- For the first time ever, the number of cable TV subscribers at major providers is about to dip below 40 million
I cut the cord a while ago, and just do online documentaries, public domain movies, or YouTube for video. I had netflix but even that fell by the wayside because we're working our way through a series that has over 1,500 episodes roughly (if memory serves). There is more good free stuff to watch than I will ever be able to see in my lifetime. Every single time I catch cable on on a public place or restaurant that has a TV I am so glad we don't pay for it. Once major sports franchises work out the kinks of alternate means of distribution you are really going to see the bottom fall out I think.
Like you, I don't have cable either. I haven't in over seven years. We do have netflix via our Roku box, as well as pirated HBO -which I enjoy. But, we usually just pick one series and take our time working through it. Right now we are watching LOST. -I'm not a huge fan but my wife is really in to it. But yeah, television in the old sense of the word is dying a fast death.Once major sports franchises work out the kinks of alternate means of distribution you are really going to see the bottom fall out I think.
-Without a doubt. Anything that "has" to be watched in real time is extremely valuable to television. -It's just about the only time people will drop what they're doing and tune-in without skipping the commercials. Sports are television gold these days.
We watch like you do. We started 'Dark Shadows' on Netflix not realizing how long it was. Once the Netflix episodes ran out we acquired the remaining thousand-plus episodes, cancelled our Netflix, and began working through them. My wife likes Project Runway, so we watch that on the network website via laptop plugged right into TV. Between that and say, documentaryheaven.com, that's more TV than I'm even comfortable watching so it's all good.