In late 2003, my wife and I moved from a one bedroom apartment into a four bedroom house drastically changing our monthly housing expenses. By early 2004, we realized we were going to need to make some changes in our budget. We decided the cable bill was going to have to go.
Your story may be similar, but more likely, it’s totally different. Whatever your story, I’m happy you’re here to see if cutting the cord is right for you.
When I switched to Over The Air (OTA) and Internet TV it was VERY unusual. The TV stations had another five years before they were required to broadcast Digital Television (DTV). The Apple TV was a distant glimmer in Steve Jobs eye. Microsoft hadn’t launched the Xbox 360 and Netflix was a DVD by mail service who wouldn’t begin streaming content online for another three years.
We’ve come a long way since then! Today it’s easier than ever to make the switch. Yet, it’s still not for everyone. The goal of this post is to help you determine if it’s right for you.
There are two big categories of content that are well worth paying the cable/satellite provider for. If you’re a lover of either of these categories your monthly fees are a small price to pay for the immense value you receive.
Live Sports
Your options for live sports are slim with OTA TV. If you’re addicted to Sports Center, then OTA isn’t a good choice for you. If seeing every play of every game is crucial, keep paying for cable. It’s what you want to do. You’re getting immense value out of what you’re paying for. Don’t stop.
That said, make sure you’re actually utilizing that value before you decided OTA isn’t for you. Many people have a passion and desire to watch a lot of sports, but don’t actually have the time to commit to it.
The best way to explain what I mean is by way of a story. I was talking to my friend who was considering cutting the cord. He wanted to know if he could get Sunday Ticket without satellite. I told him no and asked him how many games he watched last year. “Two” he replied sheepishly. I asked which games he watched. They were both local team games that are broadcast by the local network affiliate (meaning he could have watched them OTA). He’d spent over $700 for a year’s worth of satellite, plus an additional $240-$330 for Sunday Ticket, nearly $1000 total, to watch two local games. After that conversation he asked me when I could help him install an outdoor antenna.
Are you an MLB fan? Is your favorite team out of market (not local)? Then MLB.TV has great options for you. You can get an MLB.TV package that will stream every one of your team’s games for less than the cost of two months of a basic satellite/cable package.
24 Hour News
Can’t live without CNN, Fox News, or MSNBC? You’ll want to keep cable/satellite. If 24 hours of non-stop news is your idea of utopia the value from cable/satellite is worth it.
While OTA programming generally doesn’t offer 24 hour news options, the internet is starting to offer options that might be an alternative. Roku, for example, now has SkyNews, WSJLive, and HuffPost Live, that provide streaming 24 hour news. They also have several popular channels that offer clips of top stories from outlets like Fox News, BlazeTV, CBS, and CNBC. Consider if the internet based alternatives are viable before diving in.
What’s Next?
Since you’re still with me I’ll assume the lack of live sports and 24 hour news isn’t a deal breaker. The next step is to consider what you DO watch. Most people have shows that they enjoy regularly. According to TVGuide.com during the 2012-2013 TV season 22 of the top 25 shows were available free on OTA TV.
The statistics imply the majority of your favorite shows will be available for free OTA, but just to be sure here’s a quiz you can use to determine if you can get your favorite shows easily.
Compatibility Quiz
I’ve designed a compatibility quiz to help you determine if cutting the cord is right for you. Here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Make a list of your favorite shows.
- Score each of your favorite shows using the quiz questions below.
- Add up your score to see if cutting the cord is right for you.
Score yourself: Is this show available on…
- a major Network (CBS,ABC,NBC,FOX, PBS)? : 1 point
- Hulu Plus? : 1.5 points
- Netflix*? : 2 points
- Amazon Prime*? : 2 points
- Amazon Instant Video? : 3 points
- Apple iTunes store? : 3 points
- a smartphone app from the show/network? : 4.5 points
- the show/network website? : 6 points
- I’ll be ok missing out on this show until it comes to one of the services above : 1.5 points
- My show is only available on cable/satellite and I’m not willing to compromise seeing it immediately : 100 points
*All seasons may not be available. New episodes/seasons may take considerable time to be added. These services are better suited for “binge watching”, many find it’s preferable to wait for the entire season/series to be available and then consume them all in massive chunks.
The list is ordered from easiest to watch on your TV to most difficult. The lower down the list you go the more work, complexity, and cost is required to get the show on your TV.
Add up the total score for all your shows and divide by the number of shows on your list to get your base score.
If you’re sad that you’ll be losing ESPN and some live sports add 2.5 to your base score.
If you scored 0-3 you’re a GREAT candidate to cut the cord! Go buy yourself an antenna and treat yourself to a nice dinner out. You’re going to be saving lots of cash soon. Need help getting started? Check out our Weekenders Guide to Cutting the Cord.
If you scored 3-5 you’re a GOOD candidate to cut the cord. It will take a greater investment of time, money, and convenience, but you’ll come out ahead in the long run and should be satisfied with your decision. Check out our Weekenders Guide to Cutting the Cord.
If you scored 6 or more you should probably stay with your cable/satellite provider.