I don’t care how expensive streaming is, I’m not going back to cable

• What’s the appeal of cable in the age of streaming?
• Why cable still isn’t worth it in 2026

I’m sure most of you remember the time when cable TV’s dominance was unquestioned, even if you were just a kid at the time. In the US, you grew up on channels like MTV, the Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon. You might’ve stuck with those for a while, but gradually, you began watching channels like HBO, Discovery, and CNN. There was life outside the cable monoculture — but you could count on most people being familiar with Seinfeld or Spongebob Squarepants.

That finally fractured in the 2010s with the rise of streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, which let people pay a cheaper fee to access a narrower slice of content. Lately, though, things have been headed in the opposite direction. Prices for streaming subscriptions have been rising across the board, and it’s increasingly impractical to limit yourself to one or two of them if you want a wide choice of things to watch during the week. This has actually resulted in the first gain in US cable subscriptions in eight years, according to Light Reading.

For me, though, there’s no going back, and I think cable’s resurgence will ultimately be short-lived. The tastes and spending habits of myself and others have shifted away for good.

What’s the appeal of cable in the age of streaming?

Not without value

Depending on your priorities, it can actually make a lot of financial sense to go with cable. Back where I used to live in Texas, Optimum includes a cable package as a mere $20 add-on for its internet plans. That contrasts with a streaming-only service like HBO Max, which charges over $20 per month for its ad-free plan with 4K and Dolby Atmos. Even if you stick to cheaper ad-supported streaming platforms without 4K, you’ll probably break past the $20 mark with just two providers. When every company in the world wants to bleed you dry with monthly bills, saving on luxuries like TV can be a necessity.

It’s not like there isn’t material I’d want to watch on cable, either. I miss being able to tune into my favorite HBO, Comedy Central, and Adult Swim (Cartoon Network) shows as they aired. There are some decent AMC and Paramount shows too, and I’d certainly be tuning into BBC News and PBS occasionally. Heck, my son grew up watching Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, albeit through the PBS Kids app.

When every company in the world wants to bleed you dry with monthly bills, saving on luxuries like TV can be a necessity.

Cable also includes more conveniences in 2026 than it did in 2006. Often, authenticating a cable subscription will get you access to associated streaming apps for free in some fashion — so if you’re not around for that live premiere of Smiling Friends or The Chair Company, you might still be able to catch new episodes like the people paying for streaming-only services. DVRs are an option as well, and they’re no longer TiVo or bust.

Why cable still isn’t worth it in 2026

Spoiled by the 21st century

Looking at cable packages, they feel like a relic from a bygone age. Many channels are jammed full of the same sort of pundit, game, and reality TV shows that have been on for decades, or if not that, interminable stretches of reruns. I like the sitcom Martin — but I’m not about to tune into three and a half hours of it on BET. In fact, a lot of these channels are worse than relics, since they’ve clearly been compromised to compete with streaming in the only way that makes sense — appealing to the lowest common denominator, with content that you can casually tune into a few minutes without any kind of commitment. No one’s stressed about missing the finale of House Hunters or America’s Got Talent.

Streaming services are potentially more expensive, but I’d rather pay for a thin slice of shows and movies I’ll care about than a grand buffet of junk that’s chock full of irrelevant ads. Indeed streaming is where the talent and money flows these days, particularly with fewer restrictions on themes and runtimes. There’s just no comparing shows like 9-1-1 or Family Law to the likes of Fallout, Squid Game, or Masters of the Air. If you want something on par with streaming, you often have to pay for “premium” cable packages that include the likes of HBO and Showtime — at which point you might as well cut the cord.

Streaming services are potentially more expensive, but I’d rather pay for a thin slice of shows and movies I’ll care about than a grand buffet of junk.

There isn’t even much point to tuning into cable for movies or sports. It might’ve made sense to watch a movie on TV in 1996, when everything was in low resolution and the only alternative was a theater or the rental store — but today, you’re sacrificing fidelity, selection, and sometimes just the ability to start something when you want to. I hate tuning into movies midway. As for sports, the diehards are going to be willing to pay for niche or league-specific streaming services, and others are going to be content with options like ESPN+. You’re not going to get much more from cable, especially with city blackouts in effect.

Expanding to an even broader view, younger generations have better sources of the casual entertainment I talked about earlier. If they’re not on TikTok, they’re probably on Twitch, Instagram, or YouTube, and all four of those services are not only free, but more tailored to individual interests. I wouldn’t have ever learned how to deadlift or ride an electric unicycle if I’d stuck to cable for video. In fact if you were to believe cable programming, you’d think video games were a minor interest, primarily for kids — when in reality, people of all ages play, and they reap more revenue than the global movie and music industries combined. A lot of kids would rather watch someone stream Fortnite, Roblox, or Call of Duty than any TV show.

Simply put, I and many others have moved on not only from cable’s content, but the need to pay for that quantity of video. It’s a common practice these days for people to subscribe to a streaming service only for as long as they need to finish a new series, as Apple is all too aware. Played right, streaming is still the better value, and I think many of us would rather reduce our paid video content altogether than be pressured back into paying for dozens of channels we never watch.

Any resurgence in cable subscriptions is a temporary blip. If anything, we’re more likely headed towards a cable-like consolidation of internet services, as evidenced by Netflix and Paramount warring over Warner, and Disney’s ever-expanding media empire. Who knows — if antitrust regulators don’t step in, we could end up returning to the pre-cable era, when you were lucky to have three or four options to choose from. I wouldn’t be surprised if cable is all but dead 10 years from now, gone with the last people who subscribed to it as a reflex.