There was a time when streaming services were a cheaper option than a traditional cable subscription. Now, with everything going a la carte, that isn’t exactly true. CableTV.com ran a study of more than 500 people. Of that group, 230 left cable for streaming services. 122 of those 230 came back to cable in less than a year.
What was the top reason 122 people changed their minds about streaming? It was live events, namely sports.
Bill Frost summarized the survey by saying there was always something unavailable from live TV streamers that these respondents said they wanted. For instance, NBA TV isn’t on Hulu. That is an advantage of cable and satellite that is slowly disappearing as more and more providers move sports channels to a niche tier or drop them entirely.
It also should be noted that as streaming options grow, more sports may become digital exclusives. Just look at what is happening to Thursday Night Football. Once NFL Sunday Ticket settles on a streaming deal, the NFL will be able to fully serve cord cutters.
The study also found that most cord cutters are not replacing cable or satellite subscriptions with a streaming TV service like YouTubeTV or Hulu+Live TV. Instead, they are opting for subscriptions to multiple on demand platforms. The return to cable for many is likely about choosing the wrong alternative for them.
For now, this is good news for sports broadcasters. In the long run though, the landscape is going to continue to shift. That will create more options and more digital exclusive games for cord cutters to take advantage of.
