Half of US households have streaming TV services: survey

STREAMING television services from companies like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu have reached a key milestone -- half of US households are now subscribing, a survey showed Monday.

The Nielsen Total Audience Report found that in the first quarter of 2016, streaming video on-demand (SVOD) services reached 50 percent of American homes, the same percentage as digital video recorders (DVR).

"While DVR penetration has plateaued, SVOD penetration is growing," the report said.

The survey found 72 percent of homes have either a DVR, which allows viewers to record and watch programs at a later time, or a streaming service, marking a significant shift away from live television viewing.

The report confirms the growth in new on-demand video services, especially among younger adults.

The latest figures from Netflix showed it had 45.7 million US subscribers at the end of March, and a projected 46.4 million by the end of June.

Amazon, which includes its Prime Video with a subscription to a bundle of services, does not report user figures. But analysts at Consumer Intelligence Research Partners estimated the company had 54 million Prime subscribers at the end of 2015.

Hulu said last month it expected to top 12 million subscribers by the end of May.