There’s a dizzying number of streaming services now, with more than enough content to satisfy the viewing habits of even folks who are willing to pay a cable company for the works.
Not only that, people save money by streaming even when they are paying extra for live TV. And they’re happier with it too, according to the findings of J.D. Power’s latest annual U.S. Television Service Provider Satisfaction Study.
J.D. Power found the average cost for cable and satellite TV is $113 per month compared with the $69 per month people who stream live TV pay. But what if you want to spend less than $69 per month without sacrificing live TV: Who does it best?
Here’s a look at how several major streaming services ranked in J.D. Power’s study.
How TV services were evaluated
J.D. Power surveyed more than 23,000 customers to see how satisfied they were with their current TV provider when it came to these factors:
- Performance and reliability
- Cost of service
- Programming
- Communications and promotions
- Billing and payment
- Features and functionality
- Customer care
Here’s how TV providers stacked up overall.
1. YouTube TV
This provider’s overall customer satisfaction score: 795 out of 1,000 possible points
YouTube TV offers more than 100 live channels, including the NFL and NBA networks as well as PBS, AMC, FX, Comedy Central, MTV and Nickelodeon. Also, local ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox network affiliates are included in most markets.
The cost is $72.99 per month, though promotions are sometimes available. There’s also a Spanish-only plan featuring live sports and telenovelas on more than two dozen channels for $34.99 per month.
2. Hulu + Live TV
This provider’s overall customer satisfaction score: 785 out of 1,000 possible points
Hulu with Live TV, which also includes Disney+ and ESPN+, offers live games from the NFL, NCAA, NBA and NHL on more than 75 channels, including TNT, National Geographic, VH1, FX and HGTV.
It costs $69.99 per month, although deals are sometimes available. Without Live TV, Disney+ or ESPN+, Hulu’s ad-supported plan costs $7.99 per month.
Other streaming services for live TV
Other streaming services, including 2022’s top-placing FuboTV, scored below average in J.D. Power’s latest annual survey:
- SlingTV: 772
- DirecTV Stream: 748
- FuboTV: 742
Traditional TV providers
J.D. Power’s survey also included national cable and satellite TV providers — but they all ranked more poorly than the streaming services we’ve mentioned. Their overall satisfaction customer satisfaction scores were:
- Dish: 709
- DirecTV: 705
- Spectrum: 700
- Xfinity: 697
- Cox Communications: 692
Yes, even the lowest-ranked streaming service, FuboTV, outperformed the best cable or satellite TV service by more than 30 points. However, Dish ranked No. 1 among cable and satellite TV brands for the sixth consecutive year.
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