56% of American NFL fans will use a non-cable service to watch football this weekend. This is according to a survey we conducted with real-time polling provider OnePulse.

Most respondents said they will watch live NFL streams from over-the-top (OTT) streaming sites, with fuboTV, Sling TV, Hulu, and YouTube TV growing in popularity.

For a long time, there was no alternative to the long and expensive contracts offered by Xfinity, Spectrum, AT&T, and others, and watching live broadcasts of various sports was a pleasure only for those lucky enough to have a fixed line to their homes.

In the last few years or so, however, it has become possible not only to cut the cord but also to access a vast array of networks and channels.

Cable providers have kept up with the times to some extent by offering online streaming capabilities, but customers are still locked into multi-year contracts. And anyone who has ever tried to change providers after the contract period has ended knows how cumbersome the process can be.

Cable packages are also often offered as package deals. If you need a new phone plan, a Wi-Fi provider, a landline provider and a TV connection, the package offers reasonable value. However, many of us take advantage of phone contracts and seasonal promotions to reduce the cost of these services separately.

With a streaming provider, you can combine a wealth of channels comparable to traditional cable TV with the flexibility of a month-to-month plan. one-month vacation and no TV subscription? Just cancel it and subscribe again when you return.

Device support is another big draw. If you are a Roku or Fire Stick user or simply rely on smart TV software, chances are good that your OTT provider has a dedicated app. Cable providers are slowly catching up, but usually require you to download a specific network's app rather than browse all channels from within one app.

Cable still has some advantages. As noted above, package deals may be appropriate if you want to pay for phone, TV, and Wi-Fi all at once. Also, long-term cable customers may not trust OTT services and may not fully appreciate the variety of services that cable is known for.

And there is a side truth to that. For example, NFL fans can watch all games with fuboTV, but cannot watch CBS on rival Sling TV. Paramount Plus can top that up, but for avid cable TV fans, the comprehensive channel selection is a relief.

If you're on the fence, it's worth looking at this guide on how to cut the cord. You'll find all the steps you need to take to do so, how to decide what you really need from your subscription, and which providers offer the best channel packages for you.

We asked a small group of 1,000 people how they planned to watch the NFL this weekend.

Cable still had the largest single cross-section of viewers at 27.7%. However, users of Sling, Hulu. YouTube TV, Paramount Plus, Peacock, NFL Game Pass, and "other streaming services" far outnumbered cable viewers with a combined 44.2%.

A minority of users said they use HD antennas, and a few said they use VPN services to access international broadcasts.

The remaining survey respondents indicated that they do not watch the NFL.