Cable TV In 2020: $200 Per Month?

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

Here is a excerpt from a very interesting article found in the link below about the rising cost of TV service.  It's something to consider as customers demand that TV providers add new programming and channels at any cost:

If licensing fees for sports and other TV content keep rising on their current trajectory, the average pay-TV bill in the U.S. will jump to $196 by 2020 -- more than double the $86 average in 2011, according to an analysis by research firm NPG Group.

Pay TV monthly rates have grown an average of 6% annually even as household income has remained flat in recent years, NPD noted.

"As pay-TV costs rise and consumers' spending power stays flat, the traditional affiliate-fee business model for pay-TV companies appears to be unsustainable in the long term," NPD research director Keith Nissen said.

Of NPD's $196 monthly bill estimate for 2020, $110 would be for regular pay-TV service and $86 would be for premium channels. That's compared with $65 for cable TV and $21 for premiums per month in 2011, according to the firm.

By 2015, NPD projects pay-TV service to be an average of $123 per month ($82 for core service and $41 for premium channels).

http://www.multichannel.com/article/482948-Cable_TV_In_2020_200_Per_Month_.php

[Uniblurb3 ACE - Guru]

If my U-verse bill only goes up $11 in the next 8 years I'll be happier than heck!

Of course that includes internet.

[texasguy37 ACE - Champion]

LOL.  Well, the costs mentioned in the above article does not include internet.  These costs are for TV service only.

[dhascall ACE - Professor]

I could see the bills of those willing to pay it, going up over $200, if they include all premiums.  To counter that, i also see folks downgrading or adding "replacement services" such as Netflix or Hulu+ to economize.

[hpmsrm]

And to think.....we used to be perfectly happy with just one OTA channel that would broadcast a test pattern all day followed by old movies, kinescope recordings of old network sitcoms and professional wrestling shows until news time with a talking head and no visuals.  Sign off at midnight sharp with the National Anthem.

Actually, Dave, we have already cut back.  Dropped HBO and Cinemax so we're back to U400 level.  May have to trim some more before the year is out....the way things are going.

[dhascall ACE - Professor]

Understand potential cutting back, Phil - we are at the U-300 level and there are a few channels that I would hate to lose.  Not much of a Showtime or TMC watcher but we do love "Big Brother After Dark" on Sho2, lol.

[JefferMC ACE - Wizard]

My wife has been a big fan of BigBro After Dark.  Last year it was so obvious that they were playing games with it (showing time-shifted content, doing activities during that time frame per request of production, avoiding putting the camera on contestants that were somewhat scantily dressed) that they may have lost her.

Anyway, we've been getting U300 for the summer because "Soccer Mom" has more free time to watch movies and it gets her BigBroAD.

[shoe]

I went from U450 to U300 Hade to do it to save money

[dhascall ACE - Professor]

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JefferMC wrote:

My wife has been a big fan of BigBro After Dark.  Last year it was so obvious that they were playing games with it (showing time-shifted content, doing activities during that time frame per request of production, avoiding putting the camera on contestants that were somewhat scantily dressed) that they may have lost her.

Anyway, we've been getting U300 for the summer because "Soccer Mom" has more free time to watch movies and it gets her BigBroAD.

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JefferMC - it was all worth it in the end (that's what she said) when they kept doing those "That's what she said," announcements.

[spd2demun ACE - Master]

Soon it will be cheaper to drop TV (think they all have that fear, thus caps!), and just go with fastest HSI!

Anyone here who downgraded, did you have free STBs or discounts that you lost?