Cord-Cutting: Still More Hype than Reality
But new services could drive shifts in video consumption
December 4, 2014
There’s no shortage of survey research around cord-cutters—consumers who are getting rid of their pay TV subscriptions—but there’s more hysteria than fact, according to a new eMarketer report, “Key Digital Trends for 2015: What’s in Store—and Not in Store—for the Coming Year.”
Yes, some consumers are cutting the cord, but they’re in the low single digits percentagewise. A more real behavior is cord-shaving, where consumers reduce what they spend, rather than eliminating it altogether.
Individuals in all age groups are still watching a ton of TV the traditional way, even millennials.
Of course, now that HBO has announced plans to offer HBO GO as a standalone service, all of that could change, especially as other networks rush to follow suit. So, as they say, don’t touch that dial: Unbundling could accelerate consumers’ latent thirst for cord-cutting.
What that means is you need to pay close attention to consumers’ shifting video consumption habits. TV is holding steady. It’s still the media big dog ... for now. But mobile is the channel that’s growing. With all the time, money and attention flowing to digital video, marketers that lack deals with content owners and dynamic advertising are going to miss the boat.
Get more on this topic with the full eMarketer report, “Key Digital Trends for 2015: What’s in Store—and Not in Store—for the Coming Year.”
This report answers these key questions:
- What shifts in consumer behavior and technology adoption will have the greatest impact on marketing in 2015?
- What channels hold the most promise for marketers?
- What trends are more hot air than hard reality?
eMarketer releases over 200 analyst reports per year, which are only available to eMarketer corporate subscribers.