The debate over TV cord cutting clearly isn't going away, with how severe of a trend it is depending entirely on who you ask. Folks in the cable industry continue to insist it's an irrelevant and tiny trend, while those covering streaming video sectors noting that endless price hikes and Internet video are setting the stage for a complete revolution in the way television is viewed. 2012's first debate topic comes courtesy of a new Deloitte State of the Media Democracy Survey.
According to Deloitte, one in five Americans say they've either cut the TV cord, or plan to do so soon. More specifically, the study found that 9 percent of respondents recently say the cut the cord, and 11 percent say they'll do so soon. Not surprisingly the report notes that video streaming is exploding, with the number of Americans saying they've streamed a movie jumping from 28 percent in 2009 to 42 percent today.
The results claiming that so many customers are eliminating pay TV doesn't square with industry statistics that show cable operators continue to bleed basic cable subscribers -- but it's usually to a telcoTV or satellite alternative. Overall traditional pay TV growth was simply flat last year -- with most TV customers simply switching between cable, telco TV or satellite to grab the best overall deal.
We've fired Deloitte an e-mail asking what accounts for the difference but have yet to hear back. While still minuscule in the face of overall cable business, the trend toward online streaming is a significant one -- especially for a cable TV industry that continues to insist on bi-annual rate hikes for already pricey service. Even some of Wall Street's most bullish cable analysts argue that the price hikes simply can't continue if the cable industry doesn't want a major backlash.
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Deloitte: 1 Out of 5 Have (or Will) Cut The TV Cord - 9% Say They Already Have, 11% Say They Will Soon
Posted: January 9th, 2012, 5:36am MST