The use of alternative viewing platforms by U.S. consumers is poised to eclipse cable and satellite TV, with nearly half of consumers already using streaming video services such as Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon Prime and Hulu.
The Zogby Analytics survey, commissioned by CALinnovates, found that “cord cutter” platform adoption is already widespread, and that fewer than half of Americans believe that cable and satellite TV service as we know it will remain widespread in 2020. The survey shows that 44 percent of consumers are already accessing movies and television via cord cutting. That includes 57 percent of consumers between the ages of 18 to 29, and 63 percent of parents with a child under 17.
Only 42.5 percent of consumers believe that cable or satellite TV service will remain in wide use in 2020. For women, the figure drops to 37 percent.
Just 37 percent of consumers between the ages of 18 to 24 plan to continue to subscribe to cable or satellite TV service, while a mere 28 percent of consumers 18 to 24 plan to continue to watch their favorite shows live using satellite or cable.
“It’s no longer accurate to simply say that streaming video is the future of entertainment, because the future is now,” said CALinnovates’ executive director, Mike Montgomery. “That is why policymakers need to understand that Americans are rapidly adopting these technologies, and that regulations must enable this next generation of technology to flourish and innovate.”
