air 1 or 2 shows binge them and the commercials are depressing and not very entertaining.

[Steve_uk]

Working people have less free time available, the programmes are inferior in quality to decades ago, disposable incomes are lower.

[Merry24]

Where I live it’s in the rent and internet & cable are required. Yes, It stinks!

[Duster76]

The root of all evil with respect to the cordcutter revolution and the demise of cable can be traced to one thing, sports programming. Live sports, specifically the NFL, MLB, NBA and the NHL destroyed basic cable driving the price to a point where up to 40% of the bill relates to sports. ESPN alone charges $10 a subscriber. Four monopolies that can't steal enough, they always want more, and no consumer group, no politician, no legislative body ever addresses this problem. The technology is in place, live events could be blocked and subscribers who are not interested in subsidizing these monopolies could be given a fair price for entertainment/news programming that might revive cable.

It's unconscionable, all live sports should be placed on separate platforms with the consumer making the choice of what they want to buy.

The leagues watched as cordcutters ran to the streaming product escaping their claws, but guess what here they come again. Slowly but surely their is the Thursday night NFL package on Amazon, a Friday night MLB package on Apple, Peacock has a Sunday morning baseball package and an NFL playoff game.

[Dude111]

Originally Posted by Steve_uk

Working people have less free time available, the programmes are inferior in quality to decades ago, disposable incomes are lower.

Especially the picture!!!

This flat digital trash is utterly a disgrace to all good analogue shows!!!!!