ELLISVILLE, Mo.—The pandemic drove new levels of consumer dependence on television to stay entertained, informed and connected, but the rising cost of maintaining TV subscriptions is prompting many consumers to consider dropping at least some of those services, a new report from Mohu suggests. 

The survey from Mohu, a digital TV antenna provider owned by Antennas Direct, found that most Americans subscribe to more TV services today as compared to last year (59%) and that 2 in 5 (44%) currently have four or more subscriptions.

But the Mohu’s "TV Viewership Index,” which surveyed 1,200 U.S. adults ages 18 and older that currently subscribe to at least one TV service, also found that more than 2 in 5 (44%) plan to cancel at least one subscription within the next six months. 

As Americans subscribe to more services, the research also found that consumers cite cost as the primary driver (80%) for their plans to drop services. 

The research also found that financial challenges have pushed many to get creative with managing their TV costs by leveraging free trials (55%), sharing subscription logins (48%), tightening budgets for personal spending and activities (48%), and even cutting the cord altogether (54%).

"Access to TV is no longer just nice to have, it's an urgent necessity for every American to stay updated on critical news and information,” said Richard Schneider, CEO and founder of Antennas Direct and Mohu. “The problem is that watching this programming is becoming extremely difficult and expensive – but it doesn't have to be. While many Americans grapple with rising streaming and cable costs, a sizable group depend on TV antennas to seamlessly and affordably access the TV content they need to stay connected to the world around them.”

Other findings from the report include:

• Americans are willing to invest in more TV content options: Three-quarters (74%) of Americans currently subscribe to different TV services to expand available content, and nearly 4 in 5 (78%) have subscribed to a new service just to watch one particular piece of content. Content is so important that 80% say limited viewing options have pushed them to cancel a TV subscription.
• Investments also go toward optimizing the home viewing experience: Watching TV at home has become so important that Americans have invested in new devices (75%), such as a new television (86%) or streaming box (81%) to optimize the experience. Another 64% have purchased new furniture or home décor to enhance viewing at home.
• The cable vs. streaming war continues: To avoid choosing between streaming or cable, many households are diversifying content by subscribing to both (63%). In fact, cable is the go-to source for local (54%) and national (46%) news programs, while streaming is the most popular way to access movies (57%) and TV show favorites (50%). Meanwhile, approximately 1 in 10 Americans use TV antennas as the primary way to access all the different types of content.

To download the TV Viewership Index, click here. 

ELLISVILLE, Mo.—HDTV antenna providers Antennas Direct and Mohu have announced a 30% discount on their products and are giving away a free ClearStream Eclipse antenna to the first 1,000 people who email support@antennasdirect.com with a screenshot or photo of the letter they received from Locast announcing its service suspension.

"Unfortunately, the Locast ruling is yet another example of cord-cutting services creating huge headaches for consumers," said Richard Schneider, CEO and founder of Antennas Direct. "We don't want consumers to suffer or lose access to channels they're used to viewing. HDTV antennas have always provided free access to broadcast networks and we hope to connect with any Locast subscribers to fill that viewing gap."

For more information about this promotion, visit www.antennasdirect.com or www.gomohu.com 

ELLISVILLE, Mo.—When people were forced to quarantine in their homes over the last year, investing in TV and streaming services was a popular way for many to stay informed and entertained. But now that Covid-19 vaccines are allowing the world to slowly open up again, many consumers are planning to reduce their spending on TV services, according to a new study from Antennas Direct.

In its “Post-Covid TV Viewership” report, Antennas Direct found that during quarantine two out of five consumers said they limited spending elsewhere to better afford cable and streaming subscriptions. Now, four in five admit they will need to cut back on these TV services post-Covid to pay unaddressed bills or household utility costs, while others hope to use that spending on other activities.

Asking more directly what consumers plan to do, Antennas Direct found that half intend to keep all of their TV services post-Covid, while one in three already have plans to cut cable or streaming services and two in five plan to cut more than one type of service. A quarter of respondents want to get their monthly TV spending down to around $50 per month.

“While Americans have tolerated the financial strain that has come with subscribing and sharing services, this simply isn't feasible in the post-COVID world,” the report said. “Our research shows that many plan to cut services and lower costs to fund household expenses or experiences outside of the home. This doesn’t just hurt providers, it hurts consumers who are forced to choose between paying their electric billing and having access to their local news to stay informed.”

Antennas Direct then notes that over-the-air TV, which it works to provide OTA service via digital antennas, is an avenue that consumers can go to maintain access to some of the services cable and streaming provides while cutting costs.

For the full report, visit Antennas Direct’s website. 

ST. LOUIS—Antennas Direct has acquired Mohu, maker of the Mohu Leaf and other television antennas, the St. Louis-based antenna technology developer has announced. Financial details of the acquisition were not immediately available.

“Mohu was launched with one central goal: to spread awareness of the choice that antennas give consumers and make cord cutting accessible to all," said Mark Buff, founder and CEO of Mohu. "Antennas Direct will enhance the Mohu brand with the innovation, leadership and expertise that they are known for.”

According to Antennas Direct, the acquisition creates the largest company in the United States delivering television antennas for over-the-air (OTA) reception. Efficiencies created by the deal will allow the company to invest millions of dollars in antenna technology, it said.

The number of cord cutters, those who give up cable subscriptions in favor of alternatives like off-air reception and OTT subscriptions, is growing year-over-year. Last year, a Nielsen report found cord cutting has grown nearly 50% in eight years. Other reports indicate 34% of U.S. households will have dropped their subscriptions by the end of last year. (Final 2019 tallies are not yet available.)

A report from eMarketer forecasts that by 2023 the number of cord cutters and those never subscribing to cable TV will reach 56.1 million in the United States.

"There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth within the executive suites of this nation's cable companies," said Richard Schneider, CEO and founder of Antennas Direct.

"It's clear that consumers are tired of overpaying for access to content that can be available for free,” he said. “Cable companies have perennially dwelled on the bottom of consumer satisfaction indexes. Antennas Direct and Mohu have long been on the side of consumers' efforts to get rid of cable. We look forward to welcoming even more liberated Americans to our cord-cutting family, continuing our legacy of putting billions of dollars back in their pockets."

ST. LOUIS—Summer is here, and as some people will hit the road in their RVs to travel the country, Antennas Direct has a new product so they can stay connected to a TV. The debut of the ClearStream 2 RV Amplified TV Antenna is designed to provide a greater range of frequencies so as to perform in remote or rural areas.

Antennas Direct designed the unit with an adaptive mast bracket, which allows customers to replace an existing antenna on an RV’s elevating mast. It comes with a preamplifier to maximize range—which the company says can go up to 60-plus miles—and deliver reliable UHF/VHF signals through dedicated UHD and VHF multi-directional elements. In addition, there is a reflector to focus the antenna’s power and provide protection against multipath interference. Installation cables and weather-resistant mounting hardware are included.

The ClearStream 2 is available exclusively from Antennas Direct’s website.

SAN JOSE, CALIF.—A group of companies including developers of antenna and hardware/software technologies have created a new marketing coalition to make it easier for consumers to view over the air broadcast with streaming services.

In the announcement of its formation last week, the companies, which include Antennas Direct, Hauppauge, Nuvyyo, Pixelworks, Plex GmbH, Resonian, and Shenzhen Geniatech cited the complexity cord-cutters face when trying to combine OTT/streaming services with free over-the-air local broadcasts.

“As a growing number of consumers abandon traditional cable and satellite subscriptions to gain increased control over content selection and the associated cost of video entertainment, they are often faced with added complexity as well as limited or overpriced access to local broadcast TV channels,” they said. “The genesis of FlexVU is a mutual end-goal of helping consumers “select the most seamless and high-performance cord cutting solutions, including the ability to access TV content from anywhere with a connected display device.”

[Read: Cord-Cutting Pace Accelerates As Viewers Seek Premium Programming, Says EMarketer]

As part of its initiative, the coalition said it would be advancing what it termed “a broader ecosystem under a newly recognized and industry-supported brand.”

Along with offering so-called “skinny bundles”—lower cost OTT services which target cord-cutters—several consumer electronics vendors like DISH and TiVo have made recent attempts to integrate OTT and OTA. Earlier this year, DISH launched “AirTV” an over-the-top, over-the-air service that gives customers access to dozens of over-the-air broadcast channels across multiple devices inside and outside of the home. Last week TiVo introduced its “Bolt OTA for Antenna” which combines OTT and over-the-air signals, delivering four tuners and a one terabyte hard drive capable of recording 150 hours of HD programming. The company describes the new box as a an “upgrade” to its “Roamio” DVR, which targets cord-cutters and has been available for four years.

Likewise, FlexVU member Nuvyyo offers its Tablo device that features an OTA tuner that provides DVR-type services to over-the-air viewers, as well as the ability to stream OTA signals to home Wi-Fi setups.

The coalition defined five elements that make up the FlexVU initiative—TV antenna, TV tuner, transcoder, software for the user interface and a DVR that allows consumers to view content on any device anywhere. It has also launched a consumer education portal www.flexvu.tv, which includes specific product and component recommendations, testimonial videos from FlexVU partners and useful links to tools, such as a Channel Finder to help consumers determine what local TV channels can be access based on their zip code. In addition, the FlexVU Web site has a helpful animation that provides an easy to understand overview of the key benefits and messages of the FlexVU initiative.

BETHESDA, MD.—About 8.1 million Americans will buy TV antennas this year, according to a mid-year analysis by the Consumer Technology Association, reflecting the growing audience for over-the-air broadcast signals as more homes cut—or at least trim back—their cable subscriptions. This year’s estimates will mark a peak in antenna sales, which have been hovering just under the 8 million level for several years and which are expected to decline only slightly in the near future, according to CTA’s latest analysis.

One wild card in future antenna sales is the impact of the new ATSC 3.0 standard, which will debut over the next several years.

“When 3.0 rolls out, consumers will become aware of additional services, and that will give a boost to antenna sales,” said Brian Markwalter, senior vice president, research and standards for CTA. “Viewers won’t need any special antennas to receive 3.0, but reception may be affected by the repack” of channels.

SUPPLEMENTING PROGRAM CHOICES

Markwalter, as do others who follow the antenna business, contends that the steady sales of home antennas reflects the increased rate of cord cutting by cable subscribers.

CTA’s research shows “one in five consumers say they watch OTA through an antenna,” said Ben Arnold, senior director of innovation and trends at CTA. “The reasons all revolve around supplementing their programming.” Cord-cutters or trimmers “want live TV plus OTT,” Arnold adds.

That combination of OTA and OTT is reflected by some of the new antenna kits that combine access to OTA and broadband. Likewise, viewers who toggle between live broadcasts and on-demand streams keep their antennas inside. Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at research firm NPD Group, Inc., says that the bundled products “solve some of the customer satisfaction issue.”

“People aren’t necessarily buying [antennas] on their own when they cut the cord, but are getting them through their subscriptions or their devices that are enabling them to make the cut,” he said.

Although most antennas sell for about $30–$80, versions for multidirectional (180-degree range) and long-range directional (up to 100 miles) reception cost up to $160. NPD, which estimates about 34 million antennas have been sold since 2014, has found that the average retail price of about $26 “has been very stable over that time,” Baker said. He doesn’t expect many repeat or add-on sales since antennas are “not a product that gets a lot of upgrade or replacement purchases [unless something happens to the old one] due to a change in technology.”

“About 90 percent of the antennas are classified as indoor,” said Baker, whose firm also tracks hardware sales and usage. “Obviously most antennas today are pretty small and digital. They are not like those rooftop things from the ’60s but are more like ‘modern rabbit ears.” He also points out that cord-cutters who discover antennas may have to be trained about how to use them, especially since many customers have little understanding of OTA broadcasts.

“They need some help in being reminded what an antenna is for,” Baker said.

AVAILABLE OPTIONS

Joe Bingochea, president of Channel Master, one of the largest U.S. antenna makers, agrees that while not all cord-cutters will use OTA, “our experience shows that a percentage of them will use OTA to supplement whatever streaming services they choose.”

Bingochea adds that antenna reception can be tricky. “When the consumer cuts the cord, who do they look to when there is a problem?” he asks rhetorically, explaining that his company’s components, including cables and connectors, enable users to put together entire systems. Channel Master’s product line includes the “Stream+” (for OTA and DVR) and the “Smartenna+,” a smart indoor antenna with active steering technology.

Bingochea says that Channel Master sales are diversified among a variety of retail, installer and online avenues. Antennas are sold at Best Buy, Home Depot, Fry’s Electronics as well as small dealers and etailers including Amazon and the company’s own website.

Richard Schneider, president of Antennas Direct, expects the market for antennas “will accelerate as cord-cutting becomes more mainstream.” The company’s new ClearStream antennas relay signals over a home’s Wi-Fi network, allowing customers to place the antenna in a convenient location then send signals to TV sets around the home.

The company started as an e-commerce venture from suburban St. Louis, but has migrated to other sales outlets and now only about 10 percent of its sales come from the Web, Schneider said. Its products are available in 8,000 stores, include Walmart, Best Buy, Lowes, Fry’s and regional chains plus Amazon.

Schneider’s customer research has found that new customers are “more female and less tech oriented.” Antennas Direct’s early users were people trying to connect a “$50,000 home theater” whereas today’s budget-conscious customers “is usually buying an antenna to complement a Netflix subscription,” Schneider told TV Technology.

FIRST TIMERS

One gauge of consumer interest in antennas is the growing usage of AntennaWeb.org, which lets consumers figure out what kind of antenna they’ll need to pick up local broadcast signals based on their address.

More than 2.6 million users checked into the site during 2017, and at least 85 percent of them were first-time users, according to Mick Rinehart, president of TitanTV Inc., which operates the free online service. AntennaWeb was created by the Consumer Technology Association at the dawn of the digital TV era a decade ago. NAB teamed up with CTA, and both are now co-sponsors for TitanTV’s antenna checking service. Users see a color-coded “selector map” which matches the labels on antennas, indicating the type of device needed for a specific location.

“From the number of new visitors, it is apparent that interest in cord cutting continues to grow,” says Rinehart.

He acknowledges that AntennaWeb originally focused on signal strength calculations and antenna recommendations for outdoor reception; but now there is high interest in indoor antennas. The reception information, based on signal data from CTA and other sources, incorporates topographic and environmental factors that can affect television reception at a viewer’s location.

“There are many variables within their home that will also impact reception via an indoor antenna,” Rinehart adds, pointing to a resources section of the site that offers advice on how to choose, connect and place an indoor antenna for optimum reception.

BROADCAST PARTNERSHIPS

Antennas Direct saw the increased demand for over-the-air antennas even before the current cord-cutting trend began to take hold.

Phones at the company’s St. Louis headquarters “started ringing off the hook” a few years ago, with all the calls coming from Sacramento, Calif., recalled company President Richard Schneider.

“Unbeknownst to us, the Gannett station [now Tegna Media’s KXTV-10] was endorsing one of our models on a live newscast,” he said. “Then the following week, WLUK in Green Bay [Sinclair Broadcasting] asked if we could come up in 48 hours to hand out antennas and appear on the news during a retransmission dispute,” Schneider continues.

“And I thought, ‘hey’—there are 1,800 full-power broadcasters, so we should do this 1,798 more times.”

As a result, the company set up a “Broadcaster Partners Program,” which involves antenna giveaways in exchange for on-air time in which Antennas Direct “extols the virtues of free over-the-air TV,” Schneider said.

“So far we have given away more than 14,000 antennas in 52 markets.”

Schneider said he wants to “partner with more broadcasters to get the news out about how... using an antenna with a streaming service can save the average household about $1,800 per year.”

Other antenna marketers have collaborated with TV broadcasters as well. Channel Master has “several relationships” and has launched joint promotions with stations “to promote OTA awareness,” according to Bingochea.

IMPACT OF REPACK, NEXT GEN TV

CTA’s Arnold expects antenna prices may go up slightly because 3.0 will deliver new features that may require better antennas, but any increases may be offset by volume deals as more customers buy antennas.

Bingochea of Channel Master contends that the 3.0 business model “is not far enough along to gauge the potential impact” although he believes that the addition of 4K and HDR will attract new consumers.

AntennaWeb’s Rinehart expects the upcoming channel repack program, which affects broadcasters and their channel assignments, will give new impetus to the antenna selection process. But he acknowledges that some customers may be surprised by what they find.

“If a local station that you would expect to see is not listed in AntennaWeb, its predicted signal strength may be calculated to be just a fraction of a dBu below the threshold for that channel,” he explains. “Nevertheless, because it is below the minimum dBμ cutoff value, it is not displayed.”

Rinehart also pointed to a growing consumer complaint about finding shows—especially in a milieu of blended OTA and OTT content.

“The emergence of Diginets [DTV auxiliary channels] has expanded the genre and variety of content free for viewing,” he said, but cited the challenge for consumers who want an electronic program guide when moving between paid and free video. His company’s free consumer TV Listings site includes channel lineups for all platforms (OTA, OTT, cable, satellite) and can be blended into a single custom guide from disparate sources.

NAB agrees that antennas are a permanent part of the expanding media landscape.

“More than 72 million Americans rely on over-the-air television received through an antenna,” said Dennis Wharton, executive vice president of communications for the association. “Traditional OTA viewers as well as cord-cutters and cord-nevers are discovering an abundance of today’s most popular HD broadcast programming available for free using an antenna, which now come in sleek easy-to-install designs.”

Nielsen’s first quarter 2018 Total Audience Report noted that “broadcast-only” homes were up by 6 percent (to 16.53 million households) compared to previous quarter. During the past year, the share of homes getting OTT and other subscription video-on-demand services also climbed and now reaches 64 percent of U.S. homes.

Bingochea of Channel Master sees the current OTA/OTT era as the continuation of the evolving video delivery industry. He says that he has “experienced the changes in the antenna business over the years when things like cable, C-band satellite and Direct Broadcasting Satellites were introduced.”

“Now we are just in a new phase.”

ST. LOUIS—Antennas Direct is enabling its customers to go wireless with the release of a pair of new products. The ClearStream Flex wireless TV antenna and ClearStream Eclipse wireless TV antenna will enable users to watch local, network programs on their smartphone, tablet and streaming media player, per Antennas Direct’s official announcement.

The company is billing these products as the start of a new product category for the TV antenna market, providing wireless broadcast TV viewing. In addition to assisting with wireless broadcasts on mobile devices, the new antennas feature software upgrades that include Recording and Set-A-Reminder features, the latter of which alerts viewers in advance of TV shows when connected to the internet or not. The free ClearStream TV app and program guide, as well as Wi-Fi setup, are also part of the package.

The ClearStream Flex and Eclipse antennas connect through a home Wi-Fi network to combine live, local broadcast TV with a smartphone, tablet or streaming media player. The antennas are compatible with Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Stick, Kindle and iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.

Antennas Direct is selling the ClearStream Flex for $119.99 and the ClearStream Eclipse for $99.99.

ST. LOUIS—It’s an antenna. It’s a wall frame. It’s both, according to Antennas Direct. The company has unveiled its new ClearStream View wall frame amplified indoor HDTV antenna that it plans to launch in the coming days.

The ClearStream View antenna features loop technology for advanced signal reception with a 50-plus mile range and is multi-directional for both UHF and VHF. The antenna also has a 20dB in-line USB amplifier system that provides added range and maximum signal reception, per the company. The frame comes with a collage mat that can display up to nine custom photos, measures 14.25x18.75-inches, slide-locks, a built-in keyhole to hang in a horizontal position.

The ClearStream View antenna will be available on Dec. 15.

WASHINGTON—This Friday, Aug. 19, Little Rock, Ark., will be the launching site for the “Broadcast TV Liberation Tour,” a five-state, five-city tour on how consumers can access local broadcast TV channels with an advanced digital antenna in HD for free. The tour is a partnership between TVfreedom.org, Antennas Direct and local Sinclair broadcast TV stations.

NAB announced that it is also partnering in the antenna giveaway, with Executive Vice President of Communications Dennis Wharton saying, “Local television is the most trusted and reliable source of news and emergency information in America and we’re proud to partner in this tour with Antennas Direct, TVfreedom and Sinclair.”

Dish has also come out and endorsed the tour. Warren Schlichting, Dish executive vice president of marketing, programming and media sales, said, “TV viewers should have a choice on how to watch, and how much to pay for local TV.” Dish reports that it has distributed $7 million worth of OTA antennas to affected customers of the Tribune/Dish blackout.

In addition to Little Rock, the tour will also make stops in Macon, Ga., on Aug. 22; Charleston, S.C., on Aug. 24; Asheville, N.C., on Aug. 26; and Baltimore on Aug. 29. The first 300 patrons at each tour stop will receive advanced indoor/outdoor digital antennas with the ability to pick up local broadcast signals within 50 miles.