Did someone just say free?
The number of Americans who watch television via cable or satellite has declined precipitously in recent years. According to Nielsen, only 50% of U.S. homes subscribed to pay TV in Q1 2023 as compared to 85% in Q1 2016.
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Many viewers are self-bundling — picking and choosing streaming services to fulfill their needs. However, many are also starting to find that route to be costly and are looking for ways to save money. They are cutting back on internet subscription services. According to company reports, Netflix lost 1 million subscribers in North America in 2022.
That’s why the TheFreeTVProject.org was created. It is an online resource designed to educate viewers about free television and help them select the antenna that best meets their needs.
We all have so many streaming apps, so having the opportunity to watch some free TV sounds like a match made in heaven.
Consumers have questions, such as:
- What is over the air (OTA)?
- Why do I need an antenna?
- How do I choose one?
- Can I record OTA shows?
- What’s available to watch over the air?
On the website, you can input your address or zip code and learn what antenna is best for your home. You can also find out how many and which channels you can get for free with an antenna.
Remember antennas? They could be the next blast from the past that finds a new life.
There are articles about installation, location, reception, indoor vs. outdoor antennas, scanning and rescanning antennas and different programming options that are available.
In 2022 alone, 7.3 million antennas were sold in the U.S. according to the Consumer Technology Association. Industry analysts forecast that more than 40 million homes will be watching television over the air by 2027, an increase of +25% from 2020.
The Consumer Technology Association estimates than nearly one in three U.S. homes are equipped with an antenna, an increase from pre-pandemic levels when only one in four homes were users. That trend is likely to gain momentum as more consumers get “plus fatigue” or grow tired of paying more for connected TV services such as Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, etc.
It’s also a great opportunity for any college-aged kids to get free TV. Being a broke college kid is hard enough as is, so the fact that you could get a few free channels just by purchasing an antenna is huge! I could have saved myself so much money in college if I knew this was an option.
Yes, you can even watch your favorite local TV newscast on News4Jax, live local weather during severe storms and live coverage of big events in your community.
So what are you waiting for? Free TV isn’t a myth. It’s very real, and it’s just waiting for you! Happy watching!