Over recent years, the world of TV has been revolutionized. American citizens are changing the way they watch television shows.

In a survey conducted by GfK in 2016, 25% of US homes do not subscribe to a pay-TV service. 

These homes are subscribing to streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime. Many families are conflicted about which side to chose. When you look at the facts, the choice is easier than ever.

There is no denying that the cable bill is significantly more expensive than streaming company bills. According to NBC news, the average cost  of cable is around $99 per month; a streaming subscription such as Netflix costs $8 per month.

Now more than ever, people are looking for opportunities to save money. If a family cuts cable and relies on Netflix, they would save more than $1,000 per year.

Besides affordability, another main benefit of streaming is easy access. Viewers can watch and re-watch episodes whenever they would like. They can make TV fit their schedule instead of making free time to watch scheduled cable shows. 

Although the same effect is achievable through a DVR, you no longer need to worry about limited space or shows overlapping while recording.

This form of watching is very convenient. You can watch from any device; all you need is your login. With cable, your options to watch TV are limited to specific spaces and requirements,

To draw in more viewers, these streaming companies came up with a brilliant marketing strategy. They created their own TV series only available through subscription to their service. These original shows quickly became popular. The high quality writing and acting led to many critically acclaimed shows. This brought much more press and attention to streaming services.

A well known example is Orange is the New Black, a show released by Netflix in 2013. This show has been nominated for seven Emmys, six Golden Globe Awards, six Writers Guide of America Awards, two Producer Guide of America Awards, an American Film Institute Award, and a Peabody Award.

There are many other original series that have become popular. Netflix also released original series such as Stranger Things, Sense8, and Daredevil. Hulu is known for their series The Path and Casual. Amazon’s original series include Hand of God, Alpha House, and Betas.

When these companies began offering original content, their services were more than rebroadcasting. This drew in more viewers and increased their business.

One thing not available through streaming is live sports. This is a deal breaker for many sports fans considering dropping cable. Not only sports, but there are a variety channels available through cable that are not on streaming sites.

Many families have a bundling service of internet and phone. This complicates their decision because they lose multiple services if they drop cable.

Making the switch to streaming saves money and provides viewers with high quality television. Before making a decision, be sure to research your options and decide what choice best fits your preferences.

Which do you prefer, cable or streaming? Let us know by answering our poll.