Customer Satisfaction with vMVPDs Like YouTube is Higher Than Cable

TROY, Mich.— The highly anticipated annual J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Television Service Provider Satisfaction Survey once again shows that vMVPDs, which J.D. Power calls “Live TV broadcasters,” have a much higher satisfaction rate than traditional cable and satellite services.

The redesigned survey found that the number of live TV broadcasters was 625 (on a 1,000-point scale), compared to 524 among cable and satellite customers.

The largest difference in satisfaction between live TV broadcast and cable and satellite (140 points) was largely down to costs, the researchers said. The survey found that the average reported monthly cost for streaming live TV was $75, compared to $120 for cable and satellite broadcasts.

YouTube TV ranked highest in the live TV streaming segment for the second year in a row with 651 points. Hulu + Live TV (635) ranked second.

Spectrum took the top spot in the cable/satellite TV-national segment with 530 points. Xfinity (529) ranked second.

Carl Lepper, senior director of technology, media and telecommunications intelligence at JD, said: “It’s clear that price is a key driver of satisfaction, but broadcast satisfaction is higher than cable and satellite customers across all seven dimensions of the study.” Strength. “Live streaming has reorganized the industry, and as it continues, cable and satellite providers are working hard to remain competitive, including exploring new revenue models that can compete with cost pressures.”

(Image credit: JD Power)

In terms of different regions, Verizon Fios ranked highest in the cable/satellite TV-east region for the third year in a row with a score of 570. DirecTV (520) came in second.

Xfinity ranked highest in the cable/satellite TV-northcentral region with 528 points. Spectrum (516) took second place.

Xfinity took the top spot in the cable/satellite TV-south region with 570 points. Cox Communications (547) ranked second and Spectrum (545) ranked third.

Spectrum took the top spot in the cable/satellite TV-west region with 534 points. Xfinity (517) was second and Dish (516) was third.

The J.D. Power U.S. Television Service Provider Satisfaction SurveySM is designed to provide a detailed assessment of customers’ service perceptions of their current television providers. The study measures Overall Satisfaction with television service providers based on seven dimensions: value for price paid; providing consistently high quality service; level of trust in the provider; ease of doing business; people; digital tools; and resolve any problems or complaints. To be included in the national cable/satellite TV rankings, brands must rank in all four geographic regions. The study is based on responses from 32,349 customers and was conducted between October 2023 and August 2024.

For more information about the U.S. Television Service Provider Satisfaction Survey, visit: https://www.jdpower.com/business/tmt/us-residential-television-customer-satisfaction-study.