83% of Americans say they watch streaming services

Here’s the thing:

A new Pew Research Center survey found that 83% of U.S. adults watch TV via a streaming service, far more than those who watch through cable or satellite.

The survey was conducted in April and published earlier this month.

Fifty-five percent said they watch via “streaming only,” meaning they use streaming and don’t currently have access to cable or satellite.

Another 28% said they use both streaming and cable or satellite, while just 8% said they only watch via cable or satellite. Another 8% said “neither.”

Data debrief:

When broken down by platform, Netflix led overall, with 72% of U.S. adults surveyed saying they watch it, followed by Prime Video at 67%.

But among adults ages 18 to 29, Hulu came out on top, with 72% of those in that age range saying they use the streaming service. Prime Video was the most-watched among 30- to 49-year-olds, with 78% reporting they watch it.

The survey also found that 44% of respondents believe streaming subscriptions are worth the cost, while 31% said they are not and 25% weren’t sure.

Why it matters:

As viewers continue to shift away from traditional TV and embrace streaming, advertisers are following suit.

And it’s not just younger people leading the charge. Yes, 88% of 18- to 29-year-olds said they watch streaming, as well as 92% of 30- to 49-year-olds.

But so do 83% of 50- to 64-year-olds, and 65% of those 65 years or older.

So streaming isn’t just a young person’s game. It’s now a cross-generational habit.