YouTube TV Customers Most Satisfied; Live Streamers Far Ahead of Cable
Hulu + Live TV came in a close second, but all live TV services performed better than traditional cable.
Generally when people think of awards season in the entertainment industry, they think of red carpets and bright lights designed to show off of the the glitz and glamor of TV and movie stars. However, J.D. Power doesn’t do its awards quite that way, but that doesn’t make them any less prestigious to those who win them.
For the first time in its history last year, J.D. Power gave an award for the best live TV streaming service based on customer satisfaction. In 2022, Fubo was the live streamer that took home the crown, but this year the top spot goes to YouTube TV, which squeaked out a victory over Hulu + Live TV by just 10 points.
J.D. Power awards are based on a 1,000-point score; YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV were the only two services to score better than the segment average of 781. Last year’s winner Fubo fell to fifth, but all live TV services managed to register a score of 742 or better, suggesting that customers are generally satisfied with whatever service they subscribe to. The data matches up with a 2022 survey that found 74% of users were happy with their streaming platforms.
When compared to cable, the numbers for live TV streamers look even better. No cable provider scored above 709 in customer satisfaction, and the average satisfaction for that segment is just a hair over 700. DIRECTV STREAM customers are more satisfied than their satellite TV counterparts by 45 points, as each cable company falls well below live streamers in the rankings. DISH is the top cable/satellite provider, with DIRECTV coming in second.
J.D. Power also found that the likelihood of customers switching their live TV streaming service in the next year was just 12%. That number shoots up to 21% among cable customers, with the data pointing to cost as the main reason for any potential changes. Satisfaction with the cost of service is 156 points higher among live-streaming customers than it is for cable subscribers, which makes sense given the average cost of services like Hulu + Live TV is $69 per month, as opposed to $113 for cable.
“Although the cost of running a cable or satellite providing company is innately more expensive given the engineering and execution of such a service, it is hard to ignore the vast difference in cost between them and the live TV streaming companies,” J.D. Power senior director of technology, media and telecom intelligence Carl Lepper said. “Despite the varying cost, streaming is succeeding in all areas, especially customer care. Of the mere 30% of all streaming customers contacting customer service this year, 84% feel that it was somewhat or very easy to resolve their problem. This is key to not only maintaining their current customer base, but also for continued growth.”
The firm did not do a customer satisfaction study on subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services like Disney+ and Max. However, the American Consumer Satisfaction Index did release such a survey earlier this year, which found that Prime Video is tops in terms of customer ratings, with Peacock coming in second. That survey also polled customers regarding live streamers, and Hulu + Live TV came out on top.
Feel free to take a bow, live TV streamers. YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV may have taken the top two spots from J.D. Power’s latest customer satisfaction ratings, but all live TV services are scoring higher marks than their counterparts on linear television.
Hulu Live TV
Hulu Live TV is a live TV streaming service with more than 70 channels for $76.99/month. Hulu + Live TV base plan includes local channels, 33 of the top 35 cable channels, and regional sports networks (RSNs). Subscribers get free access to Disney+ and ESPN+ at no extra charge.