Growing to popularity in the mid-2000’s, streaming services were created to remedy the problems and drawbacks of cable television. Unburdened by commercials, limited variety, and weekly installments of television shows, streaming presented so many options that could never be offered by cable television. However, in the present day of 2026, could cable television be better than streaming services?
Back then, streaming services were so popular due to the fact that they were not limited like cable television. Instead of waiting a whole week to watch the newest episode of your favorite television show, you could just hop onto a streaming service and watch the newest episode without having to wait an entire week. However, that concept has changed in recent years. Especially seen on popular streaming services like Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney+, many shows exclusive to those streaming platforms are being updated on a weekly and sometimes bi-weekly basis, meaning you will have to wait to see what happens instead of having immediate access to the series.
Another concern that is raising much attention is the number of ads and commercials seen on streaming services. Especially evident for Netflix, many different streaming services now allow ads and commercials to run in the beginning or during their shows and movies, ruining the enjoyment of streaming. And it’s not like these commercials are short and sweet either. Some ads can range between 3 and 7 minutes based on what you are currently watching, making people wait to watch their favorite shows and movies.
To top it off, we cannot ignore the cost of streaming services. With the steadily rising price for a monthly subscription, many streaming services are charging viewers $20-$30 a month to watch their movies and television shows. While that does not seem like a lot, these prices add up over a course of time, making streaming somewhat expensive and pricey for the average American family.
Once, streaming solved many problems and issues of cable television. With instant access to movies and television, without the need for commercials and ads, streaming was very attractive to the public’s eyes. However, somewhere over the years, streaming services became the very thing they sought to fix and improve. And to add on top of that, the price of streaming services is steadily increasing every year, making me wonder if cable is better than streaming.
