ESPN Loses Another 1.5 Million Subscribers As Cord Cutting Accelerates


AT&T - been a cord cutter for almost two years now. Started with Sling when it first came out and we just moved to Playstation Vue. A little more expensive, but you get way more channels, including local and triple the sports channels you get with Sling. We switched so my husband could get Velocity and a few other racing channels as he is into cars and Indycar. It's $30 more than Sling, but still much cheaper than what I was paying when I had Direct Tv. I would have been just fine with Sling and a good attenna for the local channels, as all I typically watch are sports, HGTV, AMC, CNN, and whatever comes with Amazon Prime.

I'm gonna eventually move to this. As you said, a cheaper option than DirecTV and has the right amount of sports packages.
 



You can get ESPN and ESPN2 through Sling TV and pay $5 dollar extra for the full ESPN package.

I have been using a Roku stick. One of my t.v.(s) tube is going out and I am trying to figure out whether to invest in a Roku TV or get a TV with a web browser ( Sony, Samsung or LG). Any thoughts on this?
 
I have been using a Roku stick. One of my t.v.(s) tube is going out and I am trying to figure out whether to invest in a Roku TV or get a TV with a web browser ( Sony, Samsung or LG). Any thoughts on this?

With all of the streaming boxes, I just don't see the point in paying extra for a smart TV these days. Get a regular flat screen tv and a Fire Box or a chromecast and you are in business. A $30 Chromecast will let you stream whatever is on your laptop, tablet, or phone right on the screen, creating a smart tv with a web browser. I do it all the time.
 
I'm gonna eventually move to this. As you said, a cheaper option than DirecTV and has the right amount of sports packages.

Yep and depending on your needs, you can get a package as low as $30 a month. The things I do like about Vue when compared to Sling are the true DVR capabilities, multiple person streaming options, and of course regional fox sports channels, espn networks, live local channels (depending on your local area), and fox sports 1 and 2. You can't get those options with Sling. I tell people all the time to try one of the free trials of either streaming service though. Most people then see that they can keep their sports channels at a much cheaper rate.
 
With all of the streaming boxes, I just don't see the point in paying extra for a smart TV these days. Get a regular flat screen tv and a Fire Box or a chromecast and you are in business. A $30 Chromecast will let you stream whatever is on your laptop, tablet, or phone right on the screen, creating a smart tv with a web browser. I do it all the time.

What type of connection is needed to stream from my tablet to the t.v.?
 
What type of connection is needed to stream from my tablet to the t.v.?

Chromecast runs off a wifi connection. If you are currently streaming netflix or hulu from a roku or fire stick then your internet connection is probably sufficient for Chromecast.
 
Your only as good as you Internet....were still paying the same when it's all said and done

I agree with you about the internet speed, but there are ways to keep that down as well. AT&T will easily apply pretty decent discounts to your internet account if you call and "persuade" them to do so about every 6 months, especially if they also have your wireless service and you have been customers for years. I found this out when I threatened to leave a few years ago and they did what they needed to do to lower my bill.

And no matter how you slice it, I paid more than $160 a month with AT&T internet and DirectTV with all the extra DVR boxes, and movie channels that I never watched before I got married. I was in a contract so no adjusting my package within the two month period. Cord cutters can pay $35 to $50 a month in internet cost plus a $20-$30 Sling TV bill, and come out much cheaper with probably just the channels they want to watch. So yea I won't agree that cord cutters are still paying the same. But it depends on your needs and preferences.
 
I have been using a Roku stick. One of my t.v.(s) tube is going out and I am trying to figure out whether to invest in a Roku TV or get a TV with a web browser ( Sony, Samsung or LG). Any thoughts on this?

Get a new T.V. but it doesn't has to be a smart T.V. If anything, I'll upgrade my stick to a Roku 3 or 4 box. Way more options with the Roku 3 or 4 box. You can listen to your Roku 3 or 4 with a pair of earplugs or headphones in case you don't want to disturb anyone with you and the Roku 4 is voice command and 4k compatible. Also, the Roku 3 and 4 are a lot faster than the stick when it comes to uploading and streaming a movie.

https://www.roku.com/
 
Last edited:
I hear a lot people on here talking about internet service provider (ISP) internet speed, but no one is talking about their router. If you have a cheat router, your streaming speed can be limited and limited to the number of devices that the router can handle at one time. Most ISP's will provide you with an all-in-one modem/router. The router side they give you might be cheap in order to keep individuals from stream a lot at one time. I use my own router which is faster and can handle more devices at one time and use their modem/router as a bridge and turn off the wireless signal in its settings, basically use their device as just a modem only. Also, one can buy a personal compatible modem if they choose too.
 
Last edited:
I have a kodi box ($55)...Cox hi-speed Internet...
I watch hbo, Starz and all movies free.
No monthly fees (other than cox)...
For local tv: Tivo over the air Dvr ($50) +$15 monthly fee....



 
Trying to convince my wife to cut the cord. We dont watch half half the channels on cox. I myself watch youtube and netflix much more than regular tv. In order for cable to survive they have to go back to the way it used to be where you could chose the channels you want. Cox makes you pay $10 extra for Basic cable they force you to take a small version of a digital box for no reason. I been gave up on cable.
 



I hear a lot people on here talking about internet service provider (ISP) internet speed, but no one is talking about their router. If you have a cheat router, your streaming speed can be limited and limited to the number of devices that the router can handle at one time. Most ISP's will provide you with an all-in-one modem/router. The router side they give you might be cheap in order to keep individuals from stream a lot at one time. I always use my own router which is faster and can handle more devices at one time and use their modem/router as a bridge and turn off the wireless signal in its settings, basically use their device as just a modem only. Also, one can buy a personal compatible modem if they choose too.

I have a double modem from Comcastt/Xfinity. When one Wi-Fi home connection is full it automatically move to the second home connection. The second connection is lightning fast but it is not compatible with some of my older devices. So I notice the newer devices live in 5G and the older devices stay in 4G.
 
The thing about Roku... you need a cable provider to use a lot of the apps. Especially for live stuff
 
The thing about Roku... you need a cable provider to use a lot of the apps. Especially for live stuff

I love that ESPN3, France24 & Sky News all are live. I chiefly use for movies viewing though. I caught a few live games on live stream mostly Jsu. I caught Obama addressing Howard graduation on Roku using the You tube app and sometimes I'll look at Bill Maher after hours there too. There are a lot of free and pay apps. It all depends on your preferences.
 
I have a double modem from Comcastt/Xfinity. When one Wi-Fi home connection is full it automatically move to the second home connection. The second connection is lightning fast but it is not compatible with some of my older devices. So I notice the newer devices live in 5G and the older devices stay in 4G.

Comcast Xfinity modem routers come with two built-in voice over IP (VoIP) phone lines. Comcast charges $20 per month to activate one phone line which doesn't make any sense since a person can buy a MagicJack VoIP that can do the same thing for $3 per month or $35 per year. I know this Black female who insists on doing things the way them other people have told her to do and always end up with a high cable/internet/phone bill once that 1-year promotional deal ends. I guess a Black person can't tell her how to save money.

See the telephone lines at the bottom just above the battery indicator. They have to put a battery in their modem in case power is lost to keep the phone lines active for so many minutes afterwards.

9082028_rd.jpg;canvasHeight=1000;canvasWidth=411




Much cheaper than any internet service provider (ISP) can provide. The nice thing about MagicJack, you can actually take it with you if you go out of town. Also, it can link up with your cellphone and email, so every time you get a call, it will let you know who called you by sending you an email of the number that called you.

upload_2016-6-3_13-9-47.png
upload_2016-6-3_13-10-35.png
 
Last edited:
If your internet is good, MagicJack works just as well as any service an ISP can provide but at least 75%-80 cheaper (including Vonage and Voya)
 
If your internet is good, MagicJack works just as well as any service an ISP can provide but at least 75%-80 cheaper (including Vonage and Voya)

And if a person needs to keep their phone active after some power failure, they can buy an APC battery backup power surge protector to keep their modem, router, and MagicJack energized for at least 1 hour. Now days, a lot people are building homes with natural gas generators in case their home loses power. Basically all emergency centers (fire, police, hospitals, etc.) have natural gas generators now.

APC_BE750G_Back_UPS_ES_10_Outlet_750VA_557138.jpg
 
Comcast Xfinity modem routers come with two built-in voice over IP (VoIP) phone lines. Comcast charges $20 per month to activate one phone line which doesn't make any sense since a person can buy a MagicJack VoIP that can do the same thing for $3 per month or $35 per year. I know this Black female who insists on doing things the way them other people have told her to do and always end up with a high cable/internet/phone bill once that 1-year promotional deal ends. I guess a Black person can't tell her how to save money.

See the telephone lines at the bottom just above the battery indicator. They have to put a battery in their modem in case power is lost to keep the phone lines active for so many minutes afterwards.

9082028_rd.jpg;canvasHeight=1000;canvasWidth=411




Much cheaper than any internet service provider (ISP) can provide. The nice thing about MagicJack, you can actually take it with you if you go out of town. Also, it can link up with your cellphone and email, so every time you get a call, it will let you know who called you by sending you an email of the number that called you.

View attachment 4378
View attachment 4379
W



I thought we were discussing Wi Fi...lol. Anywho I have a bundle 2 year contract for 131.00 per month (phone, internet & catv). I don't have to take anything but my tablet or phone with me when going any where because Comcast has an app to get your phone service on devices. I didn't pay any activation fees because they were waved. I'll look at cost cutting measures when my contract expires though.
 
W



I thought we were discussing Wi Fi...lol. Anywho I have a bundle 2 year contract for 131.00 per month (phone, internet & catv). I don't have to take anything but my tablet or phone with me when going any where because Comcast has an app to get your phone service on devices. I didn't pay any activation fees because they were waved. I'll look at cost cutting measures when my contract expires though.

Ole girl I know pays $20 per month EXTRA to have Comcast phone service. She didn't tell me she paid an activation fee, but MagicJack is the same thing but a lot cheaper than the $20 per month EXTRA she is paying Comcast to have a home phone.
 
ESPN is overpriced. Get get crap for what we pay for. The sports coverage is horrible! I thought Fox Sports was going to be different, but it is getting crappy also. But it is all we got, especially for HBCU Football outside of Aspire TV.
 
Back
Top