Report: Netflix Subscriber Total Will Soon Surpass Cable TV Netflix isn't a pesky, small startup anymore. A new report by Price Waterhouse Cooper indicates that the streaming company now has as many subscribers as traditional cable alternatives. According to the survey of 2,000 pay TV subscribers, 73% say they pay for traditional pay TV--a 3% drop from 2016. 73% is the exact number of subscribers that say they also use Netflix on a consistent basis. With Netflix adding 850,000 US subscribers to top 50 million users this year, Netflix is expected to take the lead shortly.

The report notes that Netflix streaming is soaring across all demographics. Especially among those 50-59 years old, where 63% now stream TV content compared to 48% just last year. Of course as streaming becomes more popular, incumbent broadband/TV providers have responded by expanding unnecessary usage caps and overage fees, which lets them not only counter lost TV revenues by hiking broadband rates, but also makes cutting the cord more expensive for the end user. Especially since these companies own streaming content is often cap exempt (aka zero rating). Not everything is rosy in streaming land, however. The report is quick to note that consumers only have so much disposable income to go around, and that, contrary to apparent industry belief, they can't afford dozens upon dozens of individual subscription fees. "While respondents indicate they have four services on average--including Pay TV and digital services--they only watch about two of those services on a regular basis," notes the report. "Just a quarter of consumers say they can handle using more than four services in addition to Pay TV. Looking for content only adds to the burden." Of course this push to create fractured silos of exclusive content only makes this problem worse. With every company and their cousin now launching their own streaming service (then stocking it with their own exclusives), there's a real risk of confusing and angering subscribers, which will likely result in a surge in piracy rates if these companies don't tread carefully. Of course this push to create fractured silos of exclusive content only makes this problem worse. With every company and their cousin now launching their own streaming service (then stocking it with their own exclusives), there's a real risk of confusing and angering subscribers, which will likely result in a surge in piracy rates if these companies don't tread carefully.







News Jump Starlink's Network Faces Huge Limitations; AT&T Whines T-Mobile Merger Put Too Much Spectrum In One Place; + more news WISPs Get CBRS Range As Great As Six Miles At 100 Mbps Speeds; Windstream Officially Exits Bankruptcy; + more news Charter Relaunches Free 60-day Internet And Wi-Fi Offer; NCTA: FCC Should Stick With 25/3 Speed Threshold; + more news Comcast Shuts Off Internet for Subs Who Were Sold Service Illegally; AT&T, Verizon Team To Stop T-Mobile 5G; + more news California Defends Its Net Neutrality Law; AT&T's Traffic Up 20% Despite Data Traffic Actually Being Down; + more news Are The Comcast-Charter X1 Talks Dead In The Water?; AT&T May Offer Phone Plans With Ads For Discounts; + more news Europe's Top Court: Net Neutrality Rules Bar Zero Rating; ViacomCBS To Rebrand CBS All Access As Paramount+; + more news Verizon To Buy Reseller TracFone For $7B; 5G Not The Competitive Threat To Cable Many Thought It Would Be; + more news MS.Wants Records From AT&T On $300M Project; Google Fiber Outages In Austin, Houston, Other Texan Cities; + more news States With The Biggest Decreases In Speed; AT&T Hopes You'll Forget Its Fight Against Accurate Maps; + more news ---------------------- this week last week most discussed

Most recommended from 28 comments

Ostracus

join:2011-09-05

Henderson, KY 11 recommendations Ostracus Member One carrier to rule them all. Maybe they can use all that power to buy a cable company? After all it's apparently OK for carriers to buy content, why not the other way around?

firephoto

We the people

Premium Member

join:2003-03-18

Brewster, WA 7 recommendations firephoto Premium Member Coming soon! Don't worry, you'll see a "Netflix access fee" soon.

buzz_4_20

join:2003-09-20

Biddeford, ME 5 recommendations buzz_4_20 Member Look, AD Free content can do well Seriously, I try my very best to keep away from Commercials. Netflix is great for that. mmay149q

Premium Member

join:2009-03-05

Dallas, TX 4 recommendations mmay149q Premium Member Take the lead? Hah!! "With Netflix adding 850,000 US subscribers to top 50 million users this year, Netflix is expected to take the lead shortly."



Expect those subscriber numbers to drop next year when Netflix get's put in the slow capped lane and falls suspect to "buffering issues" along with people being limited on their binge watching habits now that Net Neutrality is dead, or they'll just be outright blocked because their service competes with AT&T's, Verizon's, Comcast's or etc...