• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

Cord Cutting Slows as ‘Skinny Bundle’ Gains Popularity

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 14, 2016, 10:25 AM ET
Verizon Plans to Let Customers Watch Live TV on IPads
Jack Gallagher, executive director of product development for Verizon Communications Inc., holds a Motorola mobile device while speaking at a news conference in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2010. Verizon Communications Inc., the U.S. phone company trying to win television customers from cable providers, is planning to allow subscribers to its FiOS TV service to watch live shows on Apple Inc.'s iPad and other mobile Photographer: JB Reed/Bloomberg via Getty Images Photo credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images

The cable TV industry’s main strategy to combat cord cutting appears to be working.

The rate of households that either cut the cord, dropping their cable package altogether, or have never subscribed to cable in the first place was relatively steady at 23% in 2016, up from 21% last year, according an annual survey by PwC released on Wednesday. But the rate of households opting to keep cable at lower cost and with fewer channels, dubbed cord shaving, jumped to 23% from 18% last year. Traditional pay TV subscribership dropped to 54% from 61% last year.

Perhaps even more positive for the industry, the percentage of people who said they expected to still be subscribing to cable in one year jumped to 84% from 70% in 2015.

“We saw more audiences customizing their pay TV bundles through trimming, even as they consume more content than ever before,” the consulting firm noted in the report. “Their demands got louder in terms of what kind of content they pay for and how and when they access it.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Of course, as the results from 2016 appear far stronger than was suggested by the 2015 data, the positive trends for the industry could peter out and cord cutting could rise again. AT&T (T) is offering an Internet-based video service called DirecTV Now with a starting price of just $35 per month for 100 channels, for example. And other companies including Hulu, Google (GOOGL), and Apple (AAPL) may also come out with more Internet competition for traditional cable next year.

All of the major cable providers have introduced some version of so-called skinny bundles to appeal to customers who have grown weary of paying an average of over $100 a month for the most popular TV packages. Comcast (CMCSA) teamed up with Amazon this year to offer Internet and cable TV bundles starting as low as $45. And Comcast, Charter Communications (CHTR), and others have tested even cheaper packages delivered using Internet technology.

Even as they keep the customers, cable revenue is likely under pressure, according to the survey. A majority of households, 58%, said they were spending less in total on video content that they spent a year ago. The biggest features keeping subscribers from leaving were found to be sports programming and other unique content.

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Nima Ghamsari smiles
NewslettersTerm Sheet
Blend’s post-IPO reset: CEO Nima Ghamsari bets that AI can turn it all around
By Lily Mae LazarusApril 2, 2026
2 minutes ago
Photo: President Trump
Big TechMarkets
Trump hails ‘tremendous progress’ in Iran but all Wall Street heard was ‘back to escalation’
By Jim EdwardsApril 2, 2026
24 minutes ago
Can Elon Musk take SpaceX IPO to infinity and beyond?
NewslettersFortune Tech
Can Elon Musk take SpaceX IPO to infinity and beyond?
By Alexei OreskovicApril 2, 2026
34 minutes ago
Asia’s AI playbook gets a reality check as the Iran war sends energy prices higher and snarls supply chains
AsiaTech
Asia’s AI playbook gets a reality check as the Iran war sends energy prices higher and snarls supply chains
By Angelica AngApril 2, 2026
1 hour ago
The tax escape map: Billionaires are bolting for Florida from the West Coast and taking billions in tax revenue with them
Real EstateBillionaires
The tax escape map: Billionaires are bolting for Florida from the West Coast and taking billions in tax revenue with them
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 2, 2026
4 hours ago
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is displayed outside a Space Exploration Technologies Corp. facility in Hawthorne, California.
Startups & VentureElon Musk
SpaceX has filed confidentially for IPO ahead of AI rivals
By Bailey Lipschultz, Edward Ludlow and BloombergApril 1, 2026
15 hours ago

Most Popular

Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financially  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
Success
Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financially  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
2 days ago
Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ‘not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ‘will not end well’
Economy
Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ‘not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ‘will not end well’
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of gold as of April 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of April 1, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 1, 2026
22 hours ago
Current price of oil as of April 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of April 1, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 1, 2026
23 hours ago
A man used AI to call 3,000 Irish bartenders to track the cost of Guinness. Now pubs are lowering their prices to compete
AI
A man used AI to call 3,000 Irish bartenders to track the cost of Guinness. Now pubs are lowering their prices to compete
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
3 days ago
Hiring just hit a level not seen since the economy was ‘closed down literally’ during COVID, top economist says
Economy
Hiring just hit a level not seen since the economy was ‘closed down literally’ during COVID, top economist says
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.