The reason cable is bundled as a discount is twofold: (1) you can get upsold later on a bigger and better package ("only $9.99 more!"), and (2) the bundle is a

The reason cable is bundled as a discount is twofold: (1) you can get upsold later on a bigger and better package ("only $9.99 more!"), and (2) the bundle is a temporary/promotional rate -- after a fixed amount of time, long after you've forgotten about the fine print, your cable bill jumps up. Source: worked a summer during college for a cable company, trying to appease thousands of pissed off customers.