Yes, the traditional cable TV industry is in a sustained decline, commonly referred to as "dying" in terms of its subscriber base, which has fallen from 105 million in 2010 to around 68.7 million in 2025. While they are not disappearing entirely, they are rapidly losing their dominance to streaming services, with only about 30-36% of Americans still holding traditional cable or satellite subscriptions. Wikipedia +2
Industry analysts expect combined cable and digital live TV subscriptions to drop to 47.8 million households by 2027, while streaming service adoption has already reached 99% of US households.
On a generational level, trends in the data suggest that younger people are less and less likely to rely on traditional cable or satellite services. In fact, there's a significant drop in viewership among Gen Z consumers — roughly half as many said they pay for cable compared to older Americans.
The number of people who subscribe to cable and satellite, however, still declined in Q3 by 10.2 percent compared to the same quarter last year. However from Q3 2023 to Q3 2024, the decline was steeper, at 12.4 percent. Overall, the pay TV industry is still declining.
High cost of Cable got you down? Save big by cutting the cord.
Is cable TV still worth it? 61% of people who have cable TV think that it's worth it. Even with all the great streaming services out there, higher channel counts and better video quality are two big pluses in cable TV's favor.
The expensive price tag. 43% of people who canceled streaming services cited cost as the number one reason. It wasn't that long ago that people were canceling their cable subscriptions for cheaper streaming alternatives, but now there's not too much difference in cost between the two options.
Let's dive into the platforms that are redefining home entertainment.
Fox News averaged 1.691 million total viewers and 180,000 A25-54 viewers in total day viewing. Based on its average in those measurements versus the prior year, it was up +16% in total viewers but down -3% in the demo.
Jimmy Kimmel Ratings Over The Years Have Fallen
That's down quite a bit from 2015, when Colbert joined the late-night lineup and Nielsen says Kimmel averaged 2.4 million total viewers. But again, every show is down since then.
Netflix, Amazon and Disney: The Big 3 streamers
Figures are compiled from 2025 company reports and estimates in leading industry media outlets. Netflix's move to acquire Warner Bros. also follows prior entertainment industry consolidation, driven by a desire to control content to retain streaming service subscribers.
While it's easy to say that Netflix became the very thing it swore to destroy, that misses the bigger point. What Netflix has really built is cable without borders. Old cable was parochial, tied to wires and franchises and blackout zones.
Key Takeaways. Streaming dominates 2025 viewing habits, capturing 47.3% of all U.S. TV time compared to cable's 24.1%. Cable subscribers have dropped to 68.7 million households in 2025, down from 105 million in 2010, a 35% decline over 15 years.
Most Americans (83%) say they watch streaming services, with Netflix and Amazon Prime Video being especially common. Far fewer – 36% – say they currently subscribe to cable or satellite TV at home, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
Cable viewership declined 39 percent between the spring of 2021 and 2025 and accounts for a little over 24 percent of viewership, according to a Nielsen report last year.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is one technology that is expected to replace the traditional television. IoT devices are connected to each other via the internet and allow users to access content from any device. IoT devices can range from smart TVs and streaming sticks to home assistants like Alexa or Google Home.
U.S. president Donald Trump is a regular viewer of Fox & Friends, and praised the program for its favorable coverage of his presidency during his first term.
An analysis shows CNN has lost more than 40% of its total day and primetime audience from 2017 to 2025, the respective first years of the two Trump presidencies.
NEW YORK – FOX News Channel marked 24 consecutive years as the number one network in the genre, closing out January 2026 as the leader in cable news and ahead of CBS on broadcast. According to FNC, in January, they averaged 2.4 million viewers in weekday primetime beating CBS.
With a Samsung Smart TV, the No. 1 Smart TV brand2, there's no need to connect a separate device other than your internet. You can get access to great entertainment without the need to plug in additional boxes or streaming sticks.
Here are the details.
Projectors can be good replacements for TVs, especially if you want a larger-than-life screen and an immersive home theater experience. They offer big-screen visuals and flexibility in setup.
Following ABC's decision to suspend late-night host Jimmy Kimmel's show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Sept. 17, 2025, several posts online claimed its parent company Disney lost nearly $4 billion in valuation overnight. Snopes calculations revealed that overnight, Disney's market capitalization fell by $1.4 billion.
Why are people boycotting Netflix? Here's why conservatives are canceling subscriptions. Conservative figures, including Elon Musk, are calling for a boycott of Netflix over its LGBTQ+ content for children. The backlash focuses on shows like "Dead End: Paranormal Park," which features a transgender protagonist.
Calls to boycott Amazon have intensified across 2025 and into 2026, driven by deeper scrutiny of the retailer's role in labour practices, corporate governance, market power and wider social issues.