The Average Cable Bill = $147. What About Yours?

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Here’s how the costs break down for cable TV subscribers, per the survey:

• 19.4% pay over $200 a month
• 24.7% pay $151 to $200
• 30.5% pay $101 to $150
• 12.3% pay $69 to $100
• 2.5% pay $50 to $69

These numbers reflect a reality where base subscription rates are just the start. Comcast, for instance, has moved RSNs—once standard in mid-tier plans—to its priciest packages, tacking on RSN fees (often $19 or more monthly), broadcast TV fees ($25 or more a month), device rental charges, and taxes that can balloon bills by 24%, per Consumer Reports.

The survey aligns with broader trends as a recent research study says the average cost of cable TV is now $147 a month just for TV with some customers paying way more. This price has driven many to consider cheaper streaming options. With cord cutters, averaging $70 or less for internet plus streaming services many see savings. Yet, for cable holdouts, the cost creep—echoed in Comcast’s 2025 fee hikes—suggests a tipping point. .

Nearly 20% of Cable TV Customers Now Pay Over $200 Monthly, Survey Reveals | Cord Cutters News

A striking new survey from Cord Cutters News shows that nearly one in five cable TV subscribers—19.4%—are now shelling out over $200 a month for their service, a figure that underscores the escalating costs driving viewers to ditch traditional TV. Conducted among over 1,900 readers, the poll...

cordcuttersnews.com

*Changed the high number to eliminate overlap. Otherwise the ranges are the same as reported above.

 

[ClarindaA's]

I pay 85 for YouTube and my kid and I split Netflix.

 

[poophawk]

over 250 w dish and streamers, too much for stuff I might watch and never do

 

[bagdropper]

$44

Split YTTV with my brother.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

While it doesn't feel that long ago, I probably cut the cord around 10 years ago.

I had been doing my best to keep the bill under $100. Then under $110. Then under $120. When the best all the customer retention tricks got me was $132, that was it.

The big surprise when I finally cut the cord was that the cost of internet went way up. Yeah, they say it's $39/mo on your cable bill, but when you drop the TV part it jumps up. So you don't save as much as you think you will.

 

[hydro2.0]

I pay for Netflix, Disney and peacock and MLB package

I receive YouTube tv, nfl redzone and peacock from others

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

over 250 w dish and streamers, too much for stuff I might watch and never do

I'm the only cord cutter among my friends. But your comment about streamers raises a good point. Most of my cable friends also pay for several streaming services. Because that's where most of the best shows are.

If you don't care about the cost, by all means have cable AND all the streamers you want. But in my experience, you get more value with streamers alone than with cable alone. And it's very rare that my cable friends tell me about a must-watch show on cable. I can't remember the last time.

 

[stanzithemanzi12]

$88, YTTV.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

I receive YouTube tv, nfl redzone and peacock from others

Sweet.

I get Paramount+ with my Walmart+ subscription, and I get Peacock from Xfinity because that who provides my internet. Unfortunately, both of those "free" services are the ad-supported tier, so I don't use them that much. They have plenty of good content, but I hate ads.

 

[ZachJump]

Sweet.

I get Paramount+ with my Walmart+ subscription, and I get Peacock from Xfinity because that who provides my internet. Unfortunately, both of those "free" services are the ad-supported tier, so I don't use them that much. They have plenty of good content, but I hate ads.

It’s like 50 a year to update Paramount

 

[NDallasRuss]

$88/mo for YTTV. $11.58/mo for Prime. Hulu/Disney+/ESPN+ included w my cell phone plan.

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

It’s like 50 a year to update Paramount

I looked for a way to do that and didn't see it. Can you point me to it?

Xfinity used to let you upgrade Peacock to the ad-free version for $5/mo. I did that a couple of times for the Olympics, but then they stopped doing that.

 

[Moral]

When I say "I don't have that channel" what I mean is I don't have any channels.

 

[ZachJump]

I looked for a way to do that and didn't see it. Can you point me to it?

Xfinity used to let you upgrade Peacock to the ad-free version for $5/mo. I did that a couple of times for the Olympics, but then they stopped doing that.

Robot or human?

Funny…that’s the way the link shows up. Still takes you to the instructions if you click it

 

[beanerhawk]

You Tube like $100?
Netflix $30 I think
Peacock $12
Prime not sure what that costs
Apple $25 maybe?
ESPN+ is like $18
oh yeah Max is in there also, forgot about that.

I don't really know to be honest.

 

[h-hawk]

Went from Directv satellite to Directv streaming to save about $50 a month. Think satellite was slightly better in picture and sound but streaming is very good.

 

[IowaHawkIT]

We have YouTubeTV and Netflix, so I think right at $100/month. Once our youngest goes to college this fall, we'll probably drop YTV and just bounce between streaming platforms.

 

[ping72]

If you are not including streaming services, zero dollars.

 

[OrlandNole]

I don't have cable, but if you combine all the streaming services, Hulu Live, ESPN, Disney, HBO, Netflix, Apple TV, we're at about $170 per month.

 

[noleclone2]

Mine depends if I have YouTube TV toggled on for football season. Right now it is about 65 with Disney Hulu ESPN bundle, Netflix, Apple and Paramount. I don’t count Prime because to me we pay that for free shipping. Come football season it will jump 85-90 for live TV. I have no use for live TV without football and now that I have zero time for cable news.

 

[hawkeyeandy]

I cut the cord seven years ago, but I pay about $40 monthly on streaming services.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Ours is like 350 a month with cable and internet

 

[ClarindaA's]

I cut the cord seven years ago, but I pay about $40 monthly on streaming services.

which ones

 

[Obviously Oblivious]

I honestly don't know, but I think we're likely in that $100-$150 range. We have tons of streaming services although we dropped Disney+ recently and several of our available streaming services are shared with family members who are picking up some of those fees.

 

[BioHawk]

That's tough to answer. Do you include streaming services with that? The cost of internet?

It's about $100 for Fubo and Netflix, but I also subscribe to several other streaming services so where' probably at about $150 when you include those. Then it's $100 for internet but I would be paying that for internet with or without the TV packages so I'm not sure it's fair to count that as part of the expense.

 

[3boysmom]

I pay the $83 or whatever for YouTube TV. We have Prime but I have that for my Amazon habit, not TV. TV is just a bonus. We use our son's Hulu and a friend's Netflix when we visit her. I personally would be just fine with You Tube TV but I spend more time on Hawkeye Bacon than I do watching TV.

 

[BelemNole]

Have YTTV that I share with my parents and kids. Have most the streaming services but disney/espn/hulu bundle isn't that much. Would drop netflix but wife and daughter would riot.

 

[beanerhawk]

Ours is like 350 a month with cable and internet

Internet is a whole different ballgame. Ours is $150.

 

[Tenacious E]

Here’s how the costs break down for cable TV subscribers, per the survey:

• 19.4% pay over $200 a month
• 24.7% pay $151 to $200
• 30.5% pay $101 to $150
• 12.3% pay $69 to $100
• 2.5% pay $50 to $69

These numbers reflect a reality where base subscription rates are just the start. Comcast, for instance, has moved RSNs—once standard in mid-tier plans—to its priciest packages, tacking on RSN fees (often $19 or more monthly), broadcast TV fees ($25 or more a month), device rental charges, and taxes that can balloon bills by 24%, per Consumer Reports.

The survey aligns with broader trends as a recent research study says the average cost of cable TV is now $147 a month just for TV with some customers paying way more. This price has driven many to consider cheaper streaming options. With cord cutters, averaging $70 or less for internet plus streaming services many see savings. Yet, for cable holdouts, the cost creep—echoed in Comcast’s 2025 fee hikes—suggests a tipping point. .

Nearly 20% of Cable TV Customers Now Pay Over $200 Monthly, Survey Reveals | Cord Cutters News

A striking new survey from Cord Cutters News shows that nearly one in five cable TV subscribers—19.4%—are now shelling out over $200 a month for their service, a figure that underscores the escalating costs driving viewers to ditch traditional TV. Conducted among over 1,900 readers, the poll...

cordcuttersnews.com

*Changed the high number to eliminate overlap. Otherwise the ranges are the same as reported above.

For the question asked, less than $100 for YTTV with the 4K package. If we are talking for all services, I don't even know. Probably more than $200. We have:

• YTTV
• Prime
• Netflix
• Hulu (the not the cable equivalent but the one with no ads)
• Peacock
• Disney
• Discovery+
• Big Ten + or whatever it is to watch games

 

[Obviously Oblivious]

I pay the $83 or whatever for YouTube TV. We have Prime but I have that for my Amazon habit, not TV. TV is just a bonus. We use our son's Hulu and a friend's Netflix when we visit her. I personally would be just fine with You Tube TV but I spend more time on Hawkeye Bacon than I do watching TV.

Oh that Amazon habit is for real and nearly impossible to break away from. I feel you!

Tell me more about that Hawkeye Bacon!😆

 

[Rifler]

Need to define what we're talking about,.. Cable TV, internet service, and streaming channels are all in play.

 

[luvmyhawks]

Ours is like 350 a month with cable and internet

Glad I’m not the only one. I probably need to shop around but I’m lazy and can watch what I want when I want.

 

[fredjr82]

I think it was around $150-$175 when I finally just sent everything back to DirecTV. Ran with Netflix and the short lived PlayStation TV. Finally just went Netflix but have added Hulu, Prime, YouTube TV, YouTube Premium, etc.

Seems like I get a monthly email prices are going up for those services. At this point I probably pay more for everything than I did for DirecTV but it's "convenient"

 

[bhawk24bob]

$3/month peacock subscription on some kind of 12 month deal and $3/month subscription for the guide for my digital converter so I can record over the air tv.

That's it, the orioles give me the mlb package and everything else is over the air. You don't want to make it free and over the air? I won't watch it

 

[QChawks]

I've never really added it up before, these are the app's that get used the most at our house:

$85 YouTube TV w/ HD
$18 Disney/Hulu/ESPN+
$3 Peacock
$0 Marquee Sports {Shared login}
$0 Amazon Prime
$0 Sports Fire App
----------------------
$106 per month

 

[What Would Jesus Do?]

Robot or human?

Funny…that’s the way the link shows up. Still takes you to the instructions if you click it

Thanks. Pulled the trigger.

 

[WolfeHawk]

I pay $150 for tv and probably about $85 for internet. TV plan is pretty bare bones not much for premiums but most of the sports channels and History, etc..
I have Max and Netflix through Verizon for a little extra, caught a sale for half off Walmart plus membership which includes Paramount Plus, I need to watch for the renewal on that, could probably cut it until I need it for FB or BB.
Peacock plus at like half off for the year or something like that, which I could also cut when I need to.
I look for opportune times to catch the streaming channels on sale.

 

[jonesy5960]

People still use cable?

 

[hawkeyeandy]

which ones

Netflix premium and Prime

 

[Rifler]

All in ours looks something like:

$175 - Cable TV
$80 - Internet
$25 - Netflix
$10 - Hulu
$0 - Prime

So call it $300 a month...