I think the cost-benefit of this will vary based on the person: Someone who replaces the entertainment they used to get from satellite/cable with more frequent visits to the cinema will probably end up having increased their expenses. Someone who replaces the entertainment they used to get from satellite/cable with reliance on entertainment sources that they explicitly favor less will probably also end up having made a poor choice. The reason why satellite/cable costs so much, today, is that it actually provides a remarkably good value. It could be a better value - surely - but sometimes it seems that some people are cutting their nose to spite their face in cutting the cord, especially given that there are other high expenses they incur (smartphone data service, cigarettes, liquor, expensive hobbies like skiing, nights out on the town, etc.) that provide less bang-for-the-buck.
