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Americans are cutting the cord more than ever, according to the Pew Research Center. The share of Americans who watch television via cable or satellite has dropped from 76% in 2015 to 56% in 2021.
About 71% say it’s because they can get the programs and content they want online, and 69% say the cost of cable and satellite services is too high; 45% just don’t watch TV often.
Sixty-one percent of people without cable or satellite say they’ve had it in the past, while 39% have never been subscribers.
Only 34% of Americans 18-29 currently get content on TV through cable or satellite, down 31% from 2015. Just 46% of people 30-49 watch TV that way, down 2%.
The decline is less pronounced among older Americans. People 50-64 had a 14-point drop from 2015, and those 65 and older saw only a five-point decline.