Are you looking for a new live TV streaming service in 2023?
With streaming TV prices seemingly always on the rise, cord cutters are finding it increasingly difficult to save money by ditching the cable company.
But even if the savings opportunities are not what they used to be, the chance for a pleasant viewing experience with no long-term contract commitments, installation charges or “per device” junk fees is still there for live TV streaming customers.
So how do you know which streaming service is best?
We extensively evaluate streaming services at Clark.com for things like channel availability and user friendliness, but sometimes you can learn even more from the consumers who use these platforms every day.
Enter J.D. Power.
The popular consumer insights and data analytics company recently released its 2023 U.S. Television Service Provider Satisfaction Study, and streaming services were a part of the evaluation.
Let’s take a look at what consumers had to say about their favorite live TV streaming services.
YouTube TV Is America’s Favorite Live TV Streaming Service
YouTube TV has long been Team Clark’s choice for best overall live TV streaming service, and it appears that consumers agree in 2023.
The latest J.D. Power study revealed that live TV streaming customers rate YouTube TV as the best for overall customer satisfaction in 2023. This is a marked improvement for Google’s live streaming service, which ranked third in the segment in J.D. Power’s 2022 study.
With a score of 795 on a 1,000-point scale, YouTube TV edged out Hulu + Live TV (785) for the top spot in the 2023 study. The segment’s average score was 781. Sling TV came in third with a score of 772.
Perhaps the most interesting change from 2022 to 2023 involved Fubo. After topping the segment with a score of 789 in 2022, it fell to fifth in 2023 with a score of 742. This may have been a result of price increases and forced upcharges for regional sports networks.
Here’s a look at the 2023 J.D. Power Study results for live TV streaming:
About the J.D. Power Study
The J.D. Power U.S. Television Service Provider Satisfaction Study measures key drivers of satisfaction among residential customers who currently subscribe to a television service.
The study examined satisfaction in six factors:
- Performance and Reliability
- Customer Service
- Cost
- Billing
- Programming
- Communications
The live TV streaming services evaluated in this study were graded on a 1,000-point scale that weighed customer input on these factors.
Why YouTube TV Is a Favorite in the Live TV Streaming Market
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Monthly Price:
$72.99
Channels:
131 (Full list)
Free Trial:
Up to 21 Days (Sign up)
Cloud DVR Hours:
Unlimited
Simultaneous Streams:
3
Local Channels:
ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC
Regional Sports:
NBC Sports channels only
Supported Streaming Devices:
Amazon Fire, Chromecast, Apple TV and select smart TVs (Full list) |
Team Clark likes YouTube TV. Money expert Clark Howard subscribes to it. The consumers polled by J.D. Power like it. Why should you like it?
Though it now costs $73 per month after debuting at less than half that price several years ago, YouTube TV is clearly still a segment favorite in 2023.
And that’s likely because there’s something for everyone included in that subscription.
Here’s a rundown of all the different things that catch people’s attention with the service:
- Channel selection: With more than 130 channels included with the base package, you’re getting access to local channels as well as the majority of the popular sports, news and entertainment channels.
- Sports galore: Not only do you get access to the ESPN family of networks, but you also have the option to add on NFL Sunday Ticket. YouTube TV also includes grid viewing mode for select sports, which allows you to watch up to 4 college football games at once, for example.
- Unlimited cloud DVR storage: You don’t have to worry about missing anything with YouTube TV. You get unlimited cloud DVR storage for all your favorite shows. Just click the “plus” button on the menu to add a show to the cloud DVR library and you’re all set.
- Multiple users accounts within a subscription: Though you can only have three streams going at once, YouTube TV is set up so that each person in the household can customize their viewing experience on their own user account. This means you can set your DVR recordings, favorite channel preferences, etc. to have a tailored and unique experience within the same household subscription.
Do you agree that YouTube TV is the best live TV streaming service in 2023? Or do you have an alternative you prefer instead? We’d love to hear about your money-saving streaming TV strategies in the Clark.com community.
