Incentives for live pay TV subscription over online video services in the U.S. by age, 2019

A recent survey found that access to live news was the main reason for Americans to keep live pay TV, with 80 percent of those aged over 35 highlighting live news as the reason why they do not cut the cord and instead rely solely on online video services. Whilst live news was also important to the majority of younger viewers, those aged 18 to 35 years old were more open to canceling their pay TV subscriptions, or only kept them due to a poor internet connection. However all ages agreed that watching new TV episodes as soon as they are broadcast was important, with 57 percent of all respondents citing this as their reason to subscribe to pay TV.

Reasons for subscribing to live pay TV instead of relying on online video services in the United States as of August 2019, by age

Characteristic	18-34	35+
Live news is important to me	51%	80%
I want to watch new TV episodes when they are first broadcast	57%	57%
It is easier to find something to watch	54%	52%
Live sports are important to me	55%	52%
Pay TV is more convenient to use	48%	52%
Pay TV has a better user interface	42%	32%
I am open to canceling my pay TV subscription but others in my household want to keep it	45%	25%
My internet connection is too slow for internet video	30%	18%

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Release date

January 2019

More information

Region

United States

Survey time period

August 2019

Number of respondents

3,234 respondents

Age group

18 years and older

Method of interview

Online survey

Supplementary notes

*Pay TV subscribers who responds "strongly agree" or "agree"

Question: To what extent do you agree with the following reasons to subscribe to live pay TV instead of relying only on online video?

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