TV Services Explode: Is Free TV Over?

So, are you enjoying a ton more TV these days? I hope so — because you’re going to be paying more for it, and soon.

Television was for many years paid for by advertising. This meant that TV was “free” -but you had to tolerate the endless interruptions of commercials aimed to turn your attention into commerce.

Today, TV is a paid offering, and the balkanization of programming means that you can’t expect to pay for one service.

Let’s take a look at one family’s TV budget. I’ll use mine as an example.

First, broadband access and WiFi, because lots of TV comes over the broadband pipe. I’ve got a good deal with Spectrum, with unlimited broadband for $60 a month. On top of that, we use the Cloud TV service to get basic cable, and Cloud DVR to be able to record and pause shows. So all in all Spectrum is $100 a month / $1,200 a year.

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Then there’s program services: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, Apple TV+, HBO, and the occasional VOD offering.

All in all, another $70 a month (though various discounts and first-year-free offerings reduce that a bunch)/$840 a year. That’s more than $2,000 a year for TV shows that used to be free.