Crowd React Media released its State of Media 2025 report late last week, covering plenty of data from a variety of aspects. One data point showed that Cable TV is better in one aspect than every other media: conversions.
While only 64% of adults surveyed said they use Cable TV at least occasionally, 71% of those respondents say they use the service frequently.
That figure tops YouTube, music streaming, and AM/FM radio.
In the 55+ demographic, 90% of Cable TV subscribers use the service frequently. That figure slips to 69% inside the 35-54 demographic, and 48% for those aged 18-34.
While subscriber rates have fallen drastically in recent years, Cable TV is still seeing large usage rates from its subscribers. And while that doesn’t mean there aren’t concerns about the viability in the future for Cable TV, the data from Crowd React Media suggests the gun might have been jumped on the narrative that it’s game over for the medium.
“There’s stuff for people to learn, think about, and be concerned about for the younger demo,” said Crowd React Media founding partner and Harker Bos Group Vice President of Client Relations Katie Miller. “But, especially when it comes to the older demo and probably all of them in general, our belief is that cable has really tapped into that local connection and feeling a part of the daily habits for someone’s life.
“So a lot of people that we spoke to about their cable habits or about their daily media habits, cable has figured out a way to be cross-platform You might open up your local news on TV first thing in the morning to make sure there’s no traffic or something like that. And you’re gonna flip them on while you’re eating breakfast, and then you’re going to check them when you get home in the evening. Cable has figured out a way to become part of the daily habit.”
Miller said that, in spite of the high conversion rates for Cable TV, there are plenty of concerns about the future.
“I think that there are some concerning things that are going away that will make it harder in the future … but they’re very much part of people’s routine. That’s a big part of it. There’s also a connection with the host. Your local news anchors, they’re important and a part of the community. Cable’s always done a really good job emphasizing that.”
The data from Crowd React Media bears out what Miller suggests: that Cable TV usage is driven by genre loyalty. 43% of Cable TV users watch news and current events frequently, while an additional 23% say they tune into news programs occasionally. 55+ viewers were the backbone of news and religious programming, while those between the ages of 18 and 54 were more likely to value sports, movies, and entertainment on the service.
Those sports rights leaving cable — with leagues like the NBA, NFL, and WWE prioritizing streaming platforms more frequently — will certainly affect Cable TV.
“There are just a few examples for sports that are really reducing their dependence on cable for distribution,” said Miller. “I think Cable will probably struggle with that because that was one of those lifelines keeping people to keep their cable subscription.
“And then also that younger demo, they are converting under 50%. So it’s still higher than a lot of conversion for other audiences, but it’s not going from 90% for 55+ to 48%. It definitely says there’s some sort of concern there. There’s something happening there,” continued Miller. “It’s probably not exaggerated, but it’s a little too early to jump the gun. Cable still has a lot of life left in it and a lot of lessons that it can learn in order to capture that younger demo as well.”
While there are concerns about the viability of Cable TV down the road due to the dwindling subscriber base, there are still changes that the medium can make to attract potential new customers.
“There are two things I think cable needs to do, two big steps,” the Crowd React Media founding partner suggested. “One is that the offering of cable packages. You need to make them much more selective, so you can choose bits and pieces rather than one large cable package. Having 200 channels is not impressive anymore. You can get all the content you want on the internet. 200 channels is not something to brag about the way it was in 10, 20 years ago. So that needs to mimic streaming in a way.
“But then for local stations, they just need to embrace that hybrid mentality. And I think that they need to emphasize digital sales and things like that, because you’re going to have an audience — the younger audience, particularly, but also that 35-to-54-year-old audience — that if they can’t reach you on multiple platforms, then they’ll abandon you entirely,” said Miller. “You need to be everywhere they are. I know everyone’s probably tired of hearing that, because it’s a lot of work. But, it’s where we are right now. If you’re not in front of people all the time, then they’re gonna forget about you.”
To view the entire Crowd React Media State of Media 2025 report — which includes data related to Cable TV, AM/FM Radio, Podcasts, News Media, Social Media, Streaming TV, Video Games, and YouTube — click here.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
