State of Streaming: Satisfaction with streaming providers

How are Americans really feeling about their streaming services? Recently, we surveyed nearly 1,500 cord-cutters to get a clearer picture of how people are watching, what they’re paying, and which services they are most satisfied with. The results reveal shifting habits in a saturated streaming market and point to what matters most as we speed right through 2025.

Streaming services people use

We asked users which live TV streaming services they currently subscribe to, and the results show a clear leader — along with a few platforms trailing behind.

Here’s the breakdown:

YouTube TV: 30%
Hulu + Live TV: 10%
Sling TV: 7%
DIRECTV STREAM – 6%
Fubo: 3%
Philo: 3%
DIRECTV via internet: 2%
Dish: 2%
None of the above: 38%

YouTube TV stands out as the dominant option, selected by nearly one in three respondents. This should come as no surprise, as the Google-owned streamer has essentially lapped the field in terms of subscribers. YouTube TV first eclipsed 8 million subscribers in early 2024, and no other service has yet even approached that total.

However, Hulu + Live TV has done an admirable job in building a customer base with a little bit of a hand from the rest of the Disney Bundle. As of its last public disclosure, Hulu’s live streamer had 4.4 million customers. While our survey showed a bigger gap between YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, those two cable-replacement services are the most dominant platforms in the market.

In terms of a more cost-conscious option, Sling TV is the leading option, while services like Fubo, Philo, and DIRECTV’s newly unified internet-based offerings serve smaller but loyal segments. Notably, more than one-third of respondents said they weren’t currently subscribed to any of the listed live TV providers — underscoring the continued reliance on on-demand viewing options as the core entertainment source for cord-cutters.

Satisfaction with streaming

Despite rising subscription costs and service fragmentation, the majority of users still feel good about their streaming experience. Fifty-eight percent of respondents said that they are satisfied with their current streaming setup. Meanwhile, 33% remained neutral, suggesting that while a good portion aren’t thrilled with their streaming experience, they are content enough to stay subscribed.

Only 9% of respondents indicated that they were dissatisfied, a relatively low number considering the increasing number of price hikes and content reshuffles that took place in 2024. This general satisfaction likely reflects improved app performance, better device compatibility, and the burgeoning trend of being able to more specifically tailor subscriptions to personal needs.

How many services do people use?

Streaming in 2025 is rarely a single-platform experience. Nearly half of respondents (49%) subscribe to two to four streaming services, suggesting that most households use a combination of live and on-demand platforms to meet their entertainment needs.

Another 38% said that they use more than five services, highlighting the reality of content fragmentation. Users are stacking services in order to follow their favorite shows and sports, something that wasn’t necessary in the cable era of entertainment. Only 12% of survey participants limit themselves to one single service, underscoring how rare it is to find an all-in-one provider that meets everyone’s needs in a household. For many, subscribing across platforms has become the cost of convenience.

Monthly spending on streaming

The typical streaming bill has ballooned over the past year. According to our survey, 35% of users are now spending between $50 and $100 each month on streaming. That range likely includes a mix of both live TV services (which tend to be more expensive) and multiple on-demand subscriptions.

According to our findings, 26% of consumers spend over $100 per month, which may include add-ons, premium bundles, or high-tier plans across several services. In contrast, just 19% of respondents manage to spend $25 or less, often by limiting their subscriptions or relying on free trials and bundled access. For most households, streaming now resembles a cable bill both in terms of cost and complexity.

Bundled benefits

Bundling remains a popular way to reduce costs or at least feel like you’re getting more value. Thirty-one percent of respondents said that they receive streaming as part of an Amazon Prime membership, taking advantage of a service they likely already use for shopping. Fourteen percent of people pay for streaming via a phone bill, with carriers offering discounted or free access to platforms like Netflix or Disney+.

Still, 36% of respondents don’t use any bundled services at all, either because they prefer direct subscriptions or because their preferred platforms aren’t included in the typical bundle options. Our data suggests that while bundling is common, it’s far from universal.

Churn vs. loyalty

Loyalty remained high in 2025, but churn wasn’t far behind. Seventy percent of users reported that they planned on sticking with their existing services, showing strong platform stickiness despite the broader trend of subscription fatigue.

However, 50% said they canceled at least one streaming service during 2024. These cancellations may be cyclical (pausing subscriptions between seasons) or reactive (dropping services due to price hikes or lack of content), but the ease with which people can end a streaming subscription puts it in stark contrast to the way that cable and satellite services operate. Interestingly, some users cancel services but later return when new content is added, suggesting that streaming churn is now more dynamic and seasonal than permanent.

What matters most?

When it comes to picking a streaming service, users are focused on getting the best value for their money and making sure that the service works seamlessly with their devices. Our survey found that the most important features tend to be practical: People want affordable pricing, access to local channels, and reliable ways to watch live sports. Technical features like 4K or surround sound are nice to have, but they aren’t dealbreakers for most viewers.

Here are the features that matter most to users:

Affordable pricing
Access to local channels
Live sports availability
Device compatibility (smart TVs, streaming sticks, etc.)
Channel variety
Reliable streaming quality
DVR functionality
Support for 4K resolution and surround sound (less critical)

Preferred streaming devices

Not surprisingly, smart TVs are the most popular way to stream, with 56% of users preferring to watch on a television. This reflects not only the ubiquity of smart TVs in American households but also the improvement in built-in streaming apps across major brands. Roku devices came in second with 44%, followed by Fire TV, Apple TV, and traditional web-based or mobile viewing.

The dominance of smart TVs and Roku devices suggests a continued shift away from desktop viewing and toward a lean-back experience in the living room.