OTTAWA – A growing number of options for accessing TV and video content has given rise to “cord jumping”, where consumers hop on and off of services to ensure they get what they want when they want, says the Media Technology Monitor (MTM).
With service providers, especially OTTs, making it easier than ever before to join at will (i.e. no cancellation fees or start up charges), 1 in 8 Canadians have suspended their TV or paid video streaming service with the plan to re-subscribe later, according to the research.
The main reasons for cord jumping include: To save money; My favourite shows aren’t on right now; No time to watch right now; Travelling; It’s summer and I’m doing other things.
Other highlights include:
– Canadians who cord jump watch approximately three hours less linear TV than non-jumpers;
– Cord jumpers spend more time online, more time watching Netflix, and more time watching online TV than non-jumpers;
– 12% of paid TV subscribers and 19% of TV My Way Canadians are cord jumpers;
– Millennials (19%) and Gen X (13%) are more likely to cord jump than Boomers (9%) and Golden Age (8%).
MTM is a research product of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC/Radio Canada).
