Competitive Info: Cable TV Subscriptions Plunge As Streaming Takes Majority Share.

The number of U.S. households subscribing to traditional cable television continues to fall sharply, reflecting a long-term shift toward streaming services that is reshaping the media landscape.

As of 2025, approximately 68.7 million U.S. households still subscribe to cable TV, down significantly from 105 million in 2010, according to data compiled by CableCompare. The decline represents a loss of more than one-third of the industry’s customer base over 15 years.

The drop in subscribers is part of a broader decline in cable’s reach. Industry penetration rates have fallen from a peak of about 88% in 2010 to below 50% by 2024, with some estimates as low as 38.5%.

At the same time, the number of “cord-cutting” households — those that have abandoned traditional pay TV — has surged. Since 2018, cord-cutting households have more than doubled, rising from 37.3 million to a projected 77.2 million by 2025.

The shift has been driven largely by cost concerns and changing viewing habits. According to Evoca, 86.7% of consumers who left cable cited the high cost of traditional pay TV as a major factor.

Streaming platforms have capitalized on that dissatisfaction by offering lower-cost, flexible alternatives with on-demand access to content. Services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Max allow consumers to watch programming on multiple devices without long-term contracts, contrasting with the bundled packages and fixed schedules associated with cable.

The financial impact on the cable industry has been significant. Pay TV providers lost an estimated $10.5 billion in revenue between 2020 and 2025, contributing to a roughly $17 billion decline over the past decade. Total industry revenue dropped from $100.09 billion in 2017 to $84.29 billion in 2024, a decrease of 16.5%, and is projected to fall further to $81.33 billion by 2027.

Viewership trends also underscore the shift. Cable television now accounts for just 24.5% of total U.S. TV viewing, while streaming has grown to 44.3%, according to Nielsen data cited in the report. Broadcast television holds 20.8%, with the remaining share attributed to other formats such as gaming and DVR use.

Demographic changes are accelerating the transition. Younger viewers, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, are far less likely to subscribe to cable. According to Adweek, 50% of consumers under age 32 say they will not pay for cable TV.

Looking ahead, the trend shows little sign of reversing. By 2026, more than 80.7 million U.S. households are expected to rely exclusively on non-pay TV services, meaning a majority of viewers will no longer subscribe to traditional cable.