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Cord cutters continue to spend more money, apparently on a yearly basis, on the ever-increasing price of streaming services. And they must be wondering “Isn’t that why I left the cable?” Especially when two of the most popular options – Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV – saw their prices go up in 2020, and they are now both at $ 65 per month.
And when I saw the news, I wanted to complain about how that should make people come back to cable. But then I checked my cable bill and found out it wasn’t.
Cutting the cord becomes more expensive
But before we get to that, let’s break down the price hikes that cord cutters have faced, as this year’s increases were familiar to longtime users. In 2019, the price of Hulu with Live TV increased twice: $ 40 (its original price, since 2017) to $ 45 in January and $ 45 to $ 55 in November. YouTube TV, which started at $ 35 in 2017, has grown to $ 40 per month in 2018 and $ 50 in 2019.
Sling TV, the other major player, went from $ 20 (its original 2015 price) to $ 25 in 2018, then increased the prices of the Orange and Blue tiers by an additional $ 5 per month at the end of 2019. .
And, yes, I don’t even get into the crazy price changes that AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now) went through. We don’t recommend this service, so I won’t waste any space here.
Along the way, users saw some reasons for the price increase, such as YouTube TV adding 8 Viacom channels when it raised prices by $ 15 this year. Other times, like Hulu’s recent $ 10 hike, there doesn’t seem to be a reason for the rise.
All the while, we’re hearing the same reasons: increased porting costs for broadcast networks – which YouTube TV and Hulu all have, and Sling TV only have 2 – which continues to be a reason. that people are considering buying one of the best tv antennas.
| YouTube TV | Hulu with Live TV | Spectrum TV | |
| Monthly price | $ 65 | $ 65 | $ 127.15 (fees vary by subscriber) |
| Chains | “Over 85” | “Over 60” – plus Hulu Originals | 216 |
| Simultaneous streams (or cable boxes) | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| DVR | Free and unlimited | Free for 50 hours | $ 19.99 fee, storage not specified |
But the cable TV is still too high
To be frank, none of these price hikes should be enough to get people back to traditional cable TV. And I know, because I still have cable. For reasons that don’t really matter to this conversation, I haven’t cut the cord yet, but I still see the Spectrum TV bill.
While Spectrum announces that the TV Select package (with a whopping 216 channels) starts as low as $ 44.99 per month, there is a big asterisk next to that price. So you can tell the costly caveats are coming, especially since these prices are only valid for the first year. Years after our plan started, the Spectrum TV Select plan now costs $ 73.99 per month per my bill (we bundle it with internet, not phone), and that’s before a ton of extra charges.
The TV broadcast surcharge (for expensive broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC) is $ 16.45 per month. Then there is the fact that you are renting out your set-top boxes. This price may or may not increase next year, but you’re going to have to job if you want to keep it. Sling TV? They currently have a one-year price lock-in warranty, which is more reliable.
Yes, those slow and seemingly always warm to the touch decoders, those giant horrors? Spectrum charges $ 7.99 per receiver per month for theirs. And that doesn’t include the $ 19.99 per month you pay for DVR entitlement. YouTube TV offers a free unlimited DVR, while Sling includes 10 hours of DVR for free (and charges $ 5 per month for a 50-hour cap). Hulu has 50 hours of DVR space included (and charges $ 15 per month to upgrade to 200 hours).
And, yes, that does mean you’re paying an extra $ 7.99 for simulcast if you have a second TV (we do). Hulu with Live TV is launching a second stream for free, YouTube TV offers three free streams and Sling gives you 3 with its Blue plan and only one with its Orange plan.
Then it’s $ 8.71 in taxes, fees, and charges. That’s a total of $ 53.16 on top of whatever you claim on the monthly plan – for us, it’s $ 127.15.
Outlook: Streaming services are the big winners
After doing all of this math, I have no choice but to ditch it to streaming services – and now I’m wondering how I can leave cable behind. These services were able to start at a low monthly price and grow, and because cable TV is so steep, they don’t have to worry about their customers returning to cable.
Here’s my plan to cut the cord: I’m going to do some sort of speed dating, trying out each streaming service for a little while.
Starting in the new year, I’m going to spend a month with each of the top streaming services, to see what it’s like count on their offers. Our Sling TV review, Hulu with live TV review and YouTube TV review to show that everyone is a serious competitor, but since television is so personal, I want to see how I would fare with every cable and never again. I would also give Fubo TV a chance, but I’m not a huge fan of live sports, so I’m good without its dozens of global sports channels.
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