‘Cordcutting’ in the Netherlands: this is how you watch television without a TV subscription | Tech

With most providers nowadays it is possible to take internet without a television. This usually involves a cheaper subscription, which allows you to use the internet but not watch television.

In the Netherlands, only 12 percent choose not to take out a television subscription. This is evident from figures from market researcher Telecom paper† That is not much, but it is double compared to three years ago. Mainly young people are ‘cordcutters’, as people are called who stop with a television subscription. One in five young households no longer has a TV subscription.

Yet nowadays you don’t have to miss anything without a television subscription. This can be done by watching television via an app, or by choosing alternatives.

It has been possible to watch television via an app for a long time, but the options are getting better and better. If you only watch NPO channels, you don’t even have to pay extra for that. Via the NPO app you can watch NPO 1, 2 and 3 live for free and watch previously broadcast programs. For 5 euros you can purchase a Videoland subscription to watch the channels of RTL there.

NLZiet is much more extensive. With this app you not only watch the three NPO channels, but also the different channels of RTL and SBS. You can also watch live or replay programs with NLZiet. That costs 7.95 euros per month.

If you are going to watch television via apps, you have to take a few extra steps instead of pressing a single button on the remote control. But both the NPO app and the NLZiet app can be installed on most smart televisions. Otherwise, it is possible to connect a media box or a Chromecast, so that you can just watch the old-fashioned way on your television screen instead of via the screen of your smartphone.

Providers also see the growing role of these apps and are therefore increasingly offering their own options for television apps, but as part of their subscription.

If you don’t like the public and commercial television channels, there are also plenty of alternatives. The number of streaming services in the Netherlands is growing rapidly.

Recently, ViaPlay and HBO Max have joined the range of streaming services in the Netherlands. With Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Videoland and Apple TV+ in the app stores, there is something to watch every night.

A big advantage of streaming services compared to television channels is that you decide when you watch something and you are not disturbed by advertisements. A subscription to some of these streaming services can also be cheaper than a television subscription.

Combined, the streaming services are more expensive than a television subscription, but these services can easily be canceled monthly. That is why it can be smart to change shifts regularly.