So let’s say you’ve decided to cut the cord on your expensive pay TV service and get all your favorite shows over the Internet. Which apps will you need the most on your connected television? NPD Group has just come out with a new survey of connected TV users and has unsurprisingly found that viewers see Netflix as their most essential app for TV watching. However, Netflix isn’t the only TV app that cord cutters love and the rest of NPD’s survey on popular TV apps contains some surprises.
One such surprise is the fact that connected TV users rate The Weather Channel as the third-most important TV app, just behind YouTube and in front of popular content streaming services such as Hulu Plus and Amazon Instant Video on NPD’s list. Speaking of Amazon, its video app was only ranked No. 6 on the list and even ranked behind the History Channel’s History app, which came in at No. 5.
Finally, we were somewhat surprised to see HBO’s HBO Go ranked only at No. 7 on the list, especially since HBO keeps cranking out must-watch TV series such as Game of Thrones and True Detective. On the other hand, HBO Go might be less popular among cord cutters because you need to know at least one person with a cable subscription to HBO so you can borrow their account use it on your TV set-top box or game console.
In order, here is NPD’s list of the 10 most essential TV apps:
- Netflix
- YouTube
- The Weather Channel
- HuluPlus
- History
- Amazon Instant/Prime Video
- HBOGO
- Fox News
- PBS
- WatchESPN
