Even as we live in a golden age of endless Baggage reruns and news bloopers, cord cutting has become increasingly en vogue. Viewers aren’t abandoning TV, mind you. They’re just watching it via Netflix, Amazon and other streaming outlets. Some new numbers arriving ahead of the sales orgy that is Amazon Prime Day are bound to the online giant incredibly happy.
Recode reports that Amazon Prime is picking up U.S. subscribers at a fast enough pace to overtake cable and satellite in subscribers/customers. Estimates from Morningstar have Amazon Prime in nearly 79 million U.S. households, up 13 million versus the end of last year. Pay TV households have been declining in numbers with the dwindling total now reaching 90 million households. The rising trajectory for Amazon Prime puts the subscription service on pace to outdo cable and satellite sooner rather than later.
Cable’s erosion as the TV obsessive’s delivery mechanism as choice has been a gradual one, but it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Heck, ESPN slashed their staff with massive layoffs thanks to the rapidly changing TV landscape. Amazon has acclaimed and essential original programming in their lineup, although that doesn’t come across as the hook that’s brought in 79 million customers. If cable and satellite are going to regain ground, they’ll have to figure out how to adapt to these trends. Soon too.
(Via Recode)
