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Leichtman: 65% of Homes Use a Streaming TV Device

According to the latest data from Leichtman Research, roughly 65% of all homes have at least one streaming device currently connected to their television set. That can be anything from a smart TV itself, to a game console, streaming stick, streaming box, or other device. The 65% mark is up dramatically from 44% of all households in 2013, and 24% of all households in 2010.

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The survey also found that 74% of homes have more than one device, with a mean of 3.3 streaming devices per connected TV household. By contrast, 77% of TV sets in pay-TV households have a pay-TV provider's set-top box, with a mean of 2.2 boxes per pay-TV household.

Some additional findings of note from the study:

• 83% of households with any type of connected TV device get a pay-TV service -- similar to 81% with no connected TV devices

• 38% of adults with a pay-TV service watch video via a connected TV device at least weekly -- compared to 48% of pay-TV non-subscribers

• 79% of all TV sets in US households are HDTVs -- an increase from 34% of all TV sets in 2010, and 3% in 2004

• 33% of non-4K Ultra HDTV owners have seen one in use -- up from 10% in 2014

• 25% of those who have seen a 4K HDTV in use are interested in getting one -- compared to 9% of those who have not seen a 4K HDTV

"Connected TV devices are now in nearly two-thirds of all TV households in the US, and there are actually more connected TV devices in US households than there are pay-TV set-top boxes," Bruce Leichtman said of the findings. "New forms of competition from Internet-delivered video via connected TVs, along with technological innovations in the pay-TV industry, are allowing consumers to choose more options for accessing and watching TV than they have ever had before."

And, with a huge number of streaming services waiting it the wings, it's not a stretch to say that Internet video as a TV competitor is only just getting started.
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cork1958
Cork
Premium Member
join:2000-02-26

cork1958

Premium Member

I recently joined that club!

Recently joined the streaming club on 2 tv's!

Not that much into tv, but like to experiment, and also, trying to find a way to cut the cord that satisfies wife!
jzmax73
join:2011-05-13
Tampa, FL

jzmax73

Member

Re: I recently joined that club!

LOL vis-a-vis "cord" and "wife"
boredsysadm
join:2012-01-11

1 recommendation

boredsysadm

Member

65% of Homes HAVE a Streaming TV Device

Have a streaming TV Device and USE a streaming TV Device - quite two different things
I can easily envision a family with xbox connected to tv and internet, but never use it for streaming video.

That said, I forgot last time I watched live TV, oh I remember - watching ball drop at TimesSquare on xmas. Had plug antenna directly to TV just for that.

maartena
Elmo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA

-1 recommendation

maartena

Premium Member

Re: 65% of Homes HAVE a Streaming TV Device

said by boredsysadm:

That said, I forgot last time I watched live TV, oh I remember - watching ball drop at TimesSquare on xmas. Had plug antenna directly to TV just for that.

Same here. I have an antenna, I bought a $40 antenna from Home Depot, pulled the DirecTV dish off of its mount on the roof, replaced it with said antenna and used the same cable, so I have broadcast TV on both TV's I own, and it comes in crystal clear....

But do I use it? Rarely for live stuff. One of the cable runs goes to my computer so I record some shows off of OTA channels, mainly from the big channels... such as The Voice, a show both my wife and I enjoy.... but that's about it. I've turned it on for breaking news live events and such a few times, but those events were also streamed live on a local station's website.
maartena

maartena

Premium Member

Re: 65% of Homes HAVE a Streaming TV Device

said by maartena:

But do I use it? Rarely for live stuff. One of the cable runs goes to my computer so I record some shows off of OTA channels, mainly from the big channels... such as The Voice, a show both my wife and I enjoy.... but that's about it. I've turned it on for breaking news live events and such a few times, but those events were also streamed live on a local station's website.

Woohoo! I got a downvote from our favorite cable company defender, hobgoblin! You sure like downvoting anything that might interfere with your time warner cable (soon charter) 401k, ey?

Selenia
Gentoo Convert
Premium Member
join:2006-09-22
Fort Smith, AR

Selenia

Premium Member

Re: 65% of Homes HAVE a Streaming TV Device

It's probably your mentioning "The Voice" that got the downvote lol. Seriously, he is my favorite cable company defender because unlike most of them, he does actually try to help with your issue instead of saying it's your fault. He did so with my internet, though the resolution came via my own troubleshooting(modem taking a dump just enough to cause random issues). Cord cheater here. Hubby insists on enough cable to get the regional and national news programs he enjoys live. But was able to cut the fat. Would cut entirely if I lived alone. I stream almost exclusively and occasionally watch the locals. Rent Blurays for anything I must see that is not available very rarely.
IluvMoney (banned)
join:2015-05-04
MiddleClass

3 recommendations

IluvMoney (banned) to boredsysadm

Member

to boredsysadm
said by boredsysadm:

watching ball drop at TimesSquare on xmas.

xmas?? You mean New Year's Eve.
boredsysadm
join:2012-01-11

boredsysadm

Member

Re: 65% of Homes HAVE a Streaming TV Device

yes. my bad. NYE of course
sandman_1
join:2011-04-23
11111

sandman_1

Member

Streaming

We have been streaming for years and my kids have hardly had Cable TV and surely don't miss it. They watch PBS and Netflix but mostly watch the content I have on my Plex server almost all of it commercial free. The only time I watch live tv through our OTA antenna, is to watch the nightly news or during holidays to watch the parade or something. People waste so much of their time on Cable TV browsing (channel surfing) for something to watch through all the garbage on it now a days. Now when I watch something, I watch it and don't have to waste time looking for it and watch it when I want to. Once you cut the cord and realize that power, there is no going back to the old Cable TV model.

And lastly, when my kids get to be adults out on their own, do you think they will subscribe to Cable TV? No. The clock is ticking on these cable companies. The gravy train is coming to an end.

maartena
Elmo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA

1 recommendation

maartena

Premium Member

On-Demand

Whether it is streaming through the internet, or some other form of on-demand system through cable or otherwise.... That is where it is going. Linear TV is going to survive only for news, sports, and other events that have to be live, but all programming will eventually go to some form of on-demand system where the viewer will be presented with a large catalog of programs that he/she can watch at any time, and do not have to remember to record first.

This CAN also be done with a cable-only subscriptions, without internet, and although cable has had On-Demand for years, its always been an "add-on" to the networks more than anything, and the content is not super extensive compared to streaming services. This is mostly because cable companies are held in an iron grip by the linear TV channel owners who REALLY want their viewers to watch their commercials, too. But the DVR has been here for 15+ years, and the reality is many people already do not watch commercials, unless its a live broadcast.

Right now, the kings of "on-demand" material are internet based streaming services, and in the last 10 years or so the TV industry has continuously lost customers, and since we also added about 20 million human beings to this country in those 10 years you would think we would see an increase in TV subscriptions as well. Most of those 20 million are newborn, but if we go back 30 years we added about 50 million new people to this country, and many of those are those who we call "millennials", those who entered their teenhood in the late 90s or early 2000s, and are now all moving out and finding their way in the world.

TV subscriptions are declining.
Population is in increasing.
Streaming service subscriptions have increased MASSIVELY. (Granted, many as a add-on to traditional TV)

In short: If the cable companies don't make some drastic changes in the way they do business, they will eventually not do a lot of business anymore.

NO to ESPN
@zscaler.com

1 recommendation

NO to ESPN

Anon

Streaming is Part of the Package Now a Days

Most TV based electronics now have streaming technology built in so it is not a big deal. Show me a mainstream TV or blu ray player that does not have streaming built in as a standard option. Heck on Sony devices Netflix has their own button on the remotes.

I view streaming as the way people are getting ala carte. I wonder when Comcast or at&t will try and buy Netflix or Amazon Prime in order to try and control.
NefCanuck
join:2007-06-26
Mississauga, ON

NefCanuck

Member

Streaming of live TV

Heck, I use a streaming device to even stream live OTA TV to my iPad / iPhone so I don't have to fire up my entire HT system to watch TV.

Besides which unless I'm watching HD signals, SD signals can look like crap at 55" whereas at the 12.9" of an iPad they're perfectly fine.

NefCanuck