While many of our regulars have realized the benefits of an over the air antenna for years, it's a phenomenon that more recently has caught on among Millennials and younger broadband subscribers looking to avoid over-priced and bloated cable TV bundles. And according to a new study by Parks Associates, one in five US broadband households now use an antenna as their primary mode of consuming television. That's up from 16% back in 2015, and the phenomenon shows no indication of slowing down.
Again, the firm's latest study found that soaring prices is the predominant reason for users that cut the cord, whether they switch to antennas or streaming alternatives like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, or Amazon.
According to the firm's study, 50% of the households that have switched, shaved, or cut the cord say that traditional pay TV service is "not worth the cost."
"Increasingly, consumers are cobbling together their own bundles of content sources. Digital antennas are experiencing a resurgence as consumers consider over-the-air TV and OTT video services as alternatives to pay TV," Parks said of its latest study.
"The percentage of 'Never' households (households that have never subscribed to pay-TV services) has held steady, and the percentage of households actually cutting the cord has increased between 2015 and 2017," notes the firm. "Antennas are an affordable source for local channels to these households."
Some other interesting findings from the report:
• 63% of subscribers who cannot currently restart programs from the beginning find that feature to be appealing
• 17% of consumers who cancel their pay-TV service would have stayed with their provider if there were no monthly fees for their set-top boxes
• Average fees for standalone broadband have increased nearly 25% since 2010
• 20% of Wi-Fi households experience problems with coverage in their home
The full report can be found
here hidden behind a paywall.