Online services cut the cord on cable and its bills

YouTube and other providers introduce alternatives to streaming, watching TV

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Jennifer Espinoza, Opinions Editor

It used to be if you wanted to watch MTV, Cartoon Network and NFL you had to pay somewhere between $100 to $200 for a cable channel bundle. And with the advent of streaming services and Internet companies getting into the game, now watchers don’t even have to pay the hefty cable bills to watch your favorite channels any more.

TV has come along way since it was first invented in 1927. Many companies have made their own version of different bundles with the top most watched channels. Companies like Dish’s Sling TV, Sony PlayStation Vue, and AT&T’s new DirectTV Now there are ways to watch your favorite shows on the cheap.

And now YouTube, the biggest providers of online video, is about to get into the arena with their own service offering channels that were previously only available through a cable company. YouTube TV, which will become available later this year, also features YouTube Red original content, will feature popular channels like Disney Channel, ABC and Fox News.

YouTube TV’s bundle will be priced at $35, which is about half of the price of cable TV. Other bundles like DirectTV Now sell their bundles at a starting price of $35, Sony PlayStation Vue is discounting their bundles and it’s lowest-priced bundle is $39.99.

Although Netflix has been another popular way to avoid paying high cable bills, it has not allowed viewers to watch current shows when they are originally aired. The other new offerings will change things by allowing those who like watching channels a way to access a smaller bundle than what the large cable companies provide. Netflix, one of the best known online television provider, has been one of the most popular ways to cut the cable cord with their price being $11.99 for four screens per month.

Netflix however, doesn’t have traditional channels from a cable company. Netflix is it’s own platform with its own TV shows. Such as YouTube Red is not considered a “cord cutter” but its own platform that is created in a larger company. “I think that for what Netflix has it’s a lot more affordable and like cost efficient than getting cable because a lot of the stuff you find in cable you can find in Netflix” Commented sophomore Luke Hoffman.

Hulu, a platform similar to Netflix, also offers great traditional channels for a reasonable price. After a month free trial, plans start at $7.99 a month with limited commercials that can then be upgraded to no commercials for only $11.99. But the competition for being the best provider with the best price is still close. DirectTV Now offers the same price that YouTube TV will set which is $35 but Youtube (so far) has only 44 channels while DirectTV Now has 60+ channels to offer.

Sling TV is also staying in the competition with their base price of $20 a month for 20+ channels. Lastly, PlayStation Vue has it’s own affordable bundle of $30 a month for 55+ channels.