All roads lead to cable | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyNotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.NotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchLightSystemDarkTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.All roads lead to cableNotificationsNotificationsComments DrawerNotificationsCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...ColumnCloseColumnPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ColumnStreamingCloseStreamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All StreamingThe StepbackCloseThe StepbackPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All The StepbackAll roads lead to cableIn their fight to win the war for our attention, streamers are re-creating cable from first principles.by Charles Pulliam-MooreCloseCharles Pulliam-MooreFilm & TV ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Charles Pulliam-MooreSep 20, 2026, 12:00 PM UTCLinkShareGift AFP via Getty ImagesColumnCloseColumnPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ColumnStreamingCloseStreamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All StreamingThe StepbackCloseThe StepbackPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All The StepbackAll roads lead to cableIn their fight to win the war for our attention, streamers are re-creating cable from first principles.by Charles Pulliam-MooreCloseCharles Pulliam-MooreFilm & TV ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Charles Pulliam-MooreSep 20, 2026, 12:00 PM UTCLinkShareGiftCharles Pulliam-MooreCloseCharles Pulliam-MoorePosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Charles Pulliam-Moore is a reporter focusing on film, TV, and pop culture. Before The Verge, he wrote about comic books, labor, race, and more at io9 and Gizmodo for almost five years.This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on streaming platforms, FAST channels, and the future of entertainment, follow Charles Pulliam-Moore. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers’ inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here.How it startedBefore Netflix fully committed to becoming a streaming service and leaving DVDs behind, the company experimented with the idea of giving its subscribers a physical box that could access high-resolution digital copies of movies. Films would have been downloaded to the box in the evening and become available to users the next day. But Netflix changed course around 2006 once it saw people were flocking to watch grainy viral videos on YouTube. Though Netflix had already been making waves by disrupting the movie rental business, pivoting to streaming turned the company into a powerhouse that posed a threat to traditional cable services.People loved being able to instantly access large catalogs of movies from their computers without having to sign up for expensive cable plans. Once the company got into original series in 2012, its binge model helped generate buzz and drive new sign-ups. As Netflix’s user base continued to grow in those early years, other companies, like Amazon, Disney, and NBC, realized there was money to be made by launching (or contributing to) streaming services of their own. And while cable didn’t completely disappear as streaming took off, the number of people subscribed to cable plans began (and has continued) to drop over the past decade.How it’s goingStreaming is now the most common way that people consume films and television, and many people subscribe to multiple services in order to be able to access all of the things they want to watch. The proliferation of streaming services has led to an explosion of media, but the streaming market’s maturation has also made it much more difficult for companies to find and keep new subscribers.Platforms have tried to get ahead of that issue and stay on top of their finances with countless price hikes that have made it much more expensive to keep up with shows compared to when streamers first hit the scene. In hopes of courting more price-sensitive customers, many companies have introduced ad-supported tiers to their paid services. But some have also launched free ad-supported television (FAST) services that look and feel a lot like traditional cable.Unlike regular streamers where constant ads and endless choices have become an annoyance, FAST services like Tubi, Roku, and Pluto TV keep things relatively simple. In exchange for watching a few commercials, users can browse through entertainment libraries or choose to focus on channels that are dedicated to specific series. When you look at the way that most FAST services present their channels in long lists, it’s easy to get the sense that they’ve been intentionally designed to mimic old cable interfaces. That might speak to entertainment executives beginning to think that icon-dense carousels aren’t necessarily the best way to show off a streamer’s offerings. It could also be a sign that viewers have grown weary of the algorithms streamers use to suggest what content to watch. But it also feels like as the streaming wars have carried on, newer companies realized that the old guard got a few things right.What happens nextBecause people still want to keep up with all of the new stuff coming out of the paid streamers without having to individually sign up for every service, we’re probably going to see even more bundling in the future. Bundling gives consumers a way to save money on their entertainment budgets, and almost every single one of the major streaming companies has offered some kind of deal that gives you access to one or more of their competitors. Similar to FAST channels, streaming bundles are reminiscent of the tiered cable packages telecoms sell, and some companies, like Verizon and T-Mobile, include access to streaming bundles as perks for their subscribers.More individual streaming platforms will likely roll out always-on channels that are designed to give people a way to watch certain series without having to choose a particular episode for themselves. For services like HBO Max, that would be almost like a return to the way HBO’s various channels air on terrestrial television. In addition to helping viewers deal with decision paralysis, always-on channels could also help streaming services ensure that user engagement stays high. And if every streamer in the game decides that paywalled always-on channels, bundles, and even more price increases are the way forward, it’s really going to feel like we’ve come full circle back to cable.By the wayMore streamers have also begun experimenting with vertical content in an effort to meet mobile users where they are. Some of this is a clear response to platforms like TikTok, but it’s also a sign that Hollywood might be serious about getting into microdramas.Cable prices gradually rose as well, but The Hollywood Reporter has a great breakdown of how much more quickly the cost of streaming services rose.Read thisYou should definitely check out The New York Times’ piece looking back on the history of the Cable Center museum in Denver.Digiday has a great breakdown of just how much more expensive streaming services have become since 2019.Though many people have fallen out of love with binge-watching, TheWrap has an interesting report about how the model may be coming back into favor.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Charles Pulliam-MooreCloseCharles Pulliam-MooreFilm & TV ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Charles Pulliam-MooreColumnCloseColumnPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ColumnStreamingCloseStreamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All StreamingThe StepbackCloseThe StepbackPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All The StepbackMost PopularMost PopularIt’s not just LG. 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Streamers are actively recreating the paradigm of cable television in their competition for audience attention, as noted by Charles Pulliam-Moore. This shift is fundamentally rooted in Netflix's evolution; initially, the company experimented with digital access via physical boxes, but pivoted around 2006 after observing public preference for accessible, grainy videos on platforms like YouTube. By successfully disrupting the movie rental market and later introducing original series, Netflix established a potent model that challenged the dominance of traditional cable services by offering instant access to large movie catalogs without requiring expensive cable subscriptions. This success prompted other major entities, including Amazon, Disney, and NBC, to invest heavily in proprietary streaming services, leading to a gradual decline in cable subscriber numbers over the last decade.

Streaming has now become the predominant method for consuming film and television, characterized by an explosion of media access where consumers often subscribe to multiple services. The maturation of this market has introduced financial pressures, resulting in continuous price increases for content access, which has made retention more challenging than when streaming first emerged. In response to these pressures and to appeal to more price-sensitive consumers, many platforms have introduced ad-supported subscription tiers. Furthermore, the emergence of free ad-supported television (FAST) services offers an alternative experience that mimics traditional cable structures, such as Tubi, Roku, and Pluto TV. The design of these FAST services, which present channels in long lists rather than icon-dense carousels, suggests an awareness among entertainment executives that older interface designs might resonate with viewers weary of algorithmic suggestions, signaling a potential shift away from purely algorithmic content recommendations.

Looking ahead, the trajectory of the streaming wars suggests further convergence toward a bundled consumption model, offering consumers ways to save money across various entertainment services, similar to how telecommunications companies offer tiered cable packages. This trend is mirrored by the development of always-on channels, which could eliminate decision paralysis for viewers by providing continuous access to specific series, mirroring the model of traditional terrestrial television channels. If this trend continues and if providers embrace bundling, always-on channels, and increased pricing, the industry risks circling back toward the structure of cable television. Additionally, some streamers are experimenting with vertical content to engage mobile users, reflecting a broader industry move toward microdramas.