TROY, Mich.—The highly anticipated annual J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Television Service Provider Satisfaction Study indicates that once again vMVPDs, which J.D. Power calls “Live TV streamers,” had a much higher satisfaction rate than traditional cable and satellite services.
The newly redesigned survey found that live TV streamers is 625 (on a 1,000-point scale) compared with 524 among cable and satellite customers.
The biggest gap in satisfaction between live TV streaming and cable and satellite—140 points—is heavily based on costs, the researchers said. The survey found that the reported monthly average cost for live TV streaming is $75, while cable and satellite is $120.
YouTube TV ranked highest in the live TV streaming segment for a second consecutive year, with a score of 651. Hulu + Live TV (635) ranked second.
Spectrum ranked highest in the cable/satellite TV–national segment with a score of 530. Xfinity (529) ranked second.
“It is clear that price has been a main driver in satisfaction, however, satisfaction for streaming is higher than cable and satellite customers across all seven dimensions of the study,” said Carl Lepper, senior director of technology, media and telecom intelligence at J.D. Power. “Live streaming has reorganized the industry and as it continues, cable and satellite providers have been working hard to remain competitive, including exploring new revenue models to compete with the cost pressure.”
In terms of different regions, Verizon Fios ranked highest in the cable/satellite TV–east region for a third consecutive year, with a score of 570. DirecTV (520) ranked second.
Xfinity ranked highest in the cable/satellite TV–north central region with a score of 528. Spectrum (516) ranked second.
Xfinity ranked highest in the cable/satellite TV–south region with a score of 570. Cox Communications (547) ranked second and Spectrum (545) ranked third.
Spectrum ranked highest in the cable/satellite TV–west region with a score of 534. Xfinity (517) ranked second and Dish (516) ranked third.
The J.D. Power U.S. Television Service Provider Satisfaction StudySM is designed to provide a detailed assessment of customer perceptions of service with their current television provider. The study measures Overall Satisfaction with television service providers based on seven dimensions: value for price paid; consistently delivering high-quality service; level of trust with provider; ease of doing business; people; digital tools; and resolving problems or complaints. To be included in the national cable/satellite TV ranking, brands must be ranked in all four geographic regions. The study is based on responses from 32,349 customers and was fielded from October 2023 through August 2024.
For more information about the U.S. Television Service Provider Satisfaction Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/tmt/us-residential-television-customer-satisfaction-study.
