Online and television religious services remain a meaningful part of religious life in the United States. Pew Research Center found that 16% of U.S. adults watched religious services online or on television at least weekly in 2023-24, while another 7% did so once or twice a month. Earlier Pew surveys show that viewing differs widely by religious tradition, often serves practical needs, and can provide connection even when viewers are not physically present.
Table of contents
- How many Americans watch religious services online or on TV
- Viewing by religious and racial groups
- Why Americans watch religious services online
- Participation and connection
- Satisfaction and format preferences
- How many congregations viewers watch
- How viewing changed during and after the pandemic
How many Americans watch religious services online or on TV
The 2023-24 Religious Landscape Study provides a current national snapshot of viewing frequency. Sixteen percent of U.S. adults said they watched religious services online or on television at least weekly. Seven percent watched once or twice a month, and 11% watched a few times a year. The remaining 65% said they seldom or never watched religious services online or on television. These figures describe the 2023-24 measurement period and should not be treated as a single weekly audience total.
The same study measured participation across formats. Forty percent of U.S. adults participated in religious services at least monthly either in person, online or through television. Sixteen percent participated at least monthly both in person and online or on television. Eight percent watched online or on television at least monthly without attending in person at least monthly.
For comparison, Pew Research Center reported that 27% of U.S. adults in its November 16-27, 2022, survey either had watched a religious service online or on television during the prior month or usually did so at least monthly. The measures are not identical: the 2023-24 study reports viewing-frequency categories, while the November 2022 survey uses a combined recent-or-usual-viewing measure. Both show that remote viewing is a substantial but minority form of religious participation.
| Measure | Share | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watched at least weekly | 16% | 2023-24 | Pew Research Center |
| Watched once or twice a month | 7% | 2023-24 | Pew Research Center |
| Watched a few times a year | 11% | 2023-24 | Pew Research Center |
| Seldom or never watched | 65% | 2023-24 | Pew Research Center |
| Watched recently or usually at least monthly | 27% | November 16-27, 2022 | Pew Research Center |
Viewing by religious and racial groups
Pew’s November 16-27, 2022, survey found large differences among religious groups in the share who were regular online or television viewers. Forty-seven percent of evangelical Protestants and 43% of Protestants overall were regular viewers. The figure was 58% among adults in Pew’s historically Black Protestant category.
Viewing was less common among mainline Protestants, Catholics, Jewish adults and religiously unaffiliated adults. Twenty-eight percent of mainline Protestants were regular viewers, as were 24% of Catholics, 19% of Jewish adults and 7% of religiously unaffiliated adults. The survey also reported that 22% of White non-Hispanic adults were regular online or television viewers.
These percentages describe groups in that survey and period; they do not establish that religious identity alone caused different viewing rates. They do show that a single national average can conceal very different patterns of digital and television participation.
Why Americans watch religious services online
Among regular online or television viewers in the November 2022 Pew survey, convenience was the most frequently reported reason in the supplied measures. Forty-three percent called convenience a major reason for watching, and 31% called it a minor reason. Access also mattered: 34% said watching services held far away was a major reason, while 26% said it was a minor reason.
Health and continuity were additional motivations. Twenty-five percent called avoiding catching or spreading COVID-19 or other illnesses a major reason, and another 25% called it a minor reason. Twenty-five percent said keeping up with a former house of worship was a major reason, while 22% called it a minor reason.
Sixteen percent identified illness or disability that prevented in-person attendance as a major reason, with another 16% calling it a minor reason. A smaller group watched because their congregation had only an online option: 8% called that a major reason and 13% called it a minor reason.
The motivations varied within religious groups. Among regular viewers, 39% of evangelical Protestants cited access to services far away as a major reason. The same was true for 38% of historically Black Protestant viewers. Health and illness-safety concerns were a major reason for 38% of historically Black Protestant viewers.
Participation and connection
Remote viewing does not produce one uniform level of involvement. In November 2022, 39% of regular online or television viewers said they prayed, sang, knelt or responded as they would in person all or most of the time. Twenty-nine percent did those things some of the time, while 31% did them a little or none of the time.
Viewers also gave mixed answers about whether they felt like active participants. Twenty-five percent said they watched without truly feeling like active participants, while 42% felt a little of both active participation and nonparticipation. Another 25% said they felt like active participants in the services. The categories describe different experiences rather than a simple measure of attention or devotion.
The survey found a measurable connection to people attending the same service in person. Twenty-eight percent felt a great deal or quite a bit of connection with those in-person attendees. Twenty-two percent felt that level of connection with other people watching virtually.
Experiences differed by tradition. Thirty-two percent of historically Black Protestant viewers felt like active participants, compared with 18% of evangelical Protestant viewers. Among Catholic viewers, 31% felt like active participants, compared with 20% of mainline Protestant viewers. Forty-two percent of historically Black Protestant viewers felt a strong connection with people attending in person, compared with 22% of evangelical viewers.
Satisfaction and format preferences
Regular viewers generally reported positive evaluations of the services they watched in the November 2022 Pew research. Sixty-seven percent were extremely or very satisfied with the services, 28% were somewhat satisfied, and 5% were not too or not at all satisfied. The source labels these results as Americans’ experiences with virtual religious services.
Sermons received especially strong ratings. Sixty-eight percent of regular online or television viewers were extremely or very satisfied with the sermons they heard, compared with 54% who were extremely or very satisfied with the music.
Satisfaction varied by religious group. Eighty-one percent of evangelical viewers were highly satisfied with sermons, compared with 57% of Catholic viewers. Among historically Black Protestant viewers, 76% were highly satisfied with sermons, compared with 63% of mainline Protestant viewers. For music, 69% of historically Black Protestant viewers were highly satisfied, compared with 47% of mainline Protestant viewers.
Positive evaluations did not mean that online viewing was preferred when both options were available. Among adults who regularly both attended in person and watched online in November 2022, 76% preferred in-person services, 11% preferred online services and 14% had no preference. Among regular hybrid participants who were White non-Hispanic adults, 87% preferred in-person services and 5% preferred watching online.
How many congregations viewers watch
Online viewing can extend beyond a person’s usual congregation. In November 2022, 60% of regular online or television viewers watched services from one house of worship. Thirty-two percent watched services from two or three houses of worship, and 6% watched services from four or more. The source’s categories describe the number of houses of worship viewed, not the number of services watched.
Location also shaped the viewing pattern. Thirty-eight percent watched services from a house of worship in their local area only. Thirty-five percent watched a house of worship outside their local area only, while 25% watched both local and nonlocal houses of worship. This distribution indicates that remote access can support nearby congregations as well as services with a wider geographic reach.
For some viewers, online services supplemented an existing congregation. Thirty-eight percent of regular viewers watched at least one congregation other than their own in-person congregation. For others, virtual viewing was the primary available connection: 36% did not have an in-person congregation and watched virtually.
How viewing changed during and after the pandemic
The coronavirus outbreak brought many people to remote services for the first time. Among U.S. adults who had watched religious services online or on television in the prior month in Pew’s July 13-19, 2020, survey, 54% said they began doing so during the outbreak. The remaining 46% said they had already watched religious services online or on television before the outbreak.
The shift was particularly pronounced in two groups in that 2020 survey. Among recent virtual-service viewers, 68% of Catholics said online viewing was new because of the outbreak. The same was true of 62% of mainline Protestants.
Barna reported another pandemic-period measure from September 1-15, 2020. Seventy-four percent of churched U.S. adults surveyed said they had watched a church service during the pandemic period. Among practicing Christians surveyed by Barna, the share was 82%. These Barna figures use different group definitions and a different question from the Pew measures, so they should be read as period-specific estimates rather than direct trend points.
Taken together, the available measurements show both expansion and persistence. Remote viewing became a new practice for many viewers in 2020, while the 2023-24 Pew data still found 16% of U.S. adults watching at least weekly and another 7% watching once or twice a month. The reasons remain practical and relational: convenience, access to distant services, health concerns, continuity with a former house of worship and the availability of a congregation’s online option.