Most viewers want live TV and on-demand video in same streaming plan
Most viewers want live TV and on-demand video in same streaming plan
New data from Parks Associates shows that audiences are eager for video packages that combine different types of content.
While some consumer habits change all the time, others have stayed consistent since commerce was invented. Buyers like having choices, and that’s true for cord-cutters as much as for other consumers, according to a new study from Parks Associates. Its latest consumer research shows that more than half of internet households in the United States prefer a video package that combines live TV and on-demand streaming, a trend that has been gaining traction in the marketplace of late.
Key Details:
- Give us more: Over 50% of viewers want live TV and on-demand content in the same package.
- Slim down: Nearly 70% of respondents who subscribe to live TV streamers find skinny bundles appealing.
- More coming?: The data could serve as a goad to streamers to continue diversifying their packages.
The data from Parks Associates shows that 27% of U.S. internet households prefer a live-TV channel package that bundles on-demand streamers with their plan. Another 24% of viewers say they prefer a skinny channel bundle that includes their favorite subscription streamer, totaling 51% of all surveyed.
Combined, only 17% of viewers say they want only live TV or only on-demand streaming. Pay-TV as we know it will never be the same dominant business model that it once was, but the data clearly shows that viewers are nowhere near ready to make the switch to on-demand entertainment only.
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“Consumers are not necessarily choosing between live TV and streaming. Many want access to both in one package,” Parks Associates executive Michael Goodman said. “Providers have the opportunity to offer greater flexibility to their consumers while making it easier to access the content they value.”
The data from Parks also shows that 68% of subscribers to live TV streaming services like DIRECTV, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV find the idea of a skinny bundle appealing in general. Viewers now have more options in this regard than ever before; YouTube TV now has more than 10 genre-based skinny channel packages available, and DIRECTV has several that combine live TV channels with on-demand streaming subscriptions.
“Skinny bundles offer providers an opportunity to address consumers who want to maintain access to live television but are increasingly sensitive to the cost and size of traditional channel packages,” Goodman said. “The strongest opportunity is retention. These packages can give existing subscribers another option before they decide to cancel service entirely.”
Customers have reason to expect that more skinny bundles and plans that combine live channels with on-demand streamers are on the way. DIRECTV recently announced a new distribution partnership adding Netflix to select plans, and Netflix itself now offers content from a major live TV channel to its French customers. Streamers are responding to customer desires for more types of content on the same platform, and there could be more to come.
DIRECTV
DIRECTV is one of The Streamable’s top choices for the best live TV streaming service overall in 2026, especially for users who want the most channels or want to watch the most live sports. With an unbeatable lineup of local, news, sports, and entertainment channels, three main signature packages, an unlimited DVR, and 20 simultaneous streams at home, DIRECTV remains a premier choice for any cord-cutter.