THREE OUT OF FIVE US TV HOUSEHOLDS HAVE BOTH PAY-TV AND SVOD

Recent research released by Leichtman Research Group, Inc. suggests that 60% of U.S. TV households have both a pay-TV service and at least one SVOD service. In addition, 20% of TV households have an SVOD service but not pay-TV, 14% only have a pay-TV service, and 6% have neither service. “Consumers continue to choose the video services that best fit their households’ needs,” said Bruce Leichtman, President, and Principal Analyst for Leichtman Research Group, Inc. “For 60% of households, this includes both pay-TV and SVOD services.”

The study was conducted through a telephone survey with approximately 2,000 households from throughout the US and serves as part of a new LRG study, Pay-TV in the U.S. 2020. “Traditional pay-TV services from cable, satellite, and Telco providers are now in less than two-thirds of U.S households, while an increasing number of households are opting to get live pay-TV from Internet-delivered vMVPD services,” Leichtman said.

Among traditional pay-TV subscribers, 79% of respondants have an SVOD service, and 96% of individuals getting live pay-TV from an Internet-delivered vMVPD also have an SVOD service.  In comparison, 76% of pay-TV non-subscribers have an SVOD service.

Other findings indicate that 74% of TV households in the U.S. get a live pay-TV service through a cable, DBS, Telco, or Internet-delivered vMVPD, compared to 85% in 2015, 88% in 2010, and 82% in 2005. 81% of adults ages 55+ have a pay-TV service,compared to 76% of ages 35-54, and 63% of ages 18-34. 27% with both pay-TV and SVOD are ages 18-34 – compared to 46% with SVOD-only. 

The study showed that 38% of those that moved in the past year do not currently get a pay-TV service, a higher level compared to any previous year.  Over 33% of pay-TV non-subscribers last had a pay-TV service within the past 3 years, 34% last subscribed more than 3 years ago, and 33% never had a live pay-TV service. 13% of all TV households are pay-TV non-subscribers with a TV antenna.