1 in 7 Have Cut the Cord

As cable prices skyrocket to the price of some people’s car payments, many are electing to cut the cord.

The new data from market research firm Nielsen shows that 1 in 7 TV households have decided to ditch cable and get their TV free over the air.

At the same time, the percentage of households subscribing to cable or satellite TV peaked at 88% in 2010 and has since sunk to 79%, according to surveys by the Leichtman Research Group.

Fortune writes that there are two distinct groups watching broadcast TV, Nielsen said. About 40% of over-the-air viewing households watch no other video services from the internet. These households skew older, with a median age of 55, and are less likely to own smartphones and tablets than the average house. Only 27% have children in their home and only 20% have an internet connection and devices capable of watching online video services.

The other 60% or so of over-the-air viewing households also subscribe to online video services like Netflix and Hulu. They have a median age of just 36 and own more connected devices. And 52% have children and 86% have online video accessibility at home.

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