According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), consumers report considerably higher satisfaction with video streaming services than with other telecommunications services.
ACSI notes that streaming often avoids many of the drawbacks associated with traditional telecom offerings, especially subscription TV.
Video Streaming
David VanAmburg, Managing Director at ACSI, explained:
“Streaming services don’t have hidden fees or promotional six-month rates like subscription TV. They tend to be cheaper and simpler.
Because consumers have fewer real choices when selecting a subscription TV provider, those companies face less pressure from customer dissatisfaction, so dramatic improvements are unlikely in the near term.”
Video streaming leads telecom satisfaction with an average ACSI score of 75.
Services scoring above the industry average include:
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Netflix, PS Vue, and Twitch — 78
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iTunes and Microsoft Store — 77
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YouTube Red — 76
Services near the industry average include:
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Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Hulu, and Vudu — 75
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CBS All Access — 74
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HBO Now and Starz — 72
Lower-scoring streaming services are:
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Sling TV — 71
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DIRECTV NOW and Showtime Anytime — 70
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Sony Crackle — 68
Notably, even the streaming services with the lowest satisfaction still outperform nearly all subscription TV providers.
Subscription TV
Subscription TV satisfaction declined 3.1 percent to an average score of 62, marking an 11-year low.
The top subscription TV scores are:
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AT&T U-verse — 70 (one of only two providers whose score did not decline)
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Verizon Fios — 68
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DISH Network — 67 (the other provider that maintained its prior score)
Providers near the average include:
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DIRECTV — 64
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Optimum — 62
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Cox Communications — 60
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Spectrum and Suddenlink — 58
Lower-ranked subscription TV providers are:
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Comcast Xfinity — 57
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Frontier Communications — 56
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Mediacom — 55
Survey respondents ranked HD video quality as the most important aspect of subscription TV, giving it a strong score of 80. Satisfaction with store and service center staff scored 77, while satisfaction with call centers dropped three percent to 63.
Internet Service Providers
Internet service providers (ISPs) also saw satisfaction fall 3.1 percent, to an average score of 62. Every ISP’s score decreased except Xfinity, which remained unchanged.
The highest ISP satisfaction scores are:
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Verizon Fios — 70
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AT&T Internet — 68
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Optimum — 64
Providers with average satisfaction scores include:
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Suddenlink — 61
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Spectrum — 60
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Xfinity — 60
Mediacom fell significantly, experiencing a nine percent decline to a score of 53.
Similar to subscription TV, overall satisfaction with call centers dropped three percent to 59. Satisfaction for connection speed and variety of internet plans also fell three percent, to 67 and 64 respectively.
Consumers remain relatively more satisfied with store and service center staff, which scored 76, although this is lower than last year.
Conclusion
ACSI’s findings indicate subscription TV services still lag far behind streaming services in customer satisfaction. ISPs also face challenges in improving customer sentiment, particularly where consumers have limited broadband choices—reducing competitive pressure to improve.
Across all telecom categories, providers can differentiate themselves by enhancing customer experience in call centers and physical service locations.
What are your thoughts on ACSI’s latest results? Share your views in the comments.