Cable TV was a big boost to Americans when it started getting popular in the 1970s and ‘80s. Although it came out in the 1950s, it took a while for the infrastructure to reach most people and for national cable TV networks like ESPN, HBO and Nickelodeon to be born. But it soon entrenched itself as an indispensable utility in most American homes. Now, thanks to the internet there are competing options to cable, but there are still many advantages of cable TV.
While some folks are “cutting the cord” of cable in favor of streaming videos online, there may be more benefits of cable TV than it may appear on the surface. Here are some of the benefits of cable TV, as well as some tips that may convince you to keep or add cable TV for your home.
Sports
One of the most commonly cited reasons for having cable TV is to be able to watch live sports. The internet is great for watching highlights and replays, but for live sports, there’s nothing that compares to cable TV.
It’s true that some live sports are broadcast on the internet—sometimes. Select games from the big four sports—football, baseball, basketball and hockey—can occasionally be found live online. But sports fans know that watching one game every once in a while isn’t enough, especially when you have a favorite team to follow.
While there are options to watch MLB, NFL and other games live online through those leagues’ monthly subscription services, these options do not usually show local games due to blackout agreements for certain areas. That means you can’t watch your favorite local teams even as a subscriber of their service. The only way to watch most local games live is with cable TV.
Price
On the surface, it may seem costly to have cable TV in your home, and there are plenty of shows and movies on streaming services, right? But the price of having multiple streaming services adds up quickly. At some point, subscribing to multiple streaming services may end up costing more than just one cable subscription.
There may also be options available through your cable TV provider to bundle internet and cable TV service that will end up saving you money. There is also the option of calling your cable TV provider and negotiating your rate—they don’t want to lose your business, and there may be extra services or discounts they can offer you. It certainly never hurts to ask!
Availability
Channel surfers know the joy of flipping through the options and finding a gem you didn’t even know you wanted to watch. That’s not exactly possible with streaming services. Then there’s also the fact that many platforms are trending toward offering mostly their own original content—not all of it very good—rather than the broadcast shows you know and love.
There are many reasons to keep cable TV in your home, and it may be more affordable than you think. If you want to keep cable in your home, including broadcasts from the Davenport Speedway, contact Done Right TV today.