FORT MILL, SC — Jan. 15, 2020 — A new study commissioned by Reviews.com takes a look at why Americans choose to cut the cord, and the satisfaction of those who have. The survey found that, of those who have completely cut the cord, 77% did so for money-related reasons, with 81% reporting they are spending less money, and 86% being unlikely to return to cable.
Despite high satisfaction rates among people who have fully eliminated traditional television, the majority of Americans (61%) have not fully cut the cord — 35% still pay for cable or satellite television only, while 26% pay for cable or satellite in addition to streaming services.
While only 21% of Americans have completely cut the cord, 45% of those cord cutters made that choice primarily in order to spend less money on television. Other factors that led to the decision to end their traditional cable or satellite TV subscriptions include no longer wanting to pay for channels/features they don’t use (23%) and dissatisfaction with their cable provider (14%).
“A lower monthly bill is one of the main appeals of cutting the cord. But with the growing number of live and on-demand streaming options, we wanted to know whether people were actually saving money,” said Adam Benjamin, Digital Services Editor, Reviews.com. “The results showed that the overwhelming majority of people who cut the cord do end up spending less, and about six out of seven people said they wouldn’t go back to traditional cable.”
While the majority of Americans were able to save money by eliminating traditional cable, a key factor in those savings was limiting the number of streaming services to which they subscribe. Of those who are only streaming, the majority subscribe to two or three streaming services (61%), 26% subscribe to just one service and 13% subscribe to four or more streaming services.
For more information, contact: Megan Wilburn | Communications Associate, Reviews.com | [email protected]
Study Methodology
Reviews.com commissioned YouGov Plc to conduct the survey. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,307 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken Sep. 11-12. The survey was carried out online and meets rigorous quality standards. It employed a non probability-based sample using both quotas upfront during collection and then a weighting scheme on the back end designed and proven to provide nationally representative results.
About Reviews.com
Reviews.com started as a small group of consumer advocates in 2013 and was acquired by Red Ventures in 2016. Today, its operations span the U.S., with testing facilities in Seattle, New York City and Fort Mill, South Carolina. Our mission is simple: to be a trusted purchase companion on everything you subscribe to. For more information, visit https://www.reviews.com/about/.