Among those who have pay-TV service, 97% have no plans to cut the cord.
While cord cutting and shaving may be challenges for pay-TV providers, the vast majority of US consumers still say they are not ready to give up on these proven and deeply established sources of entertainment.
New Cord Evolution research from GfK MRI shows that almost three-quarters (71%) of all US consumers say they have cable, satellite, or telco TV service and have no plans to drop it. This includes the majority of the crucial 18 to34 age group (58%), as well as 69% of people ages 35 to 49, and 80% of those 50 and over (see infographic).
“Reliability” and “comfort” are the top reasons that these viewers cite for sticking with their cords. Among adults ages 18 to 64, the #1 reason for keeping pay-TV is “simply being used to it,” followed by “convenient to have everything in one place” and “I need it to watch the shows I want to watch.”
Young adults (ages 18 to 34), however, are more likely to cite “channel surfing” and “access to live content” as reasons why they are sticking with their cords.
Large numbers of pay-TV subscribers are adding to their cord services rather than replacing them. Over half (55%) of pay-TV loyalists are “stacking” other services – such as subscription streaming video – on top of cable or satellite access. Among 18 to 34 loyalists, the proportion of “stackers” rises to 76%.
Although roughly three-quarters of consumers are still “loyal to the cord,” MRI has seen a 6-point decline in this group since 2015, from 77% of all US adults to 71% now. And among those 18 to 34, this metric has fallen 9 points, from 67% to 58%, in the same timeframe.
Source: Almost ¾ of US Consumers Have a TV Cord and Plan to Keep It – MRI. (2018, August 27). GfK.