Netflix was again the top choice of viewers responding to an annual Solutions Research Group survey of “must-keep” TV services that also saw a surge in consumer interest for free ad-supported streaming (FAST) channels.

The survey of 1,400 U.S. consumers age 12 and up conducted in May found Netflix was the top choice for consumers for the fifth straight year, with ABC, Prime Video, CBS and Fox all finishing in the top five. 

Hulu, NBC, Disney Plus, ESPN and Peacock rounded out the top 10 list, according to SRG. Climbing on the 2024 survey were FAST streaming brands Tubi (14) and Pluto TV (20) after debuting on last year’s list at No. 28 and No. 35, respectively. (To see the full top 20, please scroll to the bottom of this story). 

Other services showing positive momentum in the survey include Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, National Geographic, Apple TV Plus, MTV and Ion, according to SRG.

Netflix also topped the list among African-American and Latinx viewers, said SRG. 

Among 18-to-34-year-old viewers, Netflix was tops for the eighth straight year, followed by Hulu, Prime Video, Disney Plus and ABC. Netflix was also No. 1 among men 18-49, according to SRG.

Netflix also extended its winning streak among women 25-54 to six years, as streamers secured seven of the top 10 “must-keep” brands in the demo, per SRG. 

SRG said the survey sample design is inclusive and balanced by geography, gender and ethnicity according to known-universe parameters for the U.S. population. 

Netflix maintained its top slot in an annual survey of “must-keep” TV services amid an overall rise in consumer perceptions of streaming brands. Netflix has topped this survey of U.S. consumers for at least four straight years, ahead of ABC, CBS, Prime Video and Hulu in the top five, with NBC, Fox, Disney Plus, ESPN and HBO Max (now just Max) in this survey of 1,400 people age 12 and over, conducted in May.

Solutions Research Group noted upticks for Paramount Plus and Peacock, which rose to numbers 11 and 12 on the list, respectively. CNN, Fox News Channel, USA, Nickelodeon, FX, MTV and Telemundo showed positive momentum and Food Network is back in the top 15 from No. 20 a year ago. HGTV and History remained as Nos. 18 and 19, while Discovery fell outside the top 20 for the first time since the survey tracking began in 2007. AMC came in at No. 43, having fallen from its all-time high ranking of 12 in 2018.

Leading FAST streaming brands Tubi and Pluto entered the rankings at Nos. 28 and 35, SRG said. Tubi ranks ahead of Apple TV Plus at No. 30, the research firm said.

Among surveyed viewers in the 18 to 34 age range, Netflix was No. 1 for the seventh straight year, followed by Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, ABC, Fox, Disney Plus, HBO Max, ESPN, CBS and Peacock (showing gains by ESPN and Peacock).

Netflix also was tops among women ages 25 to 54 for the fifth straight year, per SRG. 

SRG said the sample captures and represents all major population segments. Respondents are shown a list of 83 broadcast, cable and high-penetration streaming brands and are asked to identify which ones would be on their “must-keep” TV list if they had to choose a limited number. The sample design is inclusive and is balanced by geography, gender and ethnicity, according to known universe parameters for the U.S. population, the firm said.

Despite a disappointing subscriber loss in the first quarter and expectations that Q2 will be even worse, Netflix again topped the Solutions Research Group (SRG) annual “Must Keep TV” list for the fourth consecutive year, beating broadcasters ABC and CBS while fellow streamers Peacock and Paramount Plus gained the most ground among viewers.

SRG’s annual “Must Keep TV” research is based on 1,400 interviews with U.S. consumers aged 12 and older and was conducted in late April 2022. This is the 15th edition of the research since its inception in 2007.

While the top 10 networks and programmers in 2022 remained the same as in prior years, there was plenty of movement otherwise, with TV brands like The CW (rising five spots to No. 13), AMC, Cartoon Network, A&E, TBS, ION and Syfy all showing strong momentum.

Paramount Plus made the biggest move, rising from the 37th spot in 2021 to the No. 12 position in 2022. Peacock, which Comcast’s NBCUniversal launched in 2020, rose from No. 29 in 2021 to No. 16 this year. According to SRG, the only major steamer that didn’t make the top 20 or make a major leap in the rankings was Apple TV Plus, which rose two spots in 2022 to No. 31 from No. 33 in 2021.

Among women aged 25-54, streamers took six of the top 10 “Must Keep TV” spots, more evidence of how that delivery mechanism is gaining dominance in the space. Paramount Plus was the newcomer at No. 10, while Netflix, Hulu and ABC secured the top three positions, followed by Amazon Prime Video, CBS, NBC, Disney Plus,  Fox, and HBO Max.  

HGTV was bumped out of the Top 10 for the first time since 2016, while other brands that lost ground in the demo include Food Network (No. 18, down seven spots), Hallmark, PBS, AMC, History and Nickelodeon.

Brands with strong momentum among women 25-54 include Disney (No. 11, up from No.  20), CW (No. 13 this year, up from No. 27), Peacock (No. 15 up from No. 18) and Lifetime (No.7 vs. No. 32 last year).

Netflix topped the charts among Black audiences for the third year in a row, followed by ABC, CBS, Fox and Prime Video. Newcomers to the segment include The CW and Disney Plus and BET maintains its Top 10 standing among Black audiences, coming in at No. 8 for the year.

Netflix came in first place for Latinx audiences for the fifth year in a row, with Hulu, Prime Video, ABC and Fox rounding out the Top 5. ESPN regained its spot in the Top 10 this year, in the No. 10 position, while Telemundo and Univision continued their strong showings, ranking No. 11 and No. 13 in the segment.

Streamers and networks also showed strength with Asian-American audiences, with Netflix, ABC, NBC, CBS and Prime Video leading the way. ESPN ranked No. 9 and is the top cable network in this segment, while CNN came in 10th.

For LGBTQ2+ audiences, Netflix, Prime Video and Hulu took the top three spots, followed by broadcaster ABC. Networks CBS and NBC are ranked No. 7 and No. 8 respectively, while CNN made a strong showing in the eleventh spot. Paramount Plus and Peacock came in at No. 10 and No. 15, respectively.

Among Americans with disabilities, Netflix is again in the No. 1 spot, followed by ABC and CBS. Prime Video, NBC, Fox, Hulu, Disney Plus, HBO Max and Paramount Plus round out the top 10. ■

Streaming services captured half of the top 10 spots in Solutions Research Group’s 14th annual “Must Keep TV” report, with Netflix capturing the top spot for the second consecutive year and streamers like Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney Plus and HBO Max rounding out the list.

SRG based its research on 1,400 interviews conducted in May with consumers aged 12 and older.

Broadcaster ABC took the No. 2 spot for the second year in a row, followed by CBS, which also placed third last year. Amazon Prime Video rose from No. 6 in 2020 to the fourth spot this year, while NBC placed fifth, one spot lower than last year. Hulu moved up a place to No. 6 and Fox slipped to No. 7 from fifth place.

Disney Plus had the largest gain, vaulting from No. 13 in 2020 to No. 8 this year. Newcomer HBO Max (which launched on May 27)  placed ninth and ESPN finished tenth, two spots lower than its eighth palace showing last year.

Streamers also had strong showings throughout the rankings. NBCUniversal’s Peacock, launched nationwide last July, entered the rankings at No. 29 and Apple TV Plus finished at No. 33.  ViacomCBS’s Paramount Plus, which debuted in March, entered  at  No. 37.

According to SRG, TV brands that showed momentum in 2021 included History (up three spots to No. 12), HGTV (up three spots to No. 13), Comedy Central (which finished at No. 19, the first time it has cracked the top 20 since 2015) and Hallmark, which has steadily moved up the rankings since 2016 and finished 2021 at No. 20.

HBO Max’s success may have come at the expense of its linear brother, HBO. According to SRG, the HBO linear channel slipped to No. 25 in 2021 from No. 12 last year. 

And though 2021 was Netflix’s second year at the top of the overall Must Keep TV mountain, it has been tops among viewers aged 18-to-34 for five straight years, according to SRG. Streamers took four of the top 5 spots in that demographic, while among men aged 18-49 Netflix and Amazon Prime took the top two slots, with ABC being the most popular broadcaster and ESPN was the top cable network.

Across other demos, women favored Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu (Nos. 1, 2 and 3), while the top three for African-Americans were Netflix, ABC and Amazon Prime Video. Latinx consumers saw Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and ABC as their top three Must-Keep TV services. 

While streamers dominated the list, broadcast networks weren’t totally left out, but their grip is slipping. About 62% of those interviewed by SRG included at least one of the Big Four networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) on their Must See TV list in 2021. That ‘s down 15 points from the 77% that had at least one of the Big Four on their list 10 years ago.    

Meanwhile, streamers continue to gain ground. According to SRG, the top four streamers — Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus — were seen as must-keep for 65% of those interviewed in 2021. Broadcast networks remained strong with older viewers, as 78% of respondents aged 50 or older identify at least one of the broadcast nets as a ”must keep“ vs. 47% for one of the top four streamers.

After three years of steadily climbing up the charts, SVOD pioneer Netflix took the top spot in Solutions Research Group’s 13th annual “Must Keep TV” ranking, ousting broadcaster ABC from the pole position.

SRG said it conducted 1,400 online interviews across the country between May 22 and May 26 with consumers aged 12 and older, a little more than two months into the coronavirus lockdown where most had a good chance to consume their regular brands and sample some new options.

According to SRG, respondents are shown a list of 79 broadcast, cable and high-penetration streaming brands and are asked to identify which ones would be on their “must keep TV” list if they had to choose a limited number.

While Netflix took the overall lead, broadcasters made up the rest of the top five in the rankings, with ABC No.2, followed by CBS, NBC and Fox. Amazon Prime Video was No. 6 and Disney Plus, which launched on Nov. 12, debuted at No. 13 on the list.

ESPN was the top cable brand (No. 8 overall) for the 13th year in a row, despite the lack of live sports programming during the lockdown. PBS was ranked No. 9 and CNN came in at No. 10 as viewers increasingly tuned in news during the pandemic.

Disney Plus was the most significant momentum brand of the year, placing 13th among the total 12+ population – a higher entry position than Amazon Prime Video and Hulu which entered in No. 14 and No. 22 respectively in 2017 when they were added to the lists.

Other brands on the rise in 2020 include Discovery, Food Network, Cartoon Network and FX, SRG said. Big gainers included TLC, which leaped from No. 41 last year to No. 21 this year and MSNBC, which rose from No. 46 to No. 39 this year. Brands that lost ground include AMC, The CW and HBO. According to SRG, HBO fell from the top 10 for the first time since 2013.

Overall, Netflix was No. 1 with adults aged 18-34 for the fourth year in a row, followed by Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, ABC, and Fox.

Netflix continued its three-year streak as the top brand for men aged 18-49, followed by ESPN, ABC, Fox and CBS. Amazon Prime Video and Hulu placed No. 6 and No. 8, respectively in this demo. and Amazon Prime Video and Hulu, which each rose two spots in the rankings for that demographic.

Subscription video-on-demand pioneer Netflix broke into the top four of an annual survey of “Must Keep” TV networks, pushing Fox Broadcasting to fifth place, the first time in 10 years that all of the Big Four networks failed to dominate the list.

Netflix ranked fourth overall in Solutions Research Group’s (SRG) annual survey of top network brands, trailing ABC, CBS and NBC. Rounding out the top 10 were ESPN, HBO, Discovery, PBS and CW. History came in at No. 11, followed by AMC at No.12, unchanged from last year. HGTV showed the most momentum, climbing six spots from No. 19 in 2016 to No. 13 this year.

SRG included the three largest streaming video brands – Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu – for the first time this year and all performed well. According to SRG all three landed in the top 25 of the overall rankings, with Amazon Prime Video at No. 14 and Hulu at No. 22.

The streaming services fared even better with millennials. In the 18-34 year-old segment, Netflix claimed the top spot while Hulu finished at No. 9 and Amazon Prime Video was No. 11.

With President Trump’s daily tweets dominating the news cycle, it was no surprise that news channels performed well in the rankings, as CNN finished at No. 15, neck-and-neck with Fox News (No. 16). SRG said the two news networks were this close only once before in the past decade – in 2008 when CNN was ranked No.14 overall and Fox News was No. 18.

According to SRG, CNN was most popular with viewers under 50 years old, placing No. 15 among individuals aged 18-49, outpacing Fox News at No. 28 in that demographic. Fox News was slightly ahead in more affluent households – those with incomes of more than $100,000 annually ranked Fox at No. 8 while CNN finished at No. 12 with that segment.

ESPN was No. 6 overall and was the No. 1 cable channel for men aged 18-49 for the 10th straight year. Fox Sports 1 and ESPN 2 were ranked No. 20 and No. 25 respectively, similar to their previous positions, while Fox Sports 2 dipped slightly and NBC Sports was up a bit.

The broadcast networks still represented the bulk of “Must Keep” TV channels, but their influence is declining. SRG said that in 2017, 72% of those surveyed included at least one of the big four networks on their must keep list, down 11 points from the historic high of 83% in 2007. Brand equity among the Big Four networks eroded more with younger viewers –only 62% included one of the Big Four in their top ‘must keep’ list in 2017, down 19 points from 81% a decade ago. Smartphones, tablets and other connected screens are also pushing traditional TV sets out of living rooms. In 2017, 51% of households reported owning three or more TV sets, down from 56% in 2013 and a high of 65% in 2007, according to SRG.

SRG’s research is based on online interviews with 1,425 American consumers aged 12 and older and was conducted in April. Respondents are shown a list of 77 broadcast, cable and high-penetration streaming brands and are asked to identify which ones would be on their ‘must keep TV’ list if they had to choose a limited number. Sample design is balanced by geography, gender and ethnicity, including African- American and English-speaking Hispanics according to known universe parameters.

The big four broadcast networks -- ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in that order -- remain the TV brands that consumers in an annual survey identify as the top "must keep" programmers, Solutions Research Group said.

In the eighth annual such survey, ESPN and Discovery follow in the fifth and sixth position, while HBO has moved up to No. 7, its best showing since the survey began (and one place higher than last year). History, PBS and AMC (which moved up seven spots from 2014) complete the top 10. TNT dropped out of the top 10 this year, slipping to 13 (see chart below).

Other highlights from the online survey of 1,400 U.S. consumers, conducted in April:

ABC, Fox and CBS are the top three brands for the 18-34 age demographic: ABC Family and AMC were new to the top 10 for this age group.

ESPN remains the top cable network among men ages 18-49, followed by HBO and Discovery.

ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and Discovery, in that order, remain the top five brands among women ages 25-54 stay, the same as last year. HGTV and ABC Family made the top 10 in this demo for the first time in the survey; History and Lifetime, which had fallen out of the top 10, made a comeback this year.

ABC and CBS were the top brands among African-Americans. Gains among this group were made by Discovery, PBS, CW, AMC, Comedy Central, Showtime and CNN versus last year.

ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and HBO were the top five brands among Hispanic Americans, followed by ESPN, PBS, Univision, ABC Family and AMC.

ABC, Fox, CBS, NBC, HBO and ESPN ranked as the top five brands among households earning $100,000 and up, followed by PBS, CNN, ABC Family and History.

For the first time in 2015, the survey asked consumers what they would do if their TV service provider stopped carrying their must-keep favorites: 84% said they would take some kind of action. It broke own to: 22% would switch providers, 11% would sign an online petition, 8% would complain on social media, 3% would complain to the Federal Communications Commission and 40% would complain to their TV providers, the survey firm said.

The top 10 channels in terms of fan loyalty as indicated by proportion who would drop their TV subscription in the event of non-carriage were: Telemundo, Univision, NBC Sports Network, Fox News Channel, Bravo, History, ESPN, AMC, ESPN2 and FOX Sports 1.

Survey boilerplate: "Must Keep TV" tracking is an independent syndicated brand tracking survey conducted by Solutions Research Group among a representative sample of American consumers, SRG said. The survey has been done every year since 2007, with questions fielded and presented in the same manner each year. The 2015 research is based on online interviews with 1,400 American consumers ages 12 and up conducted in April 2015. SRG said the sample captures and represents all major population segments. Respondents are shown a list of 74 leading network or cable brands and are asked to identify which ones would be on their "must keep TV" list if they had to choose a limited number. Sample design is balanced by geography, gender and ethnicity, including African- American and English-speaking Hispanics according to known universe parameters. 

Despite threats from over-the-top services like Netflix, Amazon and increased use of web video and mobile alternatives, the big four TV network brands are top-of-mind and continue to stay relevant for TV viewers, according to the latest edition of the Must Keep TV Report from the Toronto-based Solutions Research Group.

The proportion of Americans who would include at least one of the big four networks on their "must keep" list if they had to keep a small bundle was up 3 points from a low of 75% last year to 78% this year, SRG said in a release. The high water mark for this metric was 83% when SRG first started tracking in 2007. The seventh edition of the independent tracking survey is based on interviews with 1,400 American consumers aged 12-plus in early April 2014.

While the networks showed collective brand strength overall, the research found that the millennial generation continue to be less likely to want to include one of the big four in their top channels list – 68% did so in 2014, the same level as 2013, although much lower than the peak of 81% in 2007.

Top brand trends from the 2014 research include:

ABC retains the top “must keep TV” channel title in America for the total audience (aged 12-plus), followed very closely by CBS. NBC beat Fox to land at #3 for the first time since 2008.

ESPN is again the top cable brand American TV viewers can’t do without, coming in at #5 overall and as the top cable brand. Discovery, History, HBO, TNT and PBS round out the 2014 Top 10 TV brands.

Discovery regained its title as the leading non-sports cable brand in the country after losing it to History last year.

And...

FX was the leading momentum brand of the year, up six spots to #14, from #20 for full audience and as well jumping 5 spots among adults 18-49 from #17 to #12.

CW also gained, jumping to #16 from #21 overall.

AMC also was up 1 spot from last year and an impressive 16 spots since 2012. It was ranked as the #14 "must keep" brand for adults 18-49 this year, compared to a #30 ranking just two years ago.

CBS was number one among men 18-49 for the third year in a row and ESPN was the top cable brand by a wide margin in this demo.

SRG said it was notable that all major sports brands all did well this year, not just ESPN: ESPN2, NBCSN and Fox Sports 1 all trended up in rankings (up 6 spots from last year on average) compared to last year.

Top cable brands for women 25-54 were: Discovery, Disney, Bravo, HBO and the Food Network. HBO made it to the top 10 for the first time since 2009 in SRG tracking of this demo. Lifetime exited the Top 10 for women 25-54 for the first time since 2007.

Among African-Americans, cable brands which showed strong positive momentum include HBO, TNT, FX, Bravo, Disney, VH1 and AMC. HBO was the top cable brand among Latinos.

While consumers’ relationship with TV brands continues to be strong, American consumers do not have as many actual TV sets in the house as they once used to. Only 50% had 3 or more TVs in the home in this year’s research, compared to 56% last year, 61% in 2011 and 65% in 2007, when Must Keep TV was fielded for the first time.

SRG data also directionally suggests that TV brands that offer scripted dramas are seeing stronger consumer interest, particularly if they have strong archives of past episodes of their series available, or if past seasons are available on Netflix or on VOD for people to catch on and catch up with (not to mention availability via torrents). Before, people found character-intensive drama series more difficult to “drop in” on. They couldn’t follow the story, didn’t know the characters and only had time to keep up with only a few first-run series on a regular basis. The combination of greater availability of archives of show content online, including Netflix, and more comfort with the intimacy and flexibility of small screen Internet enabled devices, make immersion easier.

For brands that offer reality programming, social media has been a booster especially if they keep the shows relevant and part of the conversation using online video libraries, social media and re-packaging their stars and content on the web and social media to give fans edited highlights and a more intimate look at the reality characters they love.

The 2014 research is based on online interviews with 1,400 American consumers 12+ conducted in early April 2014 – the sample captures and represents all major population segments. Respondents are shown a list of 73 leading network/cable brands and are asked to identify which ones would be on their ‘must keep TV’ list if they had to choose a limited number. Sample design is balanced by geography, gender and ethnicity, including African-American and English-speaking Hispanics according to known universe parameters.