A stark generational divide in news viewing habits has emerged, with Americans under 50 overwhelmingly favoring streaming platforms over traditional cable and broadcast news, while those over 50 cling to TV screens—potentially signaling the twilight of linear television news as we know it, according to fresh Pew Research Center data released last week.
The analysis, drawing from a survey of over 10,000 U.S. adults, underscores a profound shift: Only 16% of those 65 and older regularly tune into streaming news services, compared to 29% of ages 50-64 and a whopping 46% for both the 30-49 and 18-29 groups. This disparity highlights age as the primary driver of news consumption patterns, eclipsing factors like education, income, or political affiliation, and it amplifies broader trends in cord-cutting that have eroded cable's dominance.
In contrast, younger adults—especially those under 30—are increasingly news-averse to traditional sources altogether: Nearly 19% report getting no regular news from Pew's 30 tracked outlets, opting instead for bite-sized content from YouTube, TikTok creators, podcasts, or social media influencers.
This isn't a fleeting blip; it's part of a decade-long erosion of cable TV. Pew's data shows U.S. households with cable or satellite subscriptions have dropped from 76% in 2015 to just 56% today, with the steepest declines among the young: Only 34% of 18-29-year-olds have such access, down from 65% a decade ago. Streaming, meanwhile, has surged to 44.8% of total TV viewership as of May 2025, edging out the combined 44.2% for broadcast and cable—a historic milestone that underscores the pivot.
Among all adults, 83% now watch streaming services like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video in some form, but 55% do so exclusively, bypassing cable entirely.
The implications ripple across the media landscape. For cable giants like Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC, which saw mixed 2022 viewership—Fox up slightly, others down—these trends portend shrinking ad revenues and relevance as advertisers chase eyeballs on digital platforms. Younger viewers' preference for on-demand, algorithm-curated news could fragment audiences further, diluting the shared national conversations fostered by evening broadcasts.
Yet, as Pew notes, these patterns have held steady amid upheavals like the rise of social media and podcasts, suggesting a stable—if uneasy—new normal where TV news becomes an elder's domain.
Pew's broader study, part of its ongoing news consumption tracking, surveyed habits across platforms including radio, print, and digital, revealing that while TV still dominates for 40% of Americans overall, its grip is loosening fastest among the under-50 crowd. As streaming news apps from outlets like ABC or CNN gain traction with millennials and Gen Z, the question lingers: Will legacy networks adapt by going digital, or will the divide widen into a full generational news schism?