Nearly everyone streams TV these days; only 36% watch traditional TV
Nearly everyone streams TV these days; only 36% watch traditional TV
New data from Pew shows that over 80% of audiences use streaming services, and 90% of fans use a streamer to watch sports.
Have seemingly constant price jumps across the streaming industry taken their toll on overall viewership? Not according to a new survey from Pew Research. The study finds that total streaming viewership in the United States remains strong. However, there do appear to be further opportunities for sports leagues to meet viewers where they are, even as nearly everyone who watches TV does so via streaming.
Key Details:
- Streaming over cable: More than 80% of viewers stream video, but only 36% subscribe to cable or satellite.
- Sports surge: Nine out of 10 sports viewers now use at least one streamer to watch live games.
- Priced out?: Most viewers still say that streaming services are worth the cost.
The data from Pew shows that 83% of American adults say they watch at least one streaming service. That number is more or less consistent with results taken over the past several years; between 80% and 85% of audiences have said they use streamers dating back to at least 2022.
Younger viewers are predictably more likely to stream video than their older counterparts. Eighty-five percent of audiences between the ages of 18 and 29 use streaming services, and the number jumps to 92% among those between 30 and 49. Only one age group uses streaming at a below-average rate: adults 65+. Only 65% of that demographic watches TV via streaming services. Also unsurprising is that income splits show that streaming is more likely to be adopted by middle and upper-income viewers.
Click chart to enlarge.
Traditional pay-TV doesn’t fare so well in the Pew survey. Only 36% of audiences say they watch TV via a cable or satellite service, with just 8% of the total field of respondents saying they only subscribe to a pay-TV plan with no streaming subscriptions. On the other end of the spectrum, 55% say they are subscribed to streaming services, but no pay-TV.
Which streamers are getting the most eyes? Unsurprisingly, Netflix is tops, with 72% of respondents saying they watch programming on that service. Prime Video is next at 67%, with Hulu coming in third at 52%. Apple TV+ and ESPN+ were the least-watched streaming services among participants of the Pew survey.
Click to enlarge.
Hulu was most likely to be used by younger audiences, with 72% of those aged 18 to 29 saying that they use the streamer. Older viewers were more likely to watch Prime Video; 78% of respondents age 30 to 49 say they watch the streamer. In general, adults under 50 are more likely to use a given streaming platform than those over 50.
Despite the price increases that have taken hold in the industry in the past few years, most respondents still say they think the cost is worth the content they get in return. Forty-four percent say that streaming is worth the cost, with 31% saying it is not, and 25% admitting that they are not sure.
In a separate, but related study from Performance Research and Full Circle Research, it was learned that sports fans are continuing to increase their streaming usage. Nine out of every 10 sports viewers say that they watch live games on streaming, with Prime Video being identified as the most-watched among top services by 65% of respondents, undoubtedly bouyed by its weekly NFL game on Thursday nights. Thirty-nine percent watch live sports on ESPN+, followed by Peacock at 37% and Paramount+ at 32%.
Finally, Pew’s survey took a look at how likely viewers are to be sharing passwords, despite efforts by Netflix and nearly every other streamer to curb the practice. In total, 26% of all subscribers admit to sharing passwords, but the number jumps to 47% among those 18 to 29. This continues a pattern of shared streaming usage by those who are less likely to have disposable income for streaming accounts of their own.
Click chart to enlarge.
The behavior of streaming customers will continue to evolve as the industry does, but the data from Pew continues to point to an inescapable fact: streaming is here to stay, even if it doesn’t always stay the same.
Prime Video
Prime Video is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 10,000+ movies, TV shows, and Prime Originals like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and more. Subscribers can also add third-party services like Max, Showtime, STARZ, and dozens more with Prime Video Channels. Prime Video also offers exclusive live access to NFL Thursday Night Football.