Thinking about Cutting the Chord to save money on Cable TV? You are in the right place!
People’s viewing habits are evolving. Netflix is becoming more popular than cable TV, and there are a slew of alternatives to live TV on the horizon. Paying an arm and a leg for cable TV is no longer necessary! This guide will assist you in exploring some feasible cable alternatives if you’re thinking about cutting the cord.
How Much Money Can I Save?
Of course, how much you can save with cable TV alternatives is determined by how much you’ve been paying for cable. To put it another way, cutting the cord can save you a lot of money!
According to research from Leichtman Research Group, the average cable bill was $107 per month back in 2019 – so it’s likely even higher than that now! $107 per month works out to $1284 per year just for cable TV, with many people paying far more than that.
Let’s see how that stacks up against cable TV choices. The cost of these services varies, but it normally ranges from $25 to $50 each month. It all depends on the bundle you select and the number of services you subscribe to. However, the vast majority of people will be able to locate a fantastic bundle for them around the $40-$50 per month bracket. Using those figures, the annual cost would be $480-$600, saving you roughly $800 over cable TV!
To put it another way, you should anticipate to save about half of your cable TV bill! You’ll also have more freedom, as you’ll be able to cancel or change your subscription at any moment. You can save even more money if you’re prepared to forego sports networks. Sling TV, for example, is only $30 per month for a large number of popular channels – a considerable discount over cable! It’s not bad…
Let’s go into the details now!
Cutting the Cord: How to Get Rid of Cable
Depending on your cable company and whether or not you’re under contract, the easiest approach to actually cancel your cable service will vary. We recommend contacting your cable company to find out how to terminate your service.
Of all, cutting the cord is just half the battle: you’ll still want to watch your shows, read the news, and watch sports, right? The good news is that there are numerous cable television alternatives available.
You’ll need to locate a suitable cable TV replacement to get rid of cable while still having access to your favorite television (or two). Live streaming services and on-demand services such as Netflix are the two main forms of cable alternatives. The latter aren’t true cable alternatives because they don’t allow you to watch live television. We’ll start with some of our favorite live TV streaming options that make cutting the cord a breeze!
Watch Live TV and Sports on a Budget with Sling TV
Editor’s note: Right now, Sling TV is offering 40% off the first month. That means you can stream live for only $15! Try it free here.
At a Glance: 23-40+ channels for $30 per month, with tons of add-ons to expand your selection. Works on most devices, does not require a contract. 7-day free trial.
Sling TV is a budget-friendly live streaming platform that makes it easy to keep up with your favorite shows, news, and live sports, without spending a fortune. It’s one of the cheaper services, with plans starting from $30/mo (with no contract). Sling also offers many customization options, with tons of channel add-on packages for $5/mo extra, that add on 5-10+ channels each.
Sling also has some on-demand content, but it’s nowhere near as comprehensive as Hulu with Live TV. Many people pair a service like Sling TV with Netflix or Amazon Prime, to get both live and on-demand entertainment.
There’s a free 3-day trial to test things out – click here to sign up!
Watch Live TV + On Demand Entertainment with Hulu Live
At a Glance: 50+ channels to watch live, as well as a huge on-demand library. Costs $40 per month, with no contract. Works on almost any device. Free 7-day trial.
Hulu with Live TV is a popular cable TV alternative that costs just $55 per month. For that cost, you get live access to over 50 great TV channels, ranging from sports (ESPN, FS1 and more) to locals (NBC, FOX, and more) to entertainment (FOX News, CNN and more) to entertainment (TNT, TBS, FX and more). You also get access to a huge on-demand library which offers TV shows, movies and much more!
This service is a great choice because it offers the best of both worlds: live TV from many of the most popular channels out there, and on-demand entertainment from a huge library that rivals even Netflix. Hulu is a great way to watch football and other sports, keep up with the latest news, and binge your favorite TV shows!
Hulu with Live TV offers a FREE 7-day trial – click here to try it out!
Watch Live Entertainment Channels Cheaply with Philo
At a Glance: 40+ channels for just $20/month. NO sports channels, and few news channels – mostly good for entertainment networks. Works on many devices, no contract. Free 7-day trial
Philo is an ultra-affordable new streaming service that offers live TV entertainment for as little as $16 per month! That’s a pretty insane difference from the average cable bill of $107 – how do they do it so cheap?
The main aspect of Philo’s low price is that they don’t carry any sports channels. Sports networks are notoriously expensive to offer, so Philo just skips them altogether, aiming to serve the community of people who don’t care about live sports.
Beyond the lack of sports networks, Philo’s selection is quite impressive. Channels like HGTV, AMC, TBS, Food Network, A&E and many more round out the channel selection and provide tons of entertainment!
There’s also a free 7-day trial you can try – click here to start your trial!
Other Live Streaming Options
Beyond the services we’ve mentioned here, there are a couple others worth considering:
fuboTV offers 100+ channels (mostly sports) for $65/mo. Free 7-day trial
YouTube TV offers 75+ channels for $65/mo. Free 7-day trial
On-Demand Entertainment Options
If you are willing to give up live TV and settle for on-demand only, these services can save you even more money! Some good on-demand cable alternatives for cutting the cord include:
Amazon Prime – $12.99/mo or $119 per year – offers a huge on-demand library of hit TV shows, movies, and Amazon Originals. Also comes with tons of perks, like free 2-day shipping on Amazon.com. Free 30-day trial
Netflix – $8.99-$15.99/mo depending on options. Offers a massive on-demand library of TV shows, movies, documentaries, and Netflix Originals. Netflix is the leader in the on-demand streaming industry. Free 30-day trial
So, as you can see, there are a number of different options for cutting the cord. For most readers, we recommend a simple route, like signing up for Hulu with Live TV. That will cover both live and on-demand entertainment, for just $40 a month. And with no contract, you’re free to cancel at any time if you end up not liking it. Click here to try Hulu with Live TV FREE for 7 days!
