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Though there is some debate on whether the rate of "cord cutting" is increasing in general, it's clear that a high percentage of millennials are living in a cable-free world.
According to BI Intelligence, 25% of millennials have never paid for cable, and research suggests they are watching less and less traditional TV as well.
Why? As my colleague Maya Kosoff outlined, one of the reasons is that it's now possible to get your fill of great content for a lower price. If you share your accounts with friends and family, you can get access to a selection of "over-the-top" services like Netflix, Hulu, or HBO Now, for $20 total (or less) a month, plus the cost of internet. This seems like a good deal when compared to a cable package that could run you $100 a month.
But analysts at Needham think that's short-sighted.
In a note to investors on Monday, the analysts wrote that since "consumers pay for everything in the end," the fact that consumers are now demanding things like on-demand viewing, skinny bundles, and the ability to binge on a series, is going to drive up costs.
They say the idea of "choice" is going to become extremely expensive for consumers.
"We believe that if consumers knew now what they will know in 5 years, they would change their mind and go back to the big bundle which costs them $0.25 per viewer hour and gives them 300 channels to choose from at any time," the note says.
In other words, the cost of assembling your ideal roster of shows will eventually become more expensive than your cable bill was, according to Needham.