80% of Cable Customers Also Stream Content

Ryan Downey also contributed to this article

A recent study released shows that many Cable subscribers also stream content as reported in this Associated Press article and this from Business Wire.

The study, conducted jointly by Telaria and Adobe Advertising Cloud, is intended to “get inside the minds of Cord-Cutters and Cable-Keepers” to help see what the future holds for the broadcast and cable industry. Both companies are centered around finding advertising for streaming services.

Other revelations that the study provided is that Streaming is a world wide phenomenon with the global average for Streaming media sitting at 41% with 42% of the US getting streaming media of some sort and that 20% of cable users not knowing how to access live content without cable service.

The findings should not surprise anyone who follows streaming. Netflix alone has over 100 million subscribers. That’s got to comprise a lot of cable subscribers. It also shows that subscribing to a streaming service does not automatically make one a cord cutter as would be implied by people who simply equate streaming and cord cutting as the same thing. Beyond all numbers and studies the truth is that streaming has changed the way people think of online content. 20 years ago online video content consisted of flash video shorts, slow loading video files and random files found on message boards or MIRC chat rooms. Now online video content is original movies and TV shows made for online formats meant to be watched on 50 inch TV’s and 10 inch phones, I mean tablets,,,,,phablets.

It is no wonder that 80% of cable subscribers stream content. How would they watch all of those Emmy winning programs otherwise? They don’t air on traditional TV stations or networks.

Cable and broadcast stations have made major investments in streaming over the past 10 years to allow users to get to content from their branded apps. This keeps the eyeballs on their advertisers and not the advertisers from the cable companies that are integrated into their on-demand programming. In some cases streaming content that originates from cable networks is the only way to get unique features. ESPN uses its app very creatively when a big event is held. When the college football championship airs the network does creative things like a stream of college football experts watching the game together and commenting as it’s in progress, Streaming the game in other languages, Streaming games with specific announcers and more. If you watch the game on ESPN you will only get the normal professional broadcast. That may well be what you prefer but it as well as the multiple camera angles available from NBC Sports during Sunday Night Football or Notre Dame Football can give you an idea of how cable subscribers can utilize streaming without even watching one episode of Orange Is The New Black.

We can be sure that cord cutting will grow but there are tons of indicators that streaming will continue to grow among all viewers whether cord cutting does or not. We look forward to continuing to bring you all the ways you can enjoy it.

You can read the report from Telaria and Adobe Advertising Cloud here.