Cutting the cable TV cord

My parents, living in a remote corner of Vermont, used to fork over $70 bucks a month for their 150 cable TV channels. They had to. It was the only way to get the good shows and movies. Today, I get most of that content via the Internet, thanks to high speed wireless that’s now available even in very rural areas. $19 bucks a month for wireless, with zero cable bill. According to the most recent Deloitte survey of viewing habits, I’m far from alone: 9% of respondents have cut their cable cord, while 11% are thinking about it. This trend is going to accelerate. For advertisers, it’s one more data point that shows that interactive online marketing – driven by good content – will be THE dominant force in marketing (even more than it already is). The push towards Internet-delivered content will also likely get a major boost when Apple introduces their own TV system; you know it’s coming, right? They’re going to do for TV what the iPhone and iPad did for communications and computing, crushing other technologies and transforming how we enjoy our entertainment, and by default how we engage with advertising.