• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, Yesterday

Younger-skewing connected TV (CTV) audiences continue to have a major effect on streaming subscriptions and usage.

According to recent Comscore research, 18- to-34-year-old subscribers -- those who are “cord nevers” (cable, satellite, virtual or telco) -- represent 45% of connected TV (CTV) households.

This activity now has reached a saturation point. “After years of rapid expansion -- with household adoption climbing roughly 25% between 2020 and 2025 -- the pace has now begun to level off, growing only about 1% year over year,” according to authors of the report.

Somewhat similar are those older “cord-never” subscribers, representing around 13% to 14% of total CTV households.

One major growth area for CTV is families (households with children) in the broader picture of cord-nevers when adding in “cord-cutters” -- the families that have trimmed down but still have their legacy pay TV subscriptions, which now represent 75% of total CTV households. 

Comscore says the younger-skewing CTV consumers are also driving more social engagement. 

As an example, total social media reactions, shares, comments across Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok amounted to 64 million in August 2025. Eight years before, in August 2017, the total was 11 million.

Social-media engagements just on Netflix programming totaled 26 million in August 2025, versus 2 million in August 2017.

This activity is also fueled by the “creator economy.”

“Platforms like YouTube are no longer viewed as ‘separate categories’ but as integral parts of the streaming diet. For many households, creator- driven video sits alongside premium series, sports, and films as everyday viewing.”