New survey reveals exactly how much live TV streaming saves you vs cable

5 days ago 1

Scissors cutting a coaxial cable in front of a television

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Cutting the cord has long been touted as a way to save money. But with recent live TV streaming price hikes to Sling TV, Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV, people have started questioning whether or not streaming is still cheaper than cable.

Well, I have good news for those of us using one of the best live TV streaming services: It's still cheaper than cable.

JD Power recently released a survey on the costs of cable/satellite versus the costs of live TV streaming. While the survey showed costs for both rose in Q1 2025, live TV streaming was less expensive by a comfortable distance — nearly $50 a month.

Here's the full breakdown below:

Average (mean) cost of cable/satellite TV: $121.86 (as of Jan. 2025)
Average (mean) cost of live TV streaming: $73.47 (as of Jan. 2025)

Now, some caveats:

The mean average means it's a combined total cost for the sample size divided by the total people in the sample. So, more expensive plans (or cheaper plans) can skew the final average significantly.

Also, with a data collection date of January 2025, there's a chance that recent price hikes, specifically YouTube TV's most recent price hike, haven't had time to show up in the collected data.

Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.

But even then, a monthly difference $48.39 shouldn't just be explained away. That's a significant amount of money, and it's why cutting the cord for a cable TV alternative remains an excellent choice for saving cash.

Looking to cut the cord? Try YouTube TV

I promise I'm not just saying that ditching cable for live TV streaming is a great move because it makes a good story. I put my money where my mouth (typing fingers?) is.

I ditched cable five years ago and have been a loyal YouTube TV customer ever since. Even after testing all six mainstream live TV streaming services in the U.S., I ultimately stuck with YouTube TV as my top choice, despite the fact that I'm now paying more for it than ever before.

For me, the choice to stick with YouTube TV comes down to its combination of a clean-to-use interface, features and channel selection.

Some other offerings come close. Sling TV is a great budget live TV streaming service with a starting price below $50, but it lacks several popular channels and important features like free unlimited DVR.

Hulu with Live TV is almost as good as YouTube TV, with an impressive channel selection and an included Disney Bundle Basic subscription that gives you Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus (all with ads) for free. But its user interface was enough to put it just behind YouTube TV in my rankings.

Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.

Here's what he's been watching lately:

Read Entire Article