New IA Research Finds Consumer Preferences Switched From Cable And Satellite To Online Streaming Last Year

“One in ten Americans now exclusively enjoy content through online streaming, and a clear majority of consumers now use online streaming for at least some of their viewing.”

Dr. Christopher Hooton, Chief Economist

Washington, DC — Internet Association today released the Q4 2019 IA Industry Indicators Report (3I Report), which provides quarterly indicators for the internet sector. This quarter’s report features a deep-dive on consumer preferences for online streaming services over cable and satellite television. Consumer preferences for online streaming increased steadily since IA began collecting data.

“Consumers, for the first time ever, prefer the wealth of choices and flexibility offered by online streaming services,” said IA Chief Economist Christopher Hooton. “One in ten Americans now exclusively enjoy content through online streaming, and a clear majority of consumers now use online streaming for at least some of their viewing.”

Key findings from the report include:

• Over two-thirds of Americans (68 percent) prefer watching content through internet-based streaming services more than or equal to watching cable or satellite.
• Twice as many Americans prefer watching content through the internet as those who prefer cable or satellite, approximately 54.4 percent to 27.7 percent respectively.
• The net preference for streaming services is approximately 54 percent of Americans – those that either only watch content online or prefer streaming, even taking out those individuals who have an equal preference between the two options.

“IA’s macro and microeconomic indicators continue to provide key insights about the internet sector’s contributions to the broader economy. We now know, for example, that the internet sector spent more than twice what it did last year on capital expenditures.”

To read the full report, click here.

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