Observed Signal · Nov 30, 2025 · Research Report · Source: State of Streaming · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Silent Viewing Habits Threaten TV Ratings Accuracy
A TVB report finds 38% of TV audiences watch with the sound off, creating a major challenge for audio-based measurement systems and risking undercounting of viewers. The survey of more than 5,000 U.S. adults indicates sound-off viewing is especially common among younger, Hispanic, and Black/African American viewers. The report also highlights fragmentation in content delivery — 77% of households retain a linear TV connection while 67% use streaming services — and notes many wired cable and satellite customers plan to switch to apps within six months. The trend complicates accurate audience measurement across linear and streaming environments and raises financial stakes for advertisers reliant on precise TV viewership metrics.
A measurement gap that undercounts viewers—especially among specific demographic groups—and arises as audiences fragment between linear TV and streaming has direct implications for ad planning, media buying, and TV ad valuation.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- TVB report finds 38% of audiences watch TV with the sound off.
- The TVB survey sampled over 5,000 adults.
- Sound-off viewing is more common among younger, Hispanic, and Black/African American audiences and could lead to undercounting.
- 77% of households still have a linear TV connection and 67% use streaming services.
- More than half of wired cable customers and nearly three-quarters of satellite subscribers are likely to switch to an app within six months.
Connected Companies & Entities
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Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Streaming Now Dominates US TV
A Samba TV report published and covered by Advanced Television finds streaming now accounts for 60% of all US television viewing, driven by a 46% year-over-year increase in streaming hours. The shift is fueled by lower-cost, ad-supported subscription plans—chosen by more than half of SVOD subscribers—and wider adoption of multiple services per household. Audiences increasingly prefer on-demand viewing (the report says when content is available on both linear and streaming, over 90% watch on-demand), and platforms are extending their reach into former linear strongholds such as live sports and blockbuster movie releases. The report and coverage note a persistent gap: viewer attention to streaming has outpaced advertising investment, even as the global TV and video market is projected to approach $1 trillion by 2030.
Broadcast Viewership Rises as Cable Falls to 20%
Nielsen Gauge data compiled by the TV Grim Reaper and reported by Cord Cutters News (April 26, 2026) shows a material shift in U.S. TV consumption in 2026: cable viewership declined while streaming grew and broadcast networks saw modest gains. Cable fell to just 20% of total viewership, streaming reached 48%, and broadcast TV accounted for 21.7%. Year-over-year changes include a 3.2% decline for cable, a 4.5% increase for streaming, and a 0.5% increase for broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC). The article links audience migration to sports and premium entertainment moving to streaming paywalls, and notes implications for advertisers and network programming strategies.
Ford Campaign Celebrates Mud on Off-Road Vehicles
Ford's new campaign 'Redesigned by the Trail' by Wieden+Kennedy São Paulo showcases the Bronco Sport and Ranger covered in mud to highlight their off-road capabilities. The campaign includes a sequence of billboards along the route to São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport, progressively showing the vehicle getting dirtier. It supports Ford's new brand positioning emphasizing off-road capability, with future plans at agribusiness trade shows in 2027. The creative concept turns a typically negative condition into a positive brand attribute, suggesting a vehicle that has been on real adventures.
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