Cable Bills Narrow Gap to Electricity Costs as Pay-TV Subscribers Continue to Decline — DOXO, INC.

Event summary

U.S. households pay a median $125/month for cable/satellite, just $4 less than the median electric bill of $129/month.
74% of U.S. households pay a cable/satellite bill, totaling a $172B market.
Pay-TV providers continue to lose subscribers, with EchoStar, Comcast, and Charter reporting declines in Q2 2026.
Top 5 states with highest cable/satellite bills: Vermont ($1,980/year), South Carolina ($1,962/year), Delaware ($1,912/year), Nebraska ($1,910/year), Rhode Island ($1,800/year).
Top 5 large U.S. cities with highest cable/satellite bills: Louisville, KY ($2,439/year), Kansas City, MO ($2,270/year), Miami, FL ($2,244/year), Denver, CO ($2,137/year), Omaha, NE ($2,134/year).

The big picture

The report highlights a strategic anomaly where cable/satellite bills have become nearly as expensive as essential utility bills, despite a shrinking pay-TV universe. This suggests that remaining subscribers are bearing the cost of declining subscriber bases, a dynamic that could become unsustainable. The data underscores the broader industry trend of traditional pay-TV services losing ground to more flexible and often cheaper streaming alternatives.

What we're watching

Pricing Power: Whether cable providers can maintain pricing despite declining subscriber numbers and increasing competition from streaming services.
Consumer Behavior: The pace at which households reassess and potentially cut cable/satellite subscriptions as awareness of high costs grows.
Regulatory Impact: How potential regulatory scrutiny of cable/satellite pricing could affect the industry, given the close comparison to essential utility bills.