By the end of 2026, an estimated 80.7 million U.S. households will have walked away from traditional cable or satellite TV — leaving just 54.3 million still subscribed. If you’re one of the households still on the fence, here’s the complete, step-by-step path other cord-cutters have already taken.
Cord-cutting means replacing cable/satellite with a mix of a streaming device, a free antenna for local channels, and one or two paid streaming subscriptions — typically cutting a $147–$157/month cable bill down to roughly $48/month in streaming costs. This guide walks through every step in order.
Why So Many Households Are Making the Switch
Cost is overwhelmingly the top reason — recent industry research found that around 73% of people who canceled cable cited price as the primary driver, with the average cable bill now running $147–$157 a month before add-on fees, equipment rental, and regional sports surcharges are factored in. Compare that to the average cord-cutter’s streaming spend of roughly $48 a month across multiple services, and the annual savings add up quickly. For a full breakdown of current industry trends, this 2026 cord-cutting statistics report covers the broader numbers in detail.
Step 1: Pick Your Streaming Device
This is the foundation everything else builds on. Our complete device comparison guide breaks down Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, and Google TV so you can match a device to what you already own and use daily — your existing phone ecosystem matters more here than most people expect.
Once you’ve picked one, our device-specific guides cover full setup:
Device Setup Guides
Step 2: Claim Your Free Local Channels
Before paying for anything, get the antenna set up — it’s a one-time cost that covers ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX for free, permanently. Our full antenna & OTA guide covers picking the right type based on your distance from local towers, using the FCC’s official reception tool.
Step 3: Add a Live TV Streaming Service (If You Need One)
YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and Sling TV each fill in what an antenna can’t reach — cable-only channels, out-of-market coverage, and DVR features. Which one makes sense depends heavily on which sports and channels matter to your household specifically.
Step 4: Handle Sports Separately
Sports is where most cord-cutting plans get complicated, so we’ve built dedicated guides for exactly this:
Sports-Specific Guides
- RSN Blackout Guide — understand why regional games get blocked, and how to find your state’s coverage
- How to Watch NFL Without Cable
- How to Stream MLB
- College football, wherever you follow it, is largely split across ABC, ESPN, FOX, CBS, and NBC — an antenna covers most marquee games for free
Step 5: Set Up Parental Controls
If kids will be using the same devices, this takes about ten minutes and is worth doing before handing over the remote — see our parental controls guide for every major device and app.
Step 6: Know Your Local Market
Local channel availability, RSN coverage, and even antenna reception all vary significantly by state. We’ve built dedicated guides covering local broadcast markets, professional sports coverage, and regional quirks for states including California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, and Colorado. Browse the full By State directory to find yours.
Step 7: Know Where to Go When Something Breaks
Buffering, crashes, no sound, devices that won’t connect to WiFi — our full troubleshooting guide covers the most common issues across every device.
The Real Numbers Behind the Switch
| Metric | 2026 Figure |
|---|---|
| U.S. households projected to be cord-cutters by end of 2026 | 80.7 million |
| Households still on traditional pay-TV | 54.3 million |
| Average monthly cable bill | $147–$157 |
| Average monthly streaming spend (cord-cutters) | ~$48 |
| Cord-cutters who say they don’t miss cable | 52% |
Quick Questions People Ask
Final Thoughts
Cord-cutting isn’t a fringe choice anymore — it’s the majority default for American households, and the path is well-established at this point: pick a device, claim your free local channels, add exactly the streaming services your household actually needs, and handle sports as its own separate decision.
Ready to start? Our full tutorials library covers every step in detail.