Customer satisfaction with traditional cable and satellite television improved over the past year while satisfaction with live streaming services leveled off, according to the J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Television Service Provider Satisfaction Study released this month.

Overall satisfaction with cable and satellite TV rose 18 points year over year on the study’s 1,000-point scale, with gains across every measured dimension and key performance indicator, the research firm said. Satisfaction with live TV streaming, by contrast, slipped three points to 627.

Even with that decline, live streaming still posted higher overall satisfaction than cable and satellite, so the year’s shift narrowed the gap between the two rather than closing it.

The movement came even though traditional service remained the more expensive option. Cable and satellite TV cost $41 more per month than live streaming, according to the study, and streaming continued to hold a 99-point edge in customer perceptions of value for the price paid. Streaming kept that monthly price advantage despite a $5 year-over-year increase.

Carl Lepper, senior director for technology, media, telecom and utilities at J.D. Power, said live streaming had long been seen as the main value alternative to conventional television. Streaming satisfaction has held roughly flat since 2024, and value perceptions have begun to slip, he said.

Meanwhile, traditional providers have improved each year by strengthening their value proposition and affordability, closing a gap that once looked far wider.

In the cable and satellite segment, Verizon Fios ranked highest for a second straight year with a score of 586, followed by Spectrum at 564. The segment average was 549. Other measured providers included Xfinity at 547, Cox Communications at 533, DIRECTV at 529, DISH at 525, and Optimum at 487.

YouTube TV led the live streaming segment for a fourth consecutive year with a customer satisfaction score of 643, above the segment average of 627. Sling TV followed at 625, with Hulu + Live TV at 622, DIRECTV Stream at 593, and Fubo at 585.

The study measured overall satisfaction with customers’ current television providers across seven areas: value for the price paid, consistently delivering high-quality service, trust in the provider, ease of doing business, people, digital tools, and problem resolution. It drew on responses from 33,137 customers and was fielded from August 2025 through July 2026.