66 KIPLINGER’S PERSONAL FINANCE^ 09/2017
LIVING
In 2015, Sling TV cracked open the
market for live TV over the internet,
offering an online streaming package
of several channels, including ESPN,
traditionally found only if you sub-
scribed to cable or a satellite TV
service. Since then, the movement to
sever the tether has snowballed. The
media companies that create and own
programming have been following the
crowd by participating in live TV over
the internet and releasing content to
internet video services, says Craig
Moffett, founder and senior research
analyst at telecommunications re-
search firm MoffettNathanson.
That has cannibalized the more
lucrative business of selling program-
ming to traditional cable and satellite
operators—and customer losses among
traditional providers have mounted,
says Moffett. In the first quarter of
2017, providers of cable, satellite andtelecom lost 762,000 subscribers,
compared with a 141,000 drop a year
earlier, according to MoffettNathan-
son. Meanwhile, Sling TV and Di-
recTV Now (both internet-delivered
services) gained a total of 305,000
customers between them.
With the exception of some regional
holes in broadcast and sports program-
ming, you can now watch virtually
all the live programming you desire
with online services. Hulu With Live
TV offers more than 50 channels, in-cluding cable programming as well as
broadcast networks ABC, CBS, Fox
and NBC. YouTube TV, currently
available in a handful of cities, serves
up 48 channels, including the four
broadcast networks plus add-on net-
works for an extra fee. DirecTV Nowprovides a range of live TV packages,
and Sling TV has expanded to include
a variety of packages and add-ons.
The streaming-TV landscape has
also improved for sports fans. All the
live TV services mentioned above
include ESPN in their basic packages,
and they often feature other sports
channels, such as CBS Sports Net-
work, ESPN2 and Fox Sports. FuboTV,
a streaming service that focuses mostly
on sports, hosts live programming
including some MLB, NBA, NHL
and PGA coverage. This fall, Amazon
Prime will stream 10 Thursday-night
NFL games for its customers.TAKE THE PLUNGE?
For many viewers, cutting the cord
will save money. The average house-
hold spends $103 a month on paid TV
(mostly traditional services), accord-
ing to Leichtman Research Group.
Cable and satellite customers may be
locked into a contract, saddled with
nuisance a la carte fees, and see their
bills spike after the introductory pro-
motional rate expires. By contrast, the
major online streaming services don’t
require a contract, and you don’t have
to pay ongoing fees for set-top boxes
or other equipment (unless you rent
a modem from your internet provider).
Your TV bill may well be less than $100
a month, even if you cobble together
two or three streaming services.
Although the main advantage of
ditching your cable service is cost sav-
ings, there’s the added incentive that
you can design a personalized viewing
package and eliminate channels you’d
never watch. Start by making a list of
networks or programs you must have,
says Chris Brantner, founder of Cut
Cable Today, a website for cord cut-
ters. Then look for services that match
your needs, and try them on for size
with a free trial. (For sample packages
based on the type of programming you
prefer, see the box on page 69.)
You don’t always need access to
a live TV channel to enjoy its shows.
If you don’t mind waiting a day after a
show airs, you may be able to purchaseKipTipRecord Live TV
Many live-TV streaming services now
come with DVR capability. If you want
to record over-the-air programming
from your antenna, Tablo and TiVo sell
DVR boxes that can do the job.
Tablo offers three models (recently
from $190 to $245 at Best Buy), with
varying storage capacities and the
ability to record two or four channels
at once. To access the Tablo program-
ming guide,
you must pay
a fee of $5
monthly, $50
yearly or $150
for a lifetime
subscription.
Because Tablo
connects to
your home
Wi-Fi network
rather than
directly to a
TV, you can use
Tablo to watch
programs or
recordings
on internet-
connected devices throughout your
home, including certain smart TVs and
Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire boxes.
The TiVo Roamio OTA 1TB DVR runs
a steep $400, but it includes a lifetime
subscription to get full functionality,
including access to the program guide
(previous models required a monthly
fee). You can record four shows at once
with the box, and you can also stream
Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix and a few
other services to your TV.
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