The Cable Exodus: 9 Eye-Opening Cord Cutting Stats for 2025

Why Millions Keep Ditching Traditional TV

Updated: July 2025

Whether you've already joined the cord cutting revolution or you're still on the fence about making the switch, the numbers tell a crystal-clear story: streaming is absolutely crushing traditional cable TV. By 2025, an estimated 77.2 million American households will have cut the cord, and honestly, it's not hard to see why.

The shift from cable to streaming isn't just a trend anymore – it's a complete transformation of how we watch TV. Cable TV penetration has dropped 20% between 2014 and 2023, and the pace is actually accelerating. Let's dive into the stats that show exactly what's happening in living rooms across America.

Cable Bills Hit a Breaking Point: $158+ Per Month (And Climbing)

Remember when cable seemed expensive at $80 a month? Those days are long gone. Over 8 in 10 people state price as the top reason for cutting cable TV cords. The average cable bill has reached eye-watering heights, and it's still going up every year.

What makes this even more frustrating is that people aren't getting more value for these higher prices. The average cable subscriber still only watches about 20 channels out of the hundreds they're forced to pay for. It's like being charged for a buffet when you only want a sandwich.

Here's the reality check: families are paying more than ever for channels they'll never watch, while streaming services offer exactly what they want for a fraction of the cost.

77 Million Households Will Be Cord-Free by 2025

The exodus from cable is massive and accelerating. Since 2018, the number of cord-cutting households has more than doubled, rising from 37.3 million to a projected 77.2 million by 2025. That's not just a trend – that's a wholesale migration.

U.S. cable TV subscribers declined to 68.7 million in 2024, down from 72.2 million in 2023—a 4.9% drop. Every quarter brings another wave of cancellations, and the pace isn't slowing down.

What's particularly telling is that this isn't just young people driving the change. 27 percent of Americans and Canadians were planning to cut the cord in the next six months as of late 2023. This includes plenty of older adults who've finally had enough of rising cable bills.

Streaming Services Now Have 301+ Million Subscribers

While cable bleeds customers, streaming services are absolutely booming. Netflix alone has 301.6 million worldwide subscribers as of Q4 2024, up from around 260 million at the end of 2023. That's phenomenal growth for a service that's been around for years.

But Netflix isn't the only winner. Here's how the major streaming services stack up:

The Big Players:

● Netflix: 301.6 million subscribers worldwide● Disney+: 124.6 million subscribers (first quarter 2025)● Max: 116.9 million subscribers globally (end of 2024)● Hulu: 53.6 million paid subscribers in the U.S.

Currently, 99% of households in the United States subscribe to at least one streaming service. Think about that for a second – almost every household in America has embraced streaming.

YouTube TV is Poised to Become America's Biggest TV Provider

Here's a stat that would have seemed impossible just a few years ago: YouTube TV is set to have 12.4 million subscribers by the end of 2026 and looks to become the top U.S. Pay TV provider.

Hulu + Live TV has 4.6 million subscribers, while traditional providers like Comcast has dropped to around 14.5 million customers from 18.55 million just a few years ago.

This is remarkable because YouTube TV offers essentially the same live TV experience as cable – local channels, sports, news – but without the frustrating contracts, hidden fees, and terrible customer service that cable companies are notorious for.

Cable Companies Lost $17 Billion in Revenue This Decade

The financial impact on cable companies has been devastating. Pay TV lost an estimated $10.5 billion in revenue between 2020 and 2025. Zoom out further and the hit is even harder, about $17 billion over the past decade.

Between 2017 and 2023, pay TV revenue in the U.S. decreased from 100.1 billion to 84.9 billion U.S. dollars. That's not a gentle decline – that's a cliff.

Meanwhile, SVOD revenue in the U.S. reached an unparalleled 37 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. The money isn't disappearing – it's flowing from cable companies to streaming services that actually give customers what they want.

The "Cord Never" Generation Changes Everything

Here's what really worries cable companies: it's not just people switching from cable to streaming. 50% of consumers under the age of 32 won't pay for cable TV. These "cord nevers" have never had cable and likely never will.

This creates a huge problem for cable companies. They're not just losing existing customers – they're failing to attract new ones. Young adults moving into their first apartments are skipping cable entirely and going straight to streaming.

This demographic shift means cable's problems will only get worse over time, as older subscribers age out and aren't replaced by younger ones.

99% of Households Use at Least One Streaming Service

Currently, 99% of households in the United States subscribe to at least one streaming service. That's essentially universal adoption. Streaming has gone from an alternative to cable to the primary way most Americans watch TV.

What's interesting is that many people started by adding streaming services on top of their cable subscriptions. But once they realized they were watching Netflix more than cable, canceling that expensive cable bill became a no-brainer.

The variety available through streaming services has also exploded. You can find everything from mainstream hits to incredibly niche content that would never make it onto traditional TV.

Traditional TV Providers Are Hemorrhaging Subscribers

The major cable and satellite companies are all losing customers at an alarming rate:

● Comcast lost almost 500,000 customers in Q3 2023● Charter lost over 320,000 customers in Q3 2023 alone● DirecTV lost an estimated 500,000 satellite TV subscribers in Q3 2023

Traditional pay-TV providers lost around 6 million pay-TV subscribers each year from 2019 to 2022. The trend continued into 2023, with more than 4.5 million customers leaving in the first three quarters alone.

These aren't temporary blips – they're consistent, accelerating losses that show no signs of stopping.

Social Media and Digital Platforms Dominate News Consumption

The way people get their news has completely changed too. 75% of adults get their news from at least one social media platform (this statistic is from 2017 and has likely increased significantly).

This shift means people don't need cable news channels the way they used to. They're getting breaking news from Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and news apps on their phones. Why pay $150+ a month for cable when you can stay informed for free?

YouTube has become particularly dominant among younger viewers, often providing more diverse news sources and perspectives than traditional cable news.

What This Means for You

These numbers paint a clear picture: cord cutting isn't just a fad or a temporary trend. It's a fundamental shift in how Americans consume entertainment and information.

The savings are real – families switching from cable to streaming typically save $70-90 per month. That's over $1,000 a year that can go toward family vacations, paying down debt, or just having more financial breathing room.

The content is better too. Instead of being forced to pay for hundreds of channels you don't want, you can pick exactly the services that match your interests. Love documentaries? Get Netflix. Want live sports? Add YouTube TV. Into sci-fi and fantasy? Try Apple TV+ or Max.

The resistance to growing bills and the demand for simple, fast, internet-only plans is exactly why Starry exists. We're here to help people escape terrible customer service and mysteriously large monthly bills by connecting them to next-generation internet and awesome home Wi-Fi – without unnecessary, expensive bundles.

Cord cutting doesn't mean unplugging from great entertainment. It means taking control of what you watch, when you watch it, and how much you pay for it. With over 77 million households already making the switch, you're definitely not alone in wanting something better than traditional cable.

The numbers don't lie: streaming has won, and cable's decline is only accelerating. The question isn't whether cord cutting will continue – it's whether you're ready to join the millions who've already discovered a better way to watch TV.