Media

Nearly Half of US Cord Cutters Are Millennials

Paul Ausick

Published: January 24, 2017 1:35 pm

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 3:34 pm

In a recent survey of American consumers, Germany-based research firm GfK found that nearly a third of millennials (ages 18 to 34) have either never had a corded TV service or they had one but have since cut the cord. Of the total U.S. cordless population, 43% are millennials.

That does not mean, of course, that this group doesn’t consume video. These cordless millennials spend two-thirds (65%) of the viewing time streaming video to a TV set or another network-connected device. That proportion of cordless millennials is nearly double the proportion of cordless boomers (36%).

The large number of millennials who have no corded connection to TV service are a challenge for networks and advertisers. Karen Ramspacher, GfK’s senior vice-president of consumer insights and trends, said:

One in three Millennials is living without a cord – so understanding this population is a major priority for advertisers and marketers. These viewers are huge fans of quality programming and content – but they are not fond of being told where, when and how they should watch it. They view streaming services as well worth the money and producers of the best shows ‘on TV’. Appealing to this unusual combination of untethered living and discernment about content represents a sweet spot for marketers representing millions of brands worldwide.

Millennials may be a “sweet spot,” but reaching them is no trivial matter. The GfK study showed just how hard: millennials are 44 times more likely to be cordless than the average American, and they do not use much media except the internet, where they are heavy viewers of certain kinds of content.

So where is this elusive population? About where we would expect to find them. They are heavy users of big streaming sites like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and Amazon Prime, but with the exception of YouTube, advertising is sparse or nonexistent on these sites. Millennials also watch video on smaller sites like CrunchyRoll, Twitch and Adult Swim in larger numbers than do other demographic groups.