It's no secret that consumers are canceling their cable television subscriptions en masse. After estimating 5.4 million households cut the cord last year, Evercore anticipates 4.8 million will do the same in 2020.
They're doing so because they can. Streaming alternatives like Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX), along with the so-called skinny bundles like Charter Communications' Spectrum TV Essentials, are gathering steam, while free, ad-supported on-demand video options like Tubi TV fill in the gaps for consumers.
It's a dynamic that's worked for -- and against -- satellite cable giant DISH Network (NASDAQ: DISH). Although it doesn't use cords to deliver television entertainment into homes, it's still priced like most cable services, and as such has been bleeding cable customers just like its cord-based counterparts. Conversely, its streaming platform Sling TV was one of the earlier streaming choices, and has collected more than a couple of million subscribers since its inception. DISH knew the former would struggle while the latter advanced.