Traditional pay-TV providers serve just 42% of U.S. internet households, while internet-based TV access—including vMVPDs—now reaches over 30%, with ISP streaming bundles adding 20%, according to Parks Associates and Nielsen.
Nielsen reports 55% of U.S. households still access TV via broadcast (22.3%), cable (22.3%), and other channels (10.2%).Parks Associates finds free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) usage fell to 45% in Q1 2025; 53% of internet households find AI-driven content creation appealing, rising to 70% in homes with children.
Sports streaming holds strong: 33% of internet households (~39.9 million) subscribe to at least one dedicated service, led by ESPN+ with over 24 million subscribers.“
As consumers shift to apps and connected devices, streaming TV apps now make up 25% of pay-TV access points, diminishing set-top box dominance,” said Elizabeth Parks, president and CMO, Parks Associates.