The State of TV 2026 Report Finds Streaming Dominates Viewing While Cable Retains Sports-Driven Staying Power

Jan 2026 CableTV.com survey of 1,000 U.S. adults: 92% streaming adoption, $30 avg streaming bill, $147 cable bill, with cost as the top cancellation driver.

DRAPER, UT, UNITED STATES, March 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- CableTV.com has published The State of TV 2026, an annual snapshot of how Americans watch television and how they feel about what they pay for it. Released February 23, 2026, the report draws on a Pollfish survey of 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18–65, fielded in January 2026 and post-stratified to reflect the general U.S. population.

Streaming has become the standard way Americans get TV. The report finds that 92% use at least one streaming service, and a substantial amount of folks stream their favorite shows and movies on multiple platforms, with 21% of respondents using five or more streamers. When asked what drives everyday viewing, 83% say streaming is their primary source of TV. At the same time, older habits have not vanished. Cable remains the default TV source for 22% of consumers, leaving a meaningful foothold for traditional pay TV.

One reason the market looks so fluid is that consumers move in and out of subscriptions with far less friction than in the cable era. The State of TV 2026 reports that one in three Americans cancelled a streaming service in the past year. Another group behaves differently: Thirty-seven percent of Americans say they rarely cancel streaming subscriptions. That split matters because it suggests two realities at once: a large pool of stable subscribers that platforms can plan around, and a churn-ready segment that treats services as temporary.

Pricing is the primary catalyst for churn, hands down. The survey finds that high cost is the leading reason for canceling a streaming service, cited by 43% of respondents. Nineteen percent of respondents said finishing their show or season was the reason for canceling a subscription. A smaller but important number: advertising accounts for 5% of cancellations. Those reasons point to a marketplace where consumers weigh a monthly fee against immediate utility, then move on.

CableTV.com estimates that streaming households typically spend $20 to $60 per month, with the average being $30. In comparison, cable TV packages average $147 per month. The 2026 State of TV Industry Report cites streaming as the reason for the year's most persistent tension: Streaming may be fragmented, but it is still viewed as a cheaper option and easier to adjust. A household can easily subscribe to and drop services as needed.
Traditional cable does not appear as a simple casualty, however. The report finds that cable customers tend to stay a long time, with 70% of respondents saying they have had cable for five years or more. That tenure suggests inertia, but it also suggests that cable still solves certain problems better than a stack of apps. The strongest example is sports. In the report, live sports are the top reason for keeping cable, cited by 36% of respondents. Notably, 36% say they would return to cable specifically for live sports.

Cable's persistence is also tied to bundling, which the report treats as both an economic tool and a convenience story. Half of cable subscribers bundle TV with internet or mobile service to get a better deal. The State of TV 2026 also tests the appeal of hybrid offerings and finds a potential opening: Thirty-six percent say they would consider cable if it included streaming services. That single line captures the strategic direction of many pay-TV efforts—keep the bundle, but modernize it by absorbing app access.

The Industry Report provides one detail that further complicates the "streaming versus cable" debate. Most cable households are not cable purists. The report unveils that 82% of cable customers also pay for streaming services. Customers will use cable as an anchoring service while using streaming services to supplement with streaming exclusives, deep libraries, and on-demand viewing. Meanwhile, the streaming-only household is now common, with 55% of consumers relying exclusively on streaming.

Free ad-supported television has become a third pillar. The State of TV 2026 reports that 42% of Americans use FAST services. That rate matters because it shows how households manage entertainment costs without giving up variety. FAST also changes how audiences discover programming, since free channels and curated streams can replace the passive "channel surfing" once associated with cable. Again, the report still notes that advertising can create friction in paid tiers—5% cancelled for ads—but the broader takeaway is that ads are part of the bargain many viewers accept when budgets tighten.
Cost pressure shows up again when the report looks at the fragility of cable pricing. The State of TV 2026 states that nearly half of cable subscribers say they would cancel if prices increase further. The report pairs that sensitivity with the $147 average cable bill to illustrate late-stage price fatigue. As the total grows, the margin for "extras" shrinks. This dynamic becomes sharper when households compare a rising cable bill to a streaming stack that can be reshaped in minutes, one app at a time.

CableTV.com's report also points to perceived inefficiency inside traditional packages. It cites research from CableTV.com on cable TV channel bloat, noting that most customers watch only about 8% of the channels in their plan. That statistic helps explain why price increases feel unwarranted: viewers are paying more money for the same amount of content they watch. Streaming services are easier to categorize by library or brand. Households can easily justify their subscription to a particular service.

The report also offers a glimpse into subscribers by the numbers. Netflix has over 325 million paid subscribers and monthly pricing ranging from $7.99 to $24.99. Disney+ is listed with 132 million subscribers and a price range of $11.99 to $18.99. HBO comes in at 128 million subscribers with pricing from $10.99 to $22.99. Paramount+ is listed at 79 million subscribers and $7.99 to $12.99, while Peacock is listed at 41 million subscribers and $7.99 to $16.99.
The 2026 State of TV Industry Report in its entirety is available on CableTV.com and was officially published on February 23, 2026. The report combines Pollfish survey results and CableTV.com expert research into a single document that covers streaming usage, cable retention, FAST adoption, cancellation behavior, bundling preferences, and price sensitivity.

Craig Stirland
CableTV.com
+1 801-708-0318
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
TikTok
X

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.