Over half of all cable subscribers would ditch their provider if they could

It’s no secret that a lot of cable subscribers are unhappy with their service—it’s a big reason why “cord-cutting” has gotten so much attention over the past few years. But the results of a new survey may give us a better indication of just how unhappy cable subscribers really are. Citing a survey from market research company cg42, the Washington Post reports that 53% of those polled would leave their cable provider if they felt it was possible to do so. The survey also finds that 73% of respondents feel that cable companies “are predatory in their practices and take advantage of consumers’ lack of choice.” Meanwhile, 72% of survey participants expressed concern that the ever-increasing size of cable companies will hurt, not help, consumers.

Frustrated with rising prices? Check. Keep getting hit with more fees and charges? Check. You’re paying for more channels than you’d ever want to watch? Check. These are just a handful of the most common complaints consumers have when it comes to grappling with cable companies. And it’s not just anecdotal: A survey of subscribers on the nation’s biggest cable providers has found that more than half of Americans would abandon their cable provider if they felt they could. Cable rage is real, and here’s the data to prove it. Fifty-three percent of respondents to a recent survey said they’d leave their current cable company — if they had a choice. But as many as 70 percent said their options are too limited, according to the study by consulting group cg42. The list of options may soon narrow even further with several impending mergers, such as the proposed deal between Comcast and Time Warner Cable, as well as the acquisition of DirecTV by AT&T (not a cable merger but one that would eliminate a player in the wider pay-TV market). Consumers pushed back against those agreements, with 72 percent saying that the larger the cable companies become, the worse off consumers will be.