Power Surge: Smart TVs That Only Stream See Electric Bump

There’s no shortage of data supporting just how ubiquitous streaming has become, but there’s a lot more to uncover beyond the flashy headlines and proclamations that linear TV is dead. Yes, streaming continues to capture a larger share of viewing time overall, but one of the more interesting findings within Inscape’s latest TV Market Trends report is the increasing migration to streaming ONLY.  

In Q1 2024, 58% of smart TVs solely streamed content, a full three percentage points up from Q4 2023, and a 13 point rise from Q4 2021. Put in other words, nearly two-thirds of smart TVs completely eschewed traditional inputs (cable, satellite, over-the-air antenna) during the first few months of 2024. 

Streaming doesn’t seem to be something that people merely dabble in. Looking at the share of all streaming time in Q1, 94% of it was driven by smart TVs that only (66.8%) or mostly (27.1%) streamed content. Inscape defines “mostly streaming” as 66-99% of viewing time. The share of streaming-only smart TVs has risen by nearly 7 percentage points since Q1 2022. 

Inscape also analyzed the change in viewing time over the last four quarters, and found a measurable 29% decrease for cable/satellite, which includes nearly 8% that completely quit viewing that way. On the other hand, less than 1% of smart TVs totally stopped streaming. 

Now, that doesn’t mean people aren’t watching live, linear content — what’s changing is HOW they’re accessing it. As Inscape notes, “there are various smart TV apps and devices that air live content from broadcast and cable networks,” negating the need for an antenna or cable/satellite subscription. As such, nearly a quarter of live, linear viewing time in Q1 was streamed, up from 15.2% in Q2 2022. 

For more smart TV insights, download Inscape’s Q1 2024 TV Market Trends report here.