Michigan TV Viewers Have Been Cutting the Cord in Record Numbers
If you've ditched cable TV in lieu of an over-the-air antenna or a streaming service, you're not alone. Michigan TV customers are doing it in droves.
By the Numbers
According to the annual report issued by the Michigan Public Service Commission on February 1, the number of cable TV subscribers in Michigan is down almost 900,000 since the peak in 2009.
The number of households getting their TV programming from a cable company basically held steady from 2009 to 2016 at about 2.3 million. Compare that to today's number, as just 1.5 million households across the state are still connected to a coax cable.
I'm a Proud Cord Cutter!
We cut the cord over five years ago and haven't looked back. There's still a cable coming into our house, but it only brings us the Internet - and that saved us a bundle. Our cable bill used to be over $170 per month before we cut the proverbial cord. Now, it's about $80 per month.
We get excellent reception from our local TV stations and even some from Lansing via an over-the-air antenna up on the roof - and the picture quality is noticeably better than cable.
Streaming Services Push Cable to the Sidelines
As streaming services like Netflix and Hulu began to gain popularity, TV customers started severing their ties with cable companies. The most significant drop occurred in 2019 when about 300,000 households in our state cut the cord.
Other streaming services now offer select entertainment and sports channels that have in the past only been available to cable TV subscribers.
Bridge Michigan reports that nationally about six million households per year are ditching cable TV.