As The Who once sang, "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss." It appears you can now replace "boss" with "cable TV" – based on a new survey of 8,000 broadband-connected U.S. households by consumer tech research company Parks Associates. Just 41% of those surveyed still have a traditional pay-TV service (cable, satellite, or telco), while 91% subscribe to streaming video services, according to Parks' State of Streaming (S.O.S.) report.
This is in the same ballpark as a different measure by Nielsen in its June 2025 The Gauge report. It found that streaming accounted for a smaller 44.8% of total U.S. TV viewing, but that was enough to overtake broadcast + cable combined for the first time. (The Parks survey of internet households may include a more tech-enthusiast group.)
Tips for Saving Money on Streaming
Cord-cutting was once a way to save money, but streaming is now rivaling the cost and complexity of cable TV. Parks found that the average household now subscribes to 6.1 streaming or traditional video services – adding up to $109 per month across all TV and video subscriptions.
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But some findings from Parks and other surveys offer clues on how to lower these bills.
Bundles Are Back – Just Like Cable
Another cable-like trend is bundling – saving a bit by, say, signing up for Hulu and Disney+ together. Parks notes that bundling is growing, without providing specific numbers, but research firm Antenna found it booming: 47% of new Hulu subscribers and 68% of new Disney+ subscribers joined via a bundle in late 2024. Bundling the two services currently costs $12.99 per month with ads or $29.99 without.
Internet providers are also getting in on the deal, although Parks' figures here are a bit murky. About 30% of OTT subscribers who know their subscription source say they signed up through their home internet, mobile, or pay-TV provider.
Ads Are Back Too – And We’re Learning to Live With Them
Also, like cable, streaming with ads is growing as a way to save money. Ad-supported tiers are now the top choice overall, with 69% of households subscribing to at least one. The share ranges from about 48% for Netflix to 76% for Peacock.
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I’m part of that 69% on the ad-supported Hulu plan: 99 cents a month for a year was a no-brainer. Even if I don't watch much, it's a tiny price to pay. Like many people in the survey, I’ve decided that accepting ads is worth it to save money. I plan my snack and bathroom breaks accordingly – though I find this harder the more episodes I watch in a row. How many breaks can a person take?
We all miss the days of cheap, uninterrupted viewing, but clearly we've learned to adapt. This roughly matches an October Comscore State of Streaming report, which found a 43% year-over-year increase in viewing hours on major free ad-supported streaming (FAST) services.
"Churn" Services as a Way to Save
Another phenomenon Parks highlights is churn – people frequently cancelling and re-upping services. That’s another strategy I subscribe to. I currently have a month of Netflix (ad-supported) to binge the shows my friends keep insisting I must see.
If you find yourself watching more streaming than cable or broadcast TV – or don’t even have the latter two – you’re certainly not alone. And if you're getting anxious about how much all that costs, you've got plenty of company.
The days of mindlessly subscribing are gone. With streaming channels now costing a bundle, it pays to be strategic: use bundles when they save money, cancel and restart services when you have time to watch, lean on ad-supported tiers, and maybe take more snack and bathroom breaks.
[Image credit:Suzanne Kantra/Techlicious via Google Nano Banana Pro]
