More Millennials Likely To Cut TV Service
- by Wayne Friedman , May 8, 2017
A third-quarter 2016 Forrester Research survey of 3,542 to 3,697 U.S online adults 18 years and older with current TV service found that 19% are likely to cut their traditional pay TV service in the next six months. This is up from a 9% number conducted in a survey in 2013.
The research defines “likely cord cutters” as those likely to cut the paid TV cord in the next six months, rating it 4 to 5 scale: from 1 (unlikely) to 5 (very likely).
The Forrester survey says current cord cutters have risen to 6% in 2016 from 3% in 2013. The research for these results is from an online survey of 4,515 to 4,604 U.S. adults 18 years and older.
The top reason for cutting the cord -- or considering cutting the cord -- is the cost of traditional TV service.
Nearly half of married couples -- at 48% -- are cord cutters, as well as 28% of older Millennials ages 28 to 36.
The survey noted that Netflix (60%), HBO Now (45%) and Hulu (41%) are perceived to have the “most interesting original content.” They are followed by: Amazon (36%). CBS All Access (35%). And NBC’s SeeSo comedy platform (32%).
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On principle, I always ignore Forrester on these kinds of topics. Don't know why they caved to such a "pro-digerati" research approach - but it's been years since they did. (When I was in the computer biz Forrester was a known friendly face for all our work.)
It's not that change won't happen. But it appears that Forrester hasa long track record of using "research" to exaggerate how much and how fast if that answer is positive for the tech biz.
And for accuracy, it's NOT true that 1/2 of married couples are cord cutters. But, perhaps, about half of what they define as cutters are married couples. Same with "Older millenials".
Buying a cable TV package is like buying Geritol.
OK, let me get this straight. #1 reason for cord cutting=high cost. Average basic+ cable package costs say $35-40 per month. So the average OTT concept of solving the problem is---offer them about the same number of channels for about the same price? Just via a different pipe.