Hub Intel Deep Dive: The “Vibecession” is Real—But It’s Not Stopping TV Subscribers

Is economic anxiety actually good news for TV providers?

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The “Vibecession” is Real—But It’s Not Stopping TV Subscribers

The high inflation that followed the COVID-19 pandemic left U.S. consumers with an enduring unease about the country’s economic outlook. The post-pandemic economy hasn’t spiraled into recession, but for many consumers, it still feels like one. Despite cooling inflation, strong job growth, and falling interest rates, pessimism about the economy remains stubbornly high. We’re living in a “vibecession”—where economic vibes, rather than hard data, are shaping consumer sentiment.

That anxiety played a major role in the 2024 election, with a third of voters citing the economy as their top issue in exit polls. But Trump’s return to the White House hasn’t calmed concerns—in fact, new questions about the effects of tariffs and crackdowns on undocumented workers will have on inflation, interest rates, and the economy overall have only added to the uncertainty.

This persistent economic unease shows up clearly in the results of Hub’s TV Churn Tracker.

In Q4 2024, 55% of TV viewers said they were “very concerned” about the economy—nearly identical to the 54% who felt the same way when we first asked in September 2022.

So what does this mean for TV content creators and distributors—who are already navigating a fiercely competitive streaming landscape in pursuit of profitability? We have answers, and some of them are good news for video providers.

Here are three important things to know about economically uneasy viewers:

1. Viewers who are very concerned about the economy are more economically vulnerable.

Viewers who are “very concerned” about the state of the economy tend to have fewer personal resources. They are less likely to have a college degree and more likely to have annual incomes below $50K.

These consumers are still feeling the impact of high inflation from 2022-23. Nearly nine in ten remain very concerned about rising inflation, and three-quarters worry that a recession is on the horizon.