While there has been a slight decline in interest compared to previous years, the significance of local broadcast programming remains high on a scale of one to ten.

According to the 2025 Rural Subscriber Study, which surveyed over 800 consumers, the median score for the importance of local programming was 7.7 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest and one being the lowest.

The most significant drop in the importance of local programming was observed among 18-34-year-olds, decreasing from 7.8 to 6.6 on the importance scale. Although consumers rated the overall importance of programming less than 0.5 on a 1-10 scale, they still make an effort to access these channels. In rural America, the desire for access to these channels frequently leads to the purchase of a subscription television service, as over-the-air access to these channels is often unreliable.

Competitive Advantage Leaning Towards Local Operators

Local video providers can effectively compete in pricing with OTT video services like YouTube TV, especially for consumers who prefer a limited selection of mainly local channels. Many video companies in rural America are providing basic packages that cost 20 to 30 dollars less per month, while still including those sought-after local channels. National OTT cable television companies are not providing basic packages, which means that consumers who only want local channels can save money. These savings could allow them to spend extra on another streaming service, such as Netflix or Disney+.