I'm not a cable subscriber but I don't think it's a bad deal for the average American, especially families. DVRs have allowed cable subscribers to skip ads with a bit of planning and a slight delay in viewing for over a decade. This allows for unlimited viewing of the newest content on demand without advertisement. Basic cable seems to start at about $40/month which is about 2x more than having a Netflix and Hulu subscription while offering more movies, the latest season of every show, cable news, and sports.