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Is streaming more expensive than cable?
Not in the available national comparison. Deloitte’s 2025 survey found that subscribers spent an average of $69 per month on four paid subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services, compared with about $125 per month for pay-TV subscriptions. These figures describe surveyed subscribers; they do not establish what every household pays or compare identical service packages. The pay-TV figure also does not settle whether broadband, equipment, fees, or a particular bundle are included for a given household. Deloitte Insights’ 2025 Digital Media Trends
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The comparison depends on what you need. A household that watches a few on-demand shows may spend less with a small number of streaming plans. A household that wants several services, ad-free viewing, live local channels, news, and sports may need to add streaming plans or a live-TV option—and should compare those costs with the actual cable or satellite offer available to it.
What the figures do—and do not—say
- Deloitte’s $69 figure covers four paid SVOD services in its 2025 subscriber sample; it is not a universal household bill.
- Its roughly $125 pay-TV figure is a useful benchmark, not an apples-to-apples quote for a specific cable package.
- Neither figure alone accounts for your broadband bill, equipment, taxes, promotional rates, or bundle conditions.
How much do people spend on streaming each month?
Deloitte’s 2025 survey reported $69 per month for four paid SVOD services, up 13% from $61 in 2024. The spending sample consisted of 3,229 SVOD subscribers, so the result should be read as surveyed subscriber spending rather than a census of all U.S. households. Deloitte Insights
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That average can obscure a household’s actual bill. Count the services currently being charged, including subscriptions billed through app stores or other bundles, and note which are ad-supported, ad-free, or temporarily active. Streaming services keep separate libraries, so a household trying to follow several shows may end up paying for several services even when it watches each one at different times.
Why are streaming services getting so expensive?
The evidence establishes rising reported spending and price sensitivity, not one definitive cause or a coordinated plan to trap customers. The practical pressures are familiar: multiple recurring subscriptions, separate content libraries, changing plan prices, and tradeoffs between lower-cost ad-supported plans and more expensive ad-free options. If a favorite show moves or a sports package is only available through a particular service, the household may have to choose between paying for another service and going without that content.
Deloitte’s 2025 survey found that 60% of respondents said a $5 increase would make them likely to cancel their favorite SVOD service. That is stated likelihood, not a measured cancellation caused by a specific increase. In the same report, 39% said they had canceled at least one paid SVOD service in the prior six months, while 24% said they had canceled and returned within six months. The figures suggest viewers are willing to rotate subscriptions, but also that the cycle can bring services back onto the bill. Deloitte Insights, 2025
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There is no consensus that streaming is poor value. In a 2025 Pew Research Center survey, 44% of streaming users said the services they use were worth the cost, 31% said they were not, and 25% were unsure. Pew surveyed 9,397 U.S. adults from April 14–20, 2025. As Eugenie Park and Colleen McClain put it, “The largest share of users (44%) say the streaming services they use are worth the cost, while 31% say they’re not.” Pew Research Center, July 1, 2025
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Is cable cheaper if I want live sports or news?
It can be worth comparing, but the answer depends on the local package and the live-TV alternatives available to you. Deloitte found that live news (43%) and sports (41%) were the primary reasons reported by pay-TV subscribers for paying for cable or satellite. Those are reasons people gave, not proof that cable is the cheapest way to get either type of programming. Deloitte Insights
Before deciding, compare the channels and events you actually watch, not just the advertised package name. Include the full recurring price after any introductory offer, required equipment or fees, broadband if it is part of the offer, and whether the bundle discount depends on keeping another service. A streaming-only total can also include a live-TV subscription on top of on-demand services.
How to compare your household’s real monthly cost
- List every active subscription. Record the service, plan tier, monthly charge, billing route, and next renewal date. Include subscriptions bundled with another product if they may renew separately.
- Separate entertainment from live-TV needs. Mark which services you need for on-demand libraries and which provide news, local channels, or sports you actually watch.
- Compare plan features, not just base prices. Check whether an ad-supported plan is acceptable and whether ad-free viewing, simultaneous streams, or other features justify a higher tier.
- Build a cable or satellite total from the offer in front of you. Add the post-promotion TV price, applicable fees and equipment, and any broadband cost that would otherwise be separate. Do not treat an internet-and-TV bundle as a TV-only price.
- Check bundle conditions and flexibility. Verify how long discounts last, what services are required, and whether changing or canceling one component affects the rest.
- Compare annual as well as monthly cost. Multiply recurring monthly charges by 12, then account for any temporary promotions or months when you deliberately pause a service.
This calculation avoids two common errors: treating streaming’s subscription total as the full cost of internet access, and comparing a promotional cable price with ongoing streaming charges. The right answer is the combination that covers the household’s viewing needs for the least acceptable total cost.
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Rotating subscriptions can help when a household only needs one service for a limited run of shows, and Deloitte’s survey indicates that cancellation and return are common reported behaviors. Before canceling, check the service’s current account terms for when access ends, how billing renews, and whether viewing history or profiles are retained. Those terms vary by provider and can change; the survey data do not establish a shared cancellation policy or process across services.
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A simple rotation works best when you note renewal dates and avoid overlapping services you are not using. It is less useful when a plan is bundled, a discount depends on continuous membership, or live programming is needed every week; check the specific terms rather than assuming a subscription can be paused without a cost or change.
Streaming is flexible, but the bill needs active management
U.S. usage remains widespread: Pew found that 83% of adults said they watch streaming services, while 36% said they subscribe to cable or satellite at home; 28% reported both. Streaming and pay TV are therefore not always alternatives. For many households, the real choice is which mix of subscriptions and traditional TV delivers the channels and libraries they want without paying for unused access. Pew Research Center
Streaming can feel like a trap when each service is an easy-to-forget recurring charge and no single subscription covers everything. But the available figures do not show that streaming is categorically worse or more expensive than cable. A household-by-household tally—especially one that includes live-TV needs and the full cost of internet and equipment—is the meaningful test.
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