Streaming & Cord-Cutting Statistics
How many households cut the cord, what they watch, and what it costs
Compiled 2026-09-13 for a general US audience. Each statistic gives the number, the year/data vintage, and an original source (name + URL). Subscriber figures come from Leichtman Research Group and MoffettNathanson (the industry’s primary trackers); viewing share from Nielsen; spending from Deloitte and other surveys [1][2][3][4][5].
1. Cord-Cutting: The Big Picture
| Statistic | Number | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| US households without traditional pay-TV (2026) | 80.7 million (now the majority) | 2026 | eMarketer [1] |
| Traditional pay-TV household penetration | ~42%, down from ~88% in 2010 | 2026 | eMarketer [1] |
| Households still subscribing (tracked providers) | ~34–42%, depending on method | 2025–26 | Leichtman / eMarketer [1][2] |
| Pay-TV subscribers lost in 2025 | ~5 million | 2025 | MoffettNathanson [1][2] |
| Pay-TV subscribers lost in Q1 2026 alone | ~2 million | Q1 2026 | MoffettNathanson [1] |
| Non-pay-TV margin over pay-TV | 25+ million more cord-cutters than subscribers | 2026 | eMarketer [1] |
Note: pay-TV counts vary by method — Leichtman tracks major provider subscribers (~48M pay-TV homes) while eMarketer estimates total households (~54M). Every measure shows the same direction: traditional pay-TV is shrinking and not coming back. [1][2]
2. What People Watch: Streaming vs. Cable
| Distribution type | Share of US TV viewing | Data vintage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming | 47.5% (record, all-time high) | Dec 2025 | Nielsen The Gauge [3] |
| Broadcast | 21.4% | Dec 2025 | Nielsen The Gauge [3] |
| Cable | 20.2% (lowest on record) | Dec 2025 | Nielsen The Gauge [3] |
| Other / untracked | 10.9% | Dec 2025 | Nielsen The Gauge [3] |
The milestone: in December 2025, streaming (47.5%) exceeded cable and broadcast combined (41.6%) for the first time on a full-month average. On Christmas Day 2025, streaming hit 54% of all TV viewing — a single-day record, driven in part by Netflix’s NFL doubleheader [3].
3. How Many Services & How Much It Costs
| Statistic | Number | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households with a paid streaming video service | ~90% | 2025 | Deloitte Digital Media Trends [4] |
| Average paid streaming services per household | 4 (steady 3 years) | 2025 | Deloitte [4] |
| Average monthly streaming spend (household) | $69 (flat vs. prior year) | 2025 | Deloitte [4] |
| Alternative estimate | $52–$70/month (methodology varies) | 2025 | Reviews.org / LA Times / Cloudwards [5] |
| Streaming subscribers paying for an AD-supported tier | 68% (up from 46% two years ago) | 2025 | Deloitte [4] |
| Annual subscriber churn among streamers | ~40% | 2025 | Deloitte [4] |
| Average cable bill (context) | ~$147/month | 2025 | CableCompare / All About Cookies [5] |
⚑ Important caveat: spending estimates differ widely by methodology — Reviews.org (2.68 services, $52/mo), Deloitte (4 services, $69/mo), Parks Associates (~6 services, $109/mo), Tubefilter (~$109/mo). The discrepancy is whether free ad-supported (FAST) and bundled/non-video subscriptions are counted. Use the same source’s count and spend together; don’t mix [4][5].
4. The Services Behind the Shift
| Category | Key indicator | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual live TV (YouTube TV, Hulu + Live, Sling) | YouTube TV crossed 10 million subs, on track to be the largest single US pay-TV provider | 2026 | Cord Cutters News / Omdia [1] |
| Free ad-supported (FAST) — Tubi, Roku Channel, Pluto | Surged as the cost-conscious, no-subscription option | 2025–26 | Deloitte / industry [1][4] |
| Ad-supported SVOD tiers (Netflix ads, Prime, Hulu) | 68% of subscribers now on an ad tier | 2025 | Deloitte [4] |
| Connected TV devices | >90% of US households use one | 2026 | Industry estimates [1] |
Sources
[1] https://adwave.com/resources/cord-cutting-statistics-q2-2026 — AdWave, Cord-Cutting Statistics Q2 2026 (eMarketer, Leichtman, MoffettNathanson, Omdia)
[2] https://axis-intelligence.com/cord-cutting-statistics/ — Axis Intelligence, Cord-Cutting Statistics 2026 (Leichtman / eMarketer / Nielsen)
[3] https://axis-intelligence.com/cord-cutting-statistics/ — Nielsen The Gauge (Dec 2025 viewing share), reported via Axis Intelligence
[4] https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/how-much-us-households-spend-streaming-video-deloitte-study-1236694151 — Variety / Deloitte, Digital Media Trends 2026
[5] https://adwave.com/resources/average-streaming-subscriptions-q4-2025 — AdWave, Average Streaming Subscriptions Q4 2025 (Reviews.org, LA Times, Cloudwards, CableCompare)
Contested / Stale Flag Summary (quick ref)
- Pay-TV penetration (34% vs. 42%) — Leichtman (late-2025) ~34%; eMarketer (2026) ~42%. Different methods/household bases; both show decline from ~88% (2010).
- Streaming spend ($52 vs. $69 vs. $109) — counts and spend vary hugely by whether FAST/bundled/non-video subs and price-sensitivity are included. Cite one source pair together.
- Q3 2025 "cable gain" — the rare +303K net add was entirely virtual providers (YouTube TV), not a cable comeback; and the Q1 2026 vMVPD print was still pending at some reporting dates. Don't mistake short-term quarters for a reversal.