The way people watch TV is changing. Services like Netflix are becoming more popular than cable TV, and even for live TV, alternatives are popping up left and right. It’s no longer necessary to pay an arm and a leg for cable TV! If you’re thinking about cutting the cord, this guide will help you explore some viable cable alternatives.
How Much Money Can I Save?
The amount you can save with cable TV alternatives of course depends on how much you’ve been paying for cable. But put simply, cutting the cord can save you a significant amount 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.
Now, let’s compare that to cable TV alternatives. Prices for these services vary, usually from about $25 to $50+ per month. It certainly depends on which package you choose, and how many services you subscribe to. But, the bulk of people will be able to find a great package for them in the range of $40-$50 per month. Using those numbers, the annual cost would be $480-$600 per year, saving you around $800 per year over cable TV!
In other words, you can expect to save roughly 50% of your cable TV bill! Plus, you’ll enjoy more flexibility, with the freedom to cancel or change your subscription at any time. If you’re willing to ditch sports channels, you can save even more. Sling TV, for example, costs just $30 a month for many popular channels – a huge savings compared to cable! Not too bad…
Now, let’s get into the specifics!
Cutting the Cord: How to Get Rid of Cable
The best way to actually cancel your cable subscription will depend on your cable provider, and whether or not you’re under contract. We recommend contacting your cable provider to see how the cancellation process works.
Of course, actually cutting the cord is only half the battle: you probably still want access to your shows, news, and sports – right? The good news is that there are plenty of cable TV alternatives you can use.
To get rid of cable and still have access to your favorite programming, you’ll need to find a good cable TV alternative (or two). There are basically two different types of cable alternatives: live streaming services, and on-demand services like Netflix. The latter aren’t really true alternatives to cable, as they don’t let you watch live TV. We’ll first cover some of our favorite live TV streaming services that make it easy to cut the cord!
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!
