Netflix retained its place as the most indispensable television brand in the United States, topping The Strategic Counsel’s 18th annual “Must Keep TV” survey for the sixth straight year.
The online poll canvassed 1,400 consumers aged 12 and older at the end of April, asking which of 83 broadcast, cable and streaming services they would keep if forced to cut back. ABC held the No. 2 slot for a sixth year, followed by Prime Video, CBS and Fox. NBC climbed to sixth, while Hulu, Disney+, Paramount+—returning to the elite tier for the first time since 2021—and Max rounded out the top ten. Free-ad-supported platform Tubi rose to 15th, the highest FAST ranking recorded.
Netflix stayed dominant with 18- to 34-year-olds, yet ABC edged it among African-American viewers, underscoring the enduring pull of live sports on broadcast schedules. ESPN remained the top cable brand overall, though it slipped to 12th place.
The findings coincide with a wider shift in viewer behaviour: streaming captured 44.8 % of total U.S. television usage in May, overtaking the combined share of broadcast and cable for the first time. “This inflection point reflects how quickly companies have adapted to meet audiences where they watch,” Nielsen chief executive Karthik Rao said in releasing The Gauge report.
Netflix’s hold on the “must-keep” crown mirrors its industry-low net churn rate—about 1 % at the end of 2024, according to analytics firm Antenna—well below the 3 % premium-SVOD average. The loyalty has endured even after the streamer lifted U.S. prices in January, raising its standard ad-free tier to $17.99 and its premium tier to $24.99 a month.
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Last year’s survey produced a similar hierarchy, with Netflix first and ABC second, suggesting that brand indispensability is stabilising despite fierce competition and market churn.
