Cord-cutting is one of the storylines we cover regularly here, and for good reason. It is dramatically reshaping the TV and broader entertainment landscape, bringing major new services into the mix like Disney’s forthcoming streaming service and upending the business models of cable providers and all of Hollywood.
There’s still one corner of the TV industry, though, that retains its dominance in spite of the changes wrought by cord-cutting. And if you intend to plant yourself on the couch in front of the TV this weekend to watch the Rams take on the Patriots, you already know what we’re talking about.
According to new data from Sports Illustrated, in partnership with PCMag, most of you are still going to watch the big game this weekend via traditional cable. “Perhaps not surprisingly, cable is still king for Super Bowl viewing,” a report of the survey findings reads. “Fifty percent of respondents plan to watch on TV using their cable subscription; another 8.4 percent will watch the broadcast over the air (OTA). Only 10.4 percent plan to stream the game, while 31.1 percent do not plan to watch at all.”
For this survey, some 2,800 people were asked between January 22 and January 25 how they’re going to watch the Super Bowl this year. But even with the main takeaway being that cable remains dominant, there are also some other interesting findings when you take a closer look at the results.
There’s a spike this year in younger viewers who say they’ll stream the game — 60% of 18-34-year-olds will, in fact. Rams fans say they’re more likely to stream the game than Pats fans, and among those who say they plan to stream the game, Roku devices are the most popular method for doing so — 33% say they’ll watch the game that way.
The game will be available on Roku devices via the CBS Sports channel as well as via CBS All Access for subscribers. The Sports Illustrated/PCMag survey goes on to note that 23.7% of streamers are going to watch on an Amazon Fire device, which likewise supports CBS’ app.
“Split by region, those in the Southwest are most likely to stream the game, at 17 percent,” the survey findings continue. “Not everyone will be home or available to watch at kickoff, which is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET. As such, 37 percent of NFL fans will DVR the game. Split by team allegiance, 42 percent of Patriots fans will use DVR, while 34 percent of Rams fans will use DVR.”
