91% of U.S. Internet Households Stream, Traditional Pay-TV Drops to 41%

Streaming continues to outpace traditional TV as the default viewing choice. According to new data from Parks Associates, 91% of U.S. internet households now subscribe to at least one streaming video service. Meanwhile, traditional pay-TV has dropped to just 41% penetration.

The findings come from Parks’ latest S.O.S. State of Streaming report, which will be released at its upcoming Future of Video: Business of Streaming conference. The data underscores how entrenched streaming has become in U.S. households, not just as a content delivery method but as a major consumer spending category.

Consumers now average nearly six streaming video subscriptions and spend about $109 per month. That puts the U.S. video services market at an estimated $147 billion annually. Subscription-based and hybrid monetization models are driving that growth.

Jennifer Kent, VP of Research at Parks, said the evolution is bigger than just access to content. “Streaming is no longer just about content access, it’s about experience, engagement, and profitability,” she noted. “The lines between streaming, broadband, and commerce are blurring. The television has become a connected platform, one that unites content, advertising, and transaction opportunities in a single experience.”

This convergence opens up new business models while raising the stakes for platforms and publishers. Growth now hinges not only on subscriber count but on engagement, retention, and the ability to integrate services and commerce across the TV ecosystem.