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The entertainment landscape continues to expand and diversify, with the average U.S. household now utilizing 13 different sources of entertainment, according to new findings from Hub Entertainment Research’s semi-annual “Battle Royale” survey.
This marks the highest number since the study’s inception in 2021.
The research, conducted among 3,018 U.S. adults in October 2024, highlights the growing complexity of entertainment consumption habits.
Jon Giegengack, principal and founder at Hub, noted the competitive environment, especially among younger audiences.
The report shows that households now use an average of 13 entertainment sources. Young people under 35 use even more, averaging 16, while families with children report close to 17 sources. Despite this growing number, respondents only identified half of these as “must-have” sources. On average, participants classified 6.4 sources as essential, while 6.7 were considered “nice to have.” This balance has remained consistent since the study began in early 2022, regardless of age or household composition.
The survey also finds a shift in how younger audiences approach entertainment.
Premium video platforms, such as cable, streaming services and virtual multichannel video programming distributors (vMVPDs), make up only a minority of their entertainment ecosystem. For consumers under 35, these sources account for seven options, while nine other platforms, including social media, short-form video and gaming, dominate their consumption.
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Gaming and social video platforms are driving the disparity.
On average, younger respondents use 2.4 gaming sources compared to just one among those 35 and older. Similarly, they report 3.6 social or short-form video platforms, such as TikTok and YouTube, versus 2.2 for older participants.
“Video games, YouTube and TikTok are rapidly gaining share of mind among young consumers, who have an entirely different idea of what ‘entertainment’ means and are forming habits unlikely to change as they grow older,” Giegengack said.
These findings underscore how increasingly crowded the entertainment ecosystem has become, with premium video services facing stiff competition from other types of content. A free excerpt of the Wave 6 “Battle Royale” report is available on Hub’s website.
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