Consumers are cutting back on streaming choices

telcodad

Consumers cut back on streaming choices – TiVo study
A new TiVo survey found that consumers used an average of 9.9 paid and free streaming sources in Q4 2024, down from 11.1 a year earlier. Consumers are also growing frustrated with the fragmentation of live sports options.
By Jeff Baumgartner, Senior Editor, Light Reading - April 29, 2025
https://www.lightreading.com/video-streaming/consumers-cut-back-on-streaming-choices-tivo-study

The availability of paid and free streaming services has never been higher, but consumers in the US and Canada are getting more selective about the number of services they frequent, TiVo’s Q4 2024 Video Trends report found.

Consumers used an average of 9.9 streaming sources (paid and free/ad-supported) in the fourth quarter of 2024, down from 11.1 in the year-ago period, and down from 11.6 in Q4 2022. TiVo’s latest study is based on a survey of 4,490 adults in the US and Canada.

The study didn’t offer a lot of specific reasons for this so-called “bundle simplification,” but some of it could be traced to how much consumers are willing to shell out for their streaming fix. ….

urbanriot

Consumers are also growing frustrated with the fragmentation of live sports options.

150% I’m fortunate that I straddle the border between the US and Canada so I have a lot more options than most people have with over the air services (antenna) so I get NFL on NBC, CBS, ABC, or Fox depending on the day and time but also on CTV (Canada) which often airs an extra game not in the others, and they broadcast that one Chiefs playoff game a few years back that was only on Peacock. Woohoo.

I’m not cool with that at all. I don’t mind extra options but I do mind when you have to have a streaming service to get a unique game. Like Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video. Amazon does a great job but that should also be simulcast on a major network like ABC as well.

I don’t like a smattering of games being on Netflix. Or Peacock. Or wherever…

Oh, okay, they’re all on YouTube if you pay for NFL Sunday ticket… if you’re rich and can afford the outlandish prices.

Consumers used an average of 9.9 streaming sources (paid and free/ad-supported) in the fourth quarter of 2024

Wow. That sounds like a lot to me.

For free I use Pluto, Plex, or Google TV depending on the content (Pluto is great for sci-fi), and Amazon Prime Video which I have because I use Amazon Prime, and I rotate between a paid one throughout the year. Currently I’m only on Apple TV+ because of the 3 month deal but once it’s over I’m not going to renew because there just isn’t enough content.

… but that’s it. A person has to have a lot of free time if they’re paying for more than 2 streaming platforms and if they have that much free time, how can they afford it?

Donut417

telcodad onsumers used an average of 9.9 streaming sources (paid and free/ad-supported) in the fourth quarter of 2024, down from 11.1 in the year-ago period, and down from 11.6 in Q4 2022. TiVo’s latest study is based on a survey of 4,490 adults in the US and Canada.

It would be cool if we could get the breakdown of paid vs free options people are using. Because I know for my family we currently sub to 2 paid services, the rest we use are all free. Im just wondering how many services the average person pays for vs using free? Personally between the costs of services going up and the fact that at least as of late content seems light, it makes it harder to even want a paid option.

lesmikesell

Donut417 It would be cool if we could get the breakdown of paid vs free options people are using.

It’s also complicated by services that people have mostly because of some promotion (free/cheap trial period, paid as a perk of some other service like Netflix covered by T-Mobile or Prime Video because you wanted free shipping from Amazon, or Apple’s family plan that someone else might pay for to get music and storage. Or people using someone else’s password to watch an occasional show.

timcuth

Donut417 It would be cool if we could get the breakdown of paid vs free options people are using. Because I know for my family we currently sub to 2 paid services, the rest we use are all free. Im just wondering how many services the average person pays for vs using free? Personally between the costs of services going up and the fact that at least as of late content seems light, it makes it harder to even want a paid option.

Yes. I don’t really pay attention to which or how many free streaming services I use.

I canceled Netflix several months ago due to crappy, uninteresting content. I pay for Fubo as my main streaming provider. I pay for Amazon Prime, but that is mainly because I use Amazon Prime for shopping, and the streaming just comes along for the ride. But we do watch it, occasionally. I also pay a small amount for a premium public television account which allows us to watch their past shows, their so-called library.

Donut417

timcuth pay for Amazon Prime, but that is mainly because I use Amazon Prime for shopping, and the streaming just comes

That’s funny as I’m the opposite. There are shows on Amazon I watch. The free shipping is just a bonus for me, as I don’t do as much shopping on Amazon.

telcodad

lesmikesell It’s also complicated by services that people have mostly because of some promotion (free/cheap trial period, paid as a perk of some other service like Netflix covered by T-Mobile or Prime Video because you wanted free shipping from Amazon, or Apple’s family plan that someone else might pay for to get music and storage. Or people using someone else’s password to watch an occasional show.

Yeah, but free is free, whether it’s FAST services like Pluto, or a free promo from some other service.

Also, while some people have “free” access to some paid streaming services by sharing passwords, that is something that’s being cracked down on more and more now.

david3

I usually just keep one service at a time, and then cancel it if there’s nothing else I want to watch. And sometimes take a break from them all. Usually Netflix or Prime, but right now Max.