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The 5-Year TV Pivot: Why the Antenna is Winning the Long Game

The media has a favorite story they like to tell: "Traditional TV is dead." We have heard it for years, and as I celebrate my 15th anniversary of cutting the cord this week, I have heard it more than most. But as I look at my own habits lately, I have noticed something strange. I am actually watching more antenna-based TV now than I was five years ago.

For a long time, I thought I was just an outlier. Then I looked at the actual data from the last five years (2020-2025), and the numbers tell a story that the "streaming-only" crowd isn't talking about.

The Great Compression: 2020 vs. 2025

Category 2020 Data 2025 Data 5-Year Trend
Pay TV Households (Cable/Sat) 81% of homes 44% of homes -45%
Antenna (OTA) Households 18% of homes 23% of homes +28%
Big 4 Average Viewers 19.3 Million 15.9 Million -18%
Top Minor Networks ~1.3 Million ~1.6 Million +23%

The Truth Behind the Numbers

The "catch" in this data is exactly what I have been feeling at home.

First, the Cable Collapse is real and it is massive. According to the Horowitz Research 2025 State of Media Report, the number of households paying for a traditional wire or satellite dish has plummeted from 81% in 2020 to just 44% in 2025. That is nearly half the country moving away from the traditional pay-TV bundle in just 60 months.

But here is where it gets interesting. While cable is in a death spiral, the antenna remains a stable anchor. Nielsen data confirms that antenna usage is actually up about 28% over that same period as more people realize it's the ultimate hedge against rising streaming prices.

So why are the "Big 4" (ABC, CBS, NBC, Southern Cal) down 18% if more people have antennas? It's because the networks are intentionally pushing us toward their proprietary apps. They want you watching on Peacock or Paramount Plus Essentials. The Variety 2025 ratings show that while the Big 4 have lost over 3 million nightly viewers since 2020, they are surviving by transforming into streaming platforms.

The Rise of the "Minor" Networks

The real winners of the antenna surge aren't the household names; they are the "minor" networks -- or digital subchannels -- that provide the classic "linear" experience. While the Big 4 lost viewers, many of these networks have seen their audiences grow since 2020 because they provide the "passive" channel-surfing experience that cable used to offer, but for free.

These are the names driving that 23% surge in the table above:

  • Antenna TV
  • Bounce
  • Grit
  • H&I (Heroes & Icons)
  • Ion
  • Laff
  • MeTV
  • The CW

People who cut the cord are finding that they miss the ability to just turn on the set and find a classic show or a Western without scrolling through a thousand thumbnails. These minor networks have replaced the "middle-tier" cable channels that have become too expensive or simply vanished.

After 15 years of cord-cutting, the data proves what I've known all along: the antenna isn't a relic of the past. It's the last bastion of "real" TV. My Streaming Life has never been more crowded with options, but the best ones are still coming in through the air for free.

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