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Streaming Is More Entertaining than Cable TV, U.S. Adults Say

Online streaming is more entertaining than cable TV, U.S. adults said in a December survey conducted by Flixed. Of those who subscribe to online streaming, 82 percent said it was more enjoyable. 65.6 percent of TV cable subscribers agreed.

If the Emmys are any indication, the future of TV is not on cable. Premium services like HBO, Netflix and Amazon won most of the awards at the September show. Leading up to the event, HBO had 137 nominations and Netflix had 118. Comparatively, NBC received 58 nods and CBS had 43.

It’s probably not a trend that’s going to die down soon. “It’s not a recent trend,” Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush, told CNBC in September. “It’s been consistent, and I think the reason is the premium guys pay up for much more specialized content and they are able to take chances.”

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This chart shows the percent of U.S. adults who are more entertained by online streaming than cable TV.

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Customer satisfaction with cable vs. streaming in the United States in 2017
Most common reasons why connected TV (CTV) users prefer streaming video over cable, satellite, or broadcast TV in the United States as of March 2025
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Share of viewers who use streaming more than traditional TV in the United States in 2017, by age
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Share of cable subscribers who pay for online streaming services in the United States as of December 2017
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Distribution of subscribers of cable TV versus video streaming platforms in the United States as of September 2021
Share of pay TV versus Netflix subscribers in the United States as of October 2018

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