Nearly 15 Percent of Pay-TV Subscribers Plan To Make Big Service Changes, Digitalsmiths Says

A total of 14.9 percent of pay-TV subscribers plan to make changes in their plans over the next six months, Digitalsmiths said in its Q2 2015 Video Trends Report issued Tuesday. The most common plan was to change providers (8.1 percent), followed by cut service (4.5 percent) and switch to an online app or rental service (2.3 percent). Another 31.7 percent said they might change providers, Digitalsmiths said. Of those planning a change, 41.1 percent said they would stay if content search functionality improved, according to the survey. While 76.6 percent of pay-TV subscribers are "very satisfied" or "satisfied," the "unsatisfied" category was 23.4 percent -- up more than six percentage points from the Q2 2013 survey, Digitalsmiths said. Increasing fees for cable/satellite service and for Internet service were the two leading reasons for dissatisfaction among those surveyed, with poor customer service close behind, Digitalsmiths said. Among those surveyed, 57.7 percent subscribed to an over-the-top service, up nearly 30 percentage points in two years, according to Digitalsmiths. Named as the biggest draws for OTT are convenience, ability to watch certain TV shows and their whole seasons, and cost, the survey said. The survey was conducted in Q2 by a third-party survey service, Digitalsmiths said.