There are just 1.29 million households left in Michigan that still pay for cable TV, according to an annual report by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC).
That’s the lowest figure the state has ever reported. And considering that Michigan has more than four million households, it means that less than a third of residents pay for a cable service.
In all, the state lost an additional 190,000 cable video subscribers in 2023, a 13% drop.
The MPSC is measuring 31 cable television and other video providers that operate in Michigan, but does not include satellite TV distributors.
Comcast alone lost 2 million video customers nationally last year, but the story isn't just about cord-cutting. A number of cable companies operating in the state have marginalized the video business or moved out of it altogether. WideOpenWest, for example, has been trying to steer its broadband customers to third-party virtual MVPD service YouTube TV for more than a year.
At the same time, the MPSC reported 2,183 official complaints involving cable video in 2023, its highest rates of consumer dissatisfaction and an almost 200% increase since it began reporting in 2008.
Michigan customers have been increasingly dissatisfied with their cable offerings in last years, especially after the decision to broadcast University of Michigan’s 2023 opening football game singularly on Peacock left many fans unable to watch.
“Why would a Michigan game be peacock exclusive? That's ridiculous,” said one fan.
And when Peacock broadcast an Ohio State game last season, the fan response was even more aggressive.
“The Ohio State-Purdue game being a Peacock streaming exclusive is ridiculous. The Big Ten should be ashamed of themselves for agreeing to this,” said a fan. “I hope they get significant repercussions for doing so. Buckeye nation revolt!”
In fact, one Ohio state senator even pushed for legislation that would block the singular carriage of public university games by streaming services.
