Survey: 44% of US with vMVPD switched from pay-TV
April 7, 2020
Consumer research from Leichtman Research Group (LRG) found that of US households that currently have a live streaming vMVPD pay-TV service (virtual Multichannel Video Programming Distributors, like Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, YouTube TV, or AT&T TV NOW), 44 per cent switched directly from a traditional (cable, satellite, or Telco) pay-TV service, and 26 per cent also have a traditional service. In addition, 18 per cent switched from another vMVPD service, and 12 per cent were most recently non-subscribers to any type of pay-TV service. This distribution is similar to last year.
Overall, 18 per cent of adults ages 18-44 currently have a vMVPD service – compared to 9 per cent of ages 45 and above. Ages 18-44 now account for 65 per cent of adults in the US that have a vMVPD pay-TV service.
These findings are based on an online survey of 6,462 households from throughout the US.
Other related findings include:
- 76 per cent of vMVPD subscribers are very satisfied with their service – compared to 69 per cent in 2018
- 14 per cent are very likely to switch from a vMVPD service in the next six months – compared to 27 per cent in 2018
- 54 per cent of vMVPD households have three or more TV sets
- 42 per cent that have both a vMVPD and a traditional pay-TV service cite having more choices or options as the reason for getting both, 15 per cent cite serving multiple people or TVs in the household, 14 per cent cite channels or content only available from one type, and 8 per cent cite testing or trailing a service
- 95 per cent with a vMVPD service also have an SVoD service from Netflix, Amazon Prime, and/or Hulu – compared to 74 per cent of traditional pay-TV subscribers, and 77 per cent of non-subscribers in TV households
- 79 per cent of all households have at least one SVoD or DTC streaming video service, and 44 per cent have three or more of these services
“More than ever, consumers are exploring the trade-offs between traditional and vMVPD pay-TV services—along with an increasing number of streaming options—to find the combination of content and cost that best meets their needs,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group, Inc. “Younger adults and those with more people and TVs in the household have thus far proven to be most attracted to the lower-cost and lower-channel vMVPD options.”