Report: 76 Percent Will Cut The Cord Before 2028

A new report is out that claims 76% of US homes will cut the cord before 2028. 

The forecast comes from Convergence Research’s “Battle for the American Couch Potato” report, published Monday. According to the analysis, by the end of 2027, 76% of US households are expected to lack traditional TV subscriptions. 

The estimate is based on a trajectory where cable, telecom, and satellite TV accounts have been declining steadily—dropping by 6.5 million in 2024 alone—while OTT subscription revenue grows, reaching $69.5 billion in 2024 and projected to hit $81.5 billion in 2025. The report highlights that in 2024, 64% of US homes (approximately 86 million households) were already without traditional TV subscriptions, and this share is expected to rise as annual losses of around 5.6 million subscribers continue through 2027, alongside a consistent 12% yearly decline in pay-TV penetration.

The shift is driven by several factors: the average price of top OTT platforms rose 14% in 2024, yet ad-supported plans cut costs by 42%, making streaming more appealing than traditional TV, which saw a 10% revenue drop in the same year. 

Additionally, broadband services, critical for streaming, added 1.7 million residential accounts in 2024, supporting the transition. The forecast suggests that by 2028, traditional TV will become a niche product, with cord-cutting households nearly doubling from 2022 levels, when they comprised 53% of US homes.

While the exact figure of 76% is tied to 2027 in this specific projection, it’s plausible that by early 2028, this threshold could be met or exceeded, given the momentum. However, such forecasts depend on variables like economic conditions, competition among streaming services, and potential innovations in TV delivery, so the timeline could shift slightly. 

The broader trend, though, is clear: traditional TV is losing ground fast, and the 76% mark reflects a tipping point in this transformation.