US cable subscribers got record average of 189 channels in bundles last year. They watched only 17 [View all]

[The Straight Story]

It's become a cliche: "Why am I forced to buy more cable channels I never watch?"

Now, new data show the common consumer complaint is true.

Last year, U.S. cable subscribers got a record average of 189 channels in prepackaged bundles but watched only 17 of those channels, according to a report this week by Nielsen. And the appetite to view more channels, even when offered vastly more television content, hasn't changed much in years. In five years, cable companies added 60 more channels for the typical subscriber, but viewers haven't increased their consumption of new content. They have consistently watched an average of 17 channels.

Consumers have long decried the cable bundle. Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) and other lawmakers have tried and failed to break apart channel bundles forced on consumers with legislation that would allow consumers to pick programs a la carte. The average monthly cost of a cable television subscription is $90, and some analysts expect that to increase to $125 in a few years.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/05/07/cables-forced-bundles-are-getting-fatter-but-no-one-is-watching-more-channels/