In 2023, cord cutting grew faster than ever, and the battle to be the service everyone subscribes to was heating up. Now, in the Fall of 2024, cord cutting is continuing to grow as more Americans ditch cable TV for less expensive streaming options, and the fate of live TV streaming is becoming clearer.
According to our Fall 2024 survey of more than 1,000 Cord Cutters News readers, YouTube TV dominates the live TV streaming arena with 27.3% of readers subscribing to YouTube TV. In second place was Sling TV with 10.2% of cord cutters subscribing to their skinny bundle of channels.
YouTube TV, according to our survey, has more subscribers than Sling TV, Hulu, Philo, and Frndly TV combined.
Here is a breakdown of the live TV streaming services results according to our readers.
- YouTube TV 27.3%
- Sling TV 10.2%
- Philo 9.1%
- Frndly 8.1%
- Hulu Plus Live TV 6.1%
- DIRECTV STREAM 3.9%
- Fubo 2.2%
Clearly, YouTube TV is connecting with cord cutters in a way that is helping it stand out. Yet many cord cutters do not subscribe to a live TV streaming service.
What is most interesting this year is the growth of less expensive options Philo and Frndly TV. Both services jumped Hulu + Live TV to become the third and fourth most popular streaming service for live TV as cord cutters look for cheaper options.
YouTube TV still holds a strong lead with new subscribers. According to reports, most new subscribers to a live TV streaming service picked YouTube TV. YouTube TV added 1.9 million subscribers in 2023. Hulu + Live TV added 100,000 and Fubo added 173,000 subscribers. Sling TV lost subscribers in 2023.
Viewers who are not sports fans are discovering that they don’t need a live TV streaming service. As more networks put their content into on-demand services like Disney+ and Paramount+, viewers are finding on-demand fits their lifestyle and preferences.
Have you gone on-demand only? Let us know why. Or, if you subscribe to a live TV streaming service, why you picked that service.