NEW YORK—New results from Kagan Consumer Insights surveys of U.S. internet adults reveal that U.S. internet households used an average of 6.8 streaming video services in March of 2022. 

It was the highest level tracked to date but also up only marginally from an average of 6.6 services in September 2021, S&P Global Market Intelligence's Kagan found.

Mainstays such as Netflix, YouTube and Amazon's Prime Video continue to be widely used by many American households, but newcomers such as HBO Max, Apple TV+, Paramount+ and Peacock have driven growth in total streaming services used, the researchers said.  

The survey also found that subscription video services accounted for the majority of services used while free, ad-supported services (including YouTube) stood at about 30% share and social video with about 15% share of total services.

Interestingly, traditional multichannel households remain the most avid users of streaming services with an average of 7.6 services per home, Kagan reported. 

While cord-cutter households saw the biggest annual gains in total services used in the first quarter of 2022 with year-over-year percentage jump in services used at nearly 30%, the cord-cutter households still significantly lag other video household types with an average of 5.4 service used.

Services used by household income showed a more equal distribution, ranging from 6.3 services for homes with less than $50,000 in annual income to 7.2 services in households making $50,000 to $99,999. Households with more than $100,000 in income had the smallest annual gain in services used and were the only group to see average services decline from third-quarter 2021 levels.

Netflix and Prime Video were each used by more than half of U.S. internet households, but their usage levels were flat versus the first quarter of 2020. 

American consumers have also consistently turned to smaller niche services classified as "Other SVOD services" including ESPN+, BET+, Crunchyroll, AMC+, Fox Nation and OTT services from Starz and Showtime.

Multichannel homes used the highest average number of SVOD services at 4.2 services but also showed the smallest annual increase with a 1.6% gain from 4.1 services used in the first quarter of 2021. Especially those making more than $100,000 in annual household income — have historically been a key driver in SVOD usage gains.

ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Customer satisfaction with video streaming services is slightly down while satisfaction with pay TV services slightly increased in 2021, the “American Customer Satisfaction Index Telecommunications Study 2020-2021” is reporting. 

The survey found that customer satisfaction with video streaming tumbled 2.6% to a score of 74 on a scale of 0 to 100, according to the study. 

Of the five telecom industries covered in this study – subscription television service, internet service providers (ISPs), landline phone service, video-on-demand service, and video streaming service – subscription TV and landline phones are the only two to enjoy year-over-year gains.

Satisfaction with pay TV providers increased a modest 1.6% to 65% in 2021 compared to 2020 while satisfaction with Internet service providers held steady at 65%.

The 1.6% increase in satisfaction with pay TV providers in 2021 followed a 3.2% increase in satisfaction in 2020, the report noted. 

“With folks resigned to stay at home for the better part of a year and a half, the heavy strain on telecommunications was inevitable,” says David VanAmburg, managing director at the ACSI. “The large consumption of bandwidth for internet services and countless hours spent streaming videos and movies were sure to impact satisfaction. And it turns out that streaming has taken the biggest hit of all.”

Video streaming remained the customer satisfaction leader among telecom industries despite its current decline. However, its advantage over subscription TV shrank from 12 to 9 points.

Disney was once again the highest rated streaming service at 78, down 2.6% from 2020, followed by Microsoft Store (up 1% to 77), and Amazon’s Twitch (up 1% to 76). 

Netflix’s declines continued for a second year, the survey found. The once top-rated service fell 4% to a score of 75, tying it with four others: Hulu (down 3%), HBO (up 1%), newcomer HBO Max, and YouTube TV (unchanged).

Ironically, AT&T, which has been looking to shed some of its pay TV and media businesses, had the highest satisfaction of any pay TV provider at 74 in 2021, up 6%, for its U-verse TV, followed by Fios (up 1% to 71), DirecTV (up 2% to 66), Dish (up 1% to 66), Comcast (up 3% to 66) and Spectrum (up 5% to 64). 

Customer satisfaction with the video-on-demand services of major cable, satellite, and fiber-optic subscription TV providers fell 1.5% to an ACSI score of 67.

Customer satisfaction with landline phone service inched up 1.4% to an ACSI score of 71.

The ACSI Telecommunications Study 2020-2021 is based on interviews with 37,907 customers, chosen at random and contacted via email between April 1, 2020, and March 29, 2021. 

More details on all the streaming services, pay TV providers and ISPs covered by the survey can be found here.

DURHAM, N.H.—The sharing of streaming services is a hot-topic in the industry right now, and Leichtman Research Group is the latest to share details on consumer behavior regarding the trend. According to LRG’s recent study, 27% of the top 11 direct-to-consumer and streaming accounts are being used in more than one household.

LRG’s study found that 82% of U.S. households have at least one streaming service, with 51% of them having three or more. While 69% are fully paid and are not shared with anyone outside the household, 27% of them are (the other 4% represent DTC services that come with another service).

The 27% breaks down like his: 13% of services are used and paid for by those that also share them with someone outside the household; 12% are used in one household but are borrowed from another household that is paying for the service; and 2% of services are used by multiple households with them sharing costs. Overall, 16% of all households have at least one DTC service that is fully paid for by someone else.

The younger age group (18-34) is the most likely to use a DTC service someone else pays for, with 26% reporting that they do. For those over 35, only 12% say they use a service that they do not pay for.

PLUS: Report: 88 Million Streaming Accounts Being Shared

“Password sharing is prevalent throughout the streaming video industry. Over a quarter of DTC streaming video services are shared with others outside the household, including 12% of all services that are ‘borrowed’ from someone else’s subscription,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group, Inc. “Yet, sharing of streaming services should not solely be viewed as lost revenue, as the ability to share with others is also part of the retention strategy for the services.”

LRG also looked at vMVPDs in its report, finding that 63% of 18-44 year olds have a vMVPD pay-TV service. Consumer satisfaction with these services is up, with the 77% reporting to be very satisfied, compared to 69% in 2018. In addition, just 13% are likely to switch from a vMVPD service in the next six months; that was at 27% in 2018.

There are still sharing issues with vMVPDs. LRG found that 20% of all vMVPD services are shared by multiple households, including 6% that are paid fully by someone outside of the household.

For more information, visit www.leichtmanresearch.com.  

BURBANK, Calif.—Just about 16 months after launching, Disney+ has officially surpassed 100 million global paid subscribers. Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek shared the news during Disney’s virtual Annual Meeting of Shareholders on March 9.

 Disney+ launched on Nov. 12, 2019. Today, it is available in 59 countries across North America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Latin America and most recently Singapore. At the end of 2020, Disney reported that the streaming service had reached 95 million paid subscribers. 

The growth of Disney+ has far exceeded expectations. Prior to the service’s launch, Digital TV Research projected it wouldn’t hit 100 million global subscribers until 2025. Now, thanks in large part to buzz-worthy content like “The Mandalorian,” “Hamilton,” “WandaVision” and Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Fox and National Geographic library content, that projection has been bested by nearly four years.

Disney+ now joins Netflix and Amazon Prime Video as streaming services that have more than 100 million global paid subscribers. Netflix reported that it surpassed 200 million subscribers in January, while Amazon has a reported global subscriber base of around 150 million. 

“The enormous success of Disney+—which has now surpassed 100 million subscribers—has inspired us to be even more ambitious, and to significantly increase our investment in the development of high-quality content,” said Chapek. “In fact, we set a target of 100-plus new titles per year, and this includes Disney Animation, Disney Live Action, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic. Our direct-to-consumer business is the company’s top priority, and our robust pipeline of content will continue to fuel its growth.”

NEW YORK—The Paramount+ era has officially begun for ViacomCBS, as the rebranded CBS All Access streaming service launched today, March 4, for consumers. In addition to the new name, Paramount+ expands the streaming offerings from ViacomCBS for TV, movies and sports.

Paramount+ features more than 30,000 episodes of TV and a multitude of movies from ViacomCBS’ studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel. Live sports, including the NCAA March Madness Tournament, The Masters, UEFA Champions League and, this fall, the NFL will also be available.

“The launch of Paramount+, which builds on our legacy of innovation and superior storytelling, is a significant milestone for ViacomCBS that demonstrates our commitment to being a global leader in streaming,” said Tom Ryan, president and CEO, ViacomCBS Streaming. “By combining fresh original content with live and on-demand programming and an established library of titles from world-class entertainment brands, we have created an unrivaled service that offers live sports, breaking news and entertainment for all audiences.”

Consumers will be able to watch Paramount+ on just about every major streaming platform, including Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV and Roku, as well as Android devices, LG, Samsung and Vizio smart TVs, and the Xbox gaming consoles.

The streaming service can be watched on up to three devices simultaneously. Users can also create up to six individual profiles. In addition to watching live content, there is also the ability to download shows and movies to watch offline, ViacomCBS shared. Other features include parental control capabilities, cross-platform dynamic play functionality and enhanced curation and discovery.

ViacomCBS will offer both a premium and ad-supported subscription plan. At launch, consumers will have the option between a $9.99 premium subscription that includes all sports, news, live and on-demand content and a $5.99 ad-supported subscription. In June, ViacomCBS will swap the $5.99 ad-supported plan for a $4.99 plan, but it will no longer offer local live CBS station programming.

For more information on Paramount+, visit www.paramountplus.com.  

NEW YORK—North America now has a foreign entry into its streaming market, as BBC Studios has officially launched its ad-free subscription streaming service, BBC Select, in the U.S. and Canada. It is initially available on Amazon Prime Video and the Apple TV app.

BBC Select will feature content that is focused on culture, politics and ideas. This will include a line-up of BBC documentary series and specials, as well as original programming. Some of the programs available at launch include “The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty,” “54 Days: America and the Pandemic,” “TV’s Black Renaissance: Reggie Yates in Hollywood,” “The Trump Show,” “Feasts,” “Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby,” “Extraordinary Places to Eat,” “100 Vaginas” and “Million Dollar Wedding Planner.” Other programs were previously announced in December 2020.

“We’re very excited to introduce BBC Select as a fresh voice in the cultural conversation,” said Louise la Grange, general manager. “The power of British storytelling, combined with the BBC’s unrivalled access to the world’s most original minds and innovative creators, makes BBC Select a unique and compelling destination for audiences in the U.S. and Canada.”

“BBC Select is a powerhouse of ideas, firing off in all directions,” said Jon Farrar, editor-in-chief. “As Select content reveals our world—in these complex times—through the lenses of culture, politics and ideas, I hope we come to understand the forces that shape what it means to be alive in 2021. We hope our shows equally keep our viewers inspired and optimistic.”

BBC Select will be available to U.S. customers for $4.99/month, and $6.99/month in Canada.

For more information, visit www.bbcselect.com.  

NEW YORK—Wonder Woman saved the day for HBO Max, helping the AT&T-owned streaming service earn the most new streaming subscribers for the fourth quarter of 2020, according to Kantar’s Entertainment on Demand Service.

After a slow start to HBO Max, the decision to release Warner Bros. movies the same day in theaters and on the streaming service appears to have helped draw in new subscribers. Per Kantar, 41% of new HBO Max subscribers said specific content was their key motivating factor for signing up, with “Wonder Woman 1984” the specific title for one in five of them. In all, HBO Max brought in 19.2% of all new streaming subscribers in Q4.

Still, 2020 belonged to Disney+. There was a total of 233 million new streaming subscriptions in 2020, 18.3% of which were for Disney+. Amazon Prime Video was second with a 17% share, followed by Hulu (13.2%), Netflix (12.5%), HBO Max (12%) and Apple TV+ (6.2%).

Netflix, the largest streaming service in the market, actually saw its share of subscribers fall in Q4 2020. Following flat subscriber growth in the third quarter of 2020, Netflix accounted for just 7.4% of new subscribers, less than half of what it made up in the first quarter of 2020. Kantar says that reasons for this lack of growth includes Netflix’s content slate, its recent price increase and a controversy over the film “Cuties.” 

Hulu, meanwhile, actually bested its sister service Disney+ in Q4, earning a 13.7% share of new subscribers compared to 13% for Disney+.

The other original big three streaming service, Amazon Prime Video, has remained consistent, in large part because of the increase in online shopping, which is part of its Prime membership.

Peacock, meanwhile, had a 4.4% share of new streaming subscriptions in Q4. While also offering an ad-free plan, Peacock users are made up of 35% premium subscriber, Kantar says, with customer satisfaction reports saying that people prefer the paid subscription version of the streamer.

Overall, more than a quarter of Americans (29%) are drawn to sign up for a subscription because of specific titles. In 2020, the most recommended shows on streaming were: “Ozard,” “Tiger King,” “The Mandalorian,” “Schitt’s Creek,” “The Queen’s Gambit,” “The Crown,” “Cobra Kai,” “The Boys,” “Stranger Things” and “Outlander.”

For more information, visit Kantar’s website. 

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) wants the major streaming services to give the gift of free content this holiday season in an effort to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

With coronavirus cases continuing to surge, King wrote to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, Hulu and HBO Max leaders requesting that they make their content available free of charge to help encourage Americans to stay home during the holidays and winter months.

The CDC recommends that Americans should avoid traditional holiday travel and gatherings to help reduce the chance of COVID-19 transmissions. King believes that the streamers are in a unique position to provide Americans with safe entertainment options that will help make this non-traditional holiday season easier.

“Specifically, I encourage you to temporarily remove any cost considerations for use of your services for current non-subscribers as a public service to who [sic] are seeking to remain safe and indoors this holiday season, as opposed to the risks involved as the nation sees a dramatic surge in pandemic cases,” King wrote in his letter.

“While your platforms would likely experience greater traffic as a consequence of extending service, we encourage you to provide temporary service at no cost to non-subscribers as a way to encourage people to make responsible choices and safely navigate this holiday season,” he added.

Sen. King's full letter is available to read online.

BOSTON—The latest study of consumer habits during the pandemic, and what may remain afterward, from Hub shows that 28% of consumers report having signed up for at least one new streaming service since February, before the pandemic began.

The big four streaming platforms—Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and Disney+—all had at least a three point growth during that time frame in terms of percentage of consumers that say they subscribe to the service. Hulu saw the biggest growth (25% to 33%), followed by Amazon Prime Video (38% to 44%). Netflix and Disney both saw a three percentage point growth—from 60% to 63% for Netflix and 29% to 32%.

PLUS: Disney+ Surpasses 60M Subscribers

Hub identified three key reasons for why consumers turned to these services while sheltering at home: they offer exclusive shows, provide value for money and have a deep library of content.

The habit of watching streaming TV is expected to continue for many consumers after the pandemic. While 40% of consumers said they were watching more streaming TV because of the pandemic, 19% said that habit will continue after the pandemic; only spending more time outdoors and shopping online had higher responses.

Streaming hasn’t been the only TV segment that saw a positive growth during the pandemic. Hub found that video on-Demand—both over pay-TV and online—has increased. The number of people watching VOD from an MVPD weekly went up from 46% in February to 52% as of July. Buying or renting PPV movies went up from 19% to 26%, while buying or renting PPV TV shows went up from 18% to 25%.

Also, people are finding new content to watch through advertising and previews. As of October 2019, word of mouth/social was the biggest factor in people finding new content (31%), advertising drove 29% of respondents and previews was just 9%. But as of July, despite a dip, advertising has taken over as the biggest draw with 27% saying it leads them  to new TV shows. Previews saw an increase to 15%, while word of mouth has dropped to 25%.

The increase of viewing traditional broadcasts is another habit that will stick around for a number of consumers as well. Hub found 13% of respondents said they plan to continue to watch the same amount of broadcast news post-pandemic, and 12% plan to watch as much broadcast nets in general.

“When it comes to the business of entertainment, people clearly intend to continue supporting the streaming TV services they’ve relied on for comfort viewing, the broadcast networks they’ve relied on for news and the online videos they’ve used for distractions,” said Peter Fondulas, co-founder and principal of Hub Entertainment Research.

For more information on Hub’s “Predicting the Post-Pandemic” report, visit Hub’s website. 

LONDON—Pouring through the entire libraries of SVoD services would fill one heck of a binge session, as a new report finds that the average U.S. household has access to almost 100,000 hours of content.

The study comes from Ampere Analysis, which combined its consumer polling data on the different services available to U.S. households. The 100,000 hours of content comes from an average of 3.8 streaming services in a home. Ampere cites the uptake of Amazon Prime Video’s growing portfolio and the addition of new services like Disney+ for hitting this new content benchmark.

Fun fact, if someone wanted to watch 100,000 hours of content, Ampere says it would take 11 years watching back-to-back, and 70 years if a viewer averaged four hours a day.

The recent launch of Disney+ and Apple TV+ has increased the volume of content available to subscribers. Ampere says that almost a third of U.S. SVoD households added Disney+ in Q1 2020. The service has 4,200 hours of content, adding an average of 1,400 hours to the typical SVoD household’s portfolio.

Amazon, meanwhile, has more than doubled its content catalog in the U.S. since Q3 2017, according to Ampere. Because of this, Ampere says that the 60% of SVoD households that subscribe to just Netflix and Amazon hit the 100,000 hours mark with the available TV Shows and movies.

PLUS: Report: 40% of Netflix Subscribers Added New Streaming Service During Pandemic

If a household has young kids, on average they have access to nearly five SVoD services, up from 3.5 during the same period last year. This again can be attributed primarily to the launch of Disney+. Because of this uptick, these households on average have 102,000 hours of available content. However, adults who live alone still have on average 3.1 services, which equals out to about 85,000 hours of content.

“Consumers already have a vast amount of content at their disposal, and a U.S. household who subscribes to both Netflix and Amazon currently has access to more than 100,000 hours of content from those two services alone,” said Toby Holleran, senior analyst at Ampere. “As the market fragments further with additional direct-to-consumer services and households hit a spending ceiling, consumers will become more selective about their SVoD choices. The more expensive services, alongside those with a clear brand and proposition, will find the going gets tougher.”

For more information, visit www.ampereanalysis.com.  

WASHINGTON—When it comes to setting a budget for streaming services, most consumers cap their investment at $50 or less per month, according to a survey from Visual Objects.

The survey showed that 73% of consumers paid $50 or less for streaming services every month; 20% spend more than $50 per month. 

PLUS: OTT Accounts 'Borrowed' in One of Seven Homes

A correlated effect of this is that 76% of consumers pay for just three or fewer streaming services—50% pay for two to three and 26% pay for one. Only 16% said they invest in more than three streaming services. In fact, according to Visual Objects’ survey, more people are on the lower side of the scale. The survey revealed 39% of people pay between $11 and $25 per month, while 26% pay $26-$50.

Visual Objects believes this could present a challenge for new streaming services like HBO Max and Quibi as they go up against the likes of the more established Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu, which hold large market shares. Compounding this is the presence of the coronavirus pandemic, which could be impacting consumers’ budgets.

The full report is available on Visual Objects’ website. 

A poll by TV Technology's sister publication TVBEurope and MediaKind has found consistent broadcast quality across all devices is the most important element for an operator when delivering streaming services.

The poll was carried out as part of our "Live Streaming 2020—Shifting Consumer Habits" webinar.

The audience was asked to vote on what they thought is the most important element for an operator when delivering streaming services.

The options were, consistent broadcast quality across all devices; bandwidth and storage optimization; per user targeted advertising and content replacement; and QoE monitoring and analytics.

Consistent broadcast quality was the overwhelming the choice of the audience, receiving 65.8% of the votes cast.

It was followed by bandwidth and storage optimization, which received 18.4% of the votes.

Per user targeted audience gained 10.5% of the vote, while QoE monitoring and analytics had just 5.3%.

The webinar featured a number of topics, including how the coronavirus pandemic could change sports broadcasting, particularly in terms of remote production; what are the biggest hurdles when starting an event-based streaming service; and will there be an acceleration to HEVC in the next year to improve bandwidth utilization?

"Live Streaming 2020—Shifting Consumer Habits" is available to watch on-demand.

This story originally appeared on TVT's sister publication TVBEurope.

BOSTON—The coronavirus pandemic has impacted not only what viewers are watching during widespread shutdowns, it is also bringing more diversity to their choices. These are the conclusions of research firm Hub’s annual “Best Bundle” study that analyzes consumers’ TV viewing habits. 

Not surprisingly, subscriptions to streaming services have jumped over the past year with more than 75% of respondents reporting that they have at least one online streaming subscription, up 6% from 2019. The biggest impact has been the debut of Disney+ which counts for nearly 1/3 of all TV subscriptions, less than six months since its November 2019 launch.  

Netflix remains the king of subscription streaming, but Amazon and Hulu have seen the biggest year over year increases, according to Hub.

Hub’s study also distinguishes viewer behavior among respondents who said they are self isolating at home with kids and those who are not self isolating at home and do not have kids. Among households who are self isolating without kids, 82% have at least one subscription, and among those self isolating with kids, the rate jumps to 94%. The percentage of respondents who have at least one streaming subscription but say they are “not” self isolating and don’t have kids at home is much lower, at around 60%. 

Among those who say they are self isolating at home, the average number of individual TV services they’re accessing is seven, Hub said. 

“There’s no shortage of recent studies demonstrating that consumers are watching more television as they shelter at home,” said Peter Fondulas, principal at Hub and co-author of the study. “What our study shows is exactly where they’re turning to fill their newly found viewing time—primarily to streaming services that offer a combination of exclusive originals, family-friendly titles and older shows that can provide a bit of nostalgic solace during this unprecedented and stressful time.”

The data cited here comes from Hub’s “The Best Bundle” study, conducted among 2,000 US consumers with broadband, age 16-74, who watch at least one hour of TV per week. The data was collected in April 2020.

BOSTON—Some of the subscription figures that streaming services have may not show the whole picture of who all is watching their content, as password sharing with non-subscribers has become an increased worry, especially among the younger generation.

In its “Video Redefined” study, Hub has determined that password sharing is a particular problem among 13-24 year olds, with 81% having given or used someone else’s password. For 35-74 year olds that percentage drops to 29%, but still is nearly one in every three adults.

In terms of sharing passwords with someone not in the house, about 31% of all consumers confessed to doing it (64% 13-24 year olds, 16% of 35 and older). For the teens and young adults, Netflix is the most popular service to share at 56%, while Disney+, which launched in November 2019, is second at 31%; Hulu (30%), Apple TV+ (17%) and Amazon (14%) follow.

Even more consumers are likely to use a password for a service that they do not subscribe to—42% across all ages (78% 13-24 and 24% 35 and older). Netflix is still the most popular streaming service to access (69%), followed by Hulu (59%), Amazon (53%), Disney+ (53%), HBO Now (45%) and Apple TV+ (42%).

Viewers will often continue to use the shared password frequently. For 13-24 year olds, 77% will access Netflix at least every week; Hulu 73%, Disney+ 73% and Amazon 68%.

“Online streaming platforms must love it when one of their original shows generates massive buzz. After all, what better way to attract new subscribers than by offering hugely popular shows you can’t watch anywhere else?” said Peter Fondulas, principal at Hub and the study’s co-author. “But when popularity and exclusivity are combined with often ambiguous, even sometimes nonexistent, rules about legitimate use, it’s almost an invitation to subscribers to share the enjoyment with friends and family. Wall Street has already made its displeasure clear, but in spite of that, password sharing is still very much alive and well.”

More information is available on Hub’s website.

LOS ANGELES—As both Apple TV+ and Disney+ ready for their big debuts in early November, about 42% of consumers expect that they will add one of the new services (which will eventually also consist of HBO Max and Peacock), but even more (87%) are worrying at the cost it will be to keep up with the latest offerings.

These findings come from a joint study by TV Time and United Talent Agency’s UTA IQ data and analytics group, titled “Beyond the Big Three,” that sought to determine awareness, purchase intent and how specific offerings will motivate consumer adoption.

While almost half of respondents say they plan to add one of the upcoming streaming services, that number drops to 20% at the prospect of adding two new streaming services. One reason for this is likely that the emergence of these new options will not impact the subscribers of the big three current services—Netflix, Hulu and Amazon—as 70% said they were not “likely” or “very likely” to drop a current service.

Another 70% of consumers also believe that these new additions will create an environment of too many streaming services and, as mentioned above, result in a bill more expensive than they would like. But it’s not just cost that some are skeptical about, other frustrations include the need to toggle between services (67% people cited this), the process of account setup and management (58%) and the inability to find content easily (45%).

Consumers also shared that while subscription-only models are still the most popular (56%) compared to ad-supported models (44%), there are those willing to convert to ad-supported if it helps alleviate the cost of the service.

As for what will be the biggest draw for consumers to a particular service, library content is more important than originals. What library content was available on the service was “important” or “very important” to 90% of respondents; originals earned 68% in those categories.

When it comes to the awareness of these new services, Disney+ (88%) and Apple TV+ (63%) are the most well known, though HBO Max (37%) and Peacock (28%) aren’t launching until spring 2020.

The study also took a closer look at the Disney+ service, including what type of customers are likely to subscribe to the service. Though Disney does have a family-friendly image, family households were only slightly more likely to sign up for the service than adult-only households (57% to 55%). And in international markets where Disney+ plans to launch, interest is a little lower than the U.S. (56%); the Netherlands come in at 49%, Canada at 42% and Australia 38%.

The study was conducted in September and used TV Time’s global community of more than 12 million users in the U.S. and the three international markets where Disney+ is launching.

The full report is available here.

CHESTERFIELD, Mo.—The upcoming streaming services from Apple, Disney, WarnerMedia and NBCUniversal are joining a market that already features more than 100 streaming services, and all of these entertainment options are starting to make things complicated for consumers. This is based on findings from the 2019 Subscription Management Report from Amdocs, which found that some consumers are becoming “overwhelmed” from managing all of their subscription services.

One solution that interests consumers—39% according to the report—is a bundled platform for all of their streaming services with a single sign-on and simplified browsing, as well as making it easy to try new subscriptions and add additional users.

The study also revealed that pricing may be reaching a plateau if new features don’t become available. Among U.S. consumers, 27% spend more than $100 per month on subscription services. More than half (59%) say they are happy with their current subscriptions and are not looking to make changes, while 22% said they would only consider adding another service if something new came to market.

Advertising is also a key factor in the consumer experience, per the report. While a majority of international viewers said they would be OK with receiving tailored advertisements (39% opposed), U.S. consumers are more adverse. The preferred streaming services are ad free or feature limited ads (like Netflix), which require streamers to look for other monetization and business models.

“It’s clear from these findings that CSPs and OTT services must find innovative ways to differentiate their offerings through personalization and diversity of content, and an accessible, user-friendly interface will increase the likelihood of consumers adopting new subscriptions,” wrote Darcy Antonellis, head of Amdocs Media. “The availability and access to streaming content is increasing, but so are consumer expectations, particularly around cost, ease of access and contextual experience. It’s critical for success to meet these needs through a unified, flexible approach.”

CUPERTINO, Calif.—As a slate of new streaming services are set to be released in the coming months, Apple’s entry—the Apple TV+—will be the first on the market as the company has set its launch for Nov. 1 in more than 100 countries and at a monthly subscription price of $4.99.

In comparison to other hotly anticipated streaming services, Disney+ is scheduled to go live on Nov. 12 with a monthly subscription of $6.99/month in the U.S. (a combination of Disney-owned Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ will be available for $12.99/month). HBO Max and the planned NBC streaming service are likely eyeing 2020 releases and have yet to announce price information.

When Apple TV+ goes live, it will have a number of its original programming available for consumers, including the Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Ansiston and Steve Carell drama “The Morning Show”; the Jason Mamoa led “See”; Oprah Winfrey conversations with authors; and others like “Dickinson,” “For All Mankind,” “Helpsters,” “Snoopy in Space,” “Ghostwriter” and “The Elephant Queen.” More original programs will be released on the app each month.

At launch, most of the series will premiere with three episodes, with a new episode being released each week. Some series will have their full seasons made available right away.

Subscribers to the Apple TV+ streaming service will be able to watch content online and offline, ad-free and on-demand through the Apple TV app. In addition to certain Apple products and tv.apple.com, the Apple TV app is also going to be available on select Samsung smart TVs, and will eventually be available on Amazon Fire TV, LG, Roku, Sony and Vizio platforms. If added to the Up Next feature on the Apple TV app, viewers can also be notified when an original series premieres.

Apple has also announced that viewers can get a seven-day free trial of Apple TV+ before the $4.99 subscription kicks in, and a purchase of any iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod touch or Mac will also net a one-year subscription for free.

“Apple TV+ is an unprecedented global video service with an all-original slate,” said Jamie Erlicht, Apple’s head of Worldwide Video. “We look forward to giving audiences everywhere the opportunity to enjoy these compelling stories within a rich, personalized experience on all the screens they love.”

BOSTON—Local communities that collect franchise fees from pay-TV providers are worried that the increase in cord cutting could threaten the future of community access TV. In Massachusetts, one legislator has responded by proposing a bill that would allow municipalities to levy a fee on streaming services like YouTube TV, Sling TV and DirecTV Now (also known as virtual Multichannel Video Program Distributors or “vMVPD”).

In “An Act Relative to Digital Entertainment on Public Rights of Way,” Democratic state legislator Matt McMurtry is proposing a 5% fee on digital streaming providers who are “using the public rights of way in order to sell their services to Massachusetts residents.” The fees would be collected twice a year and distributed to the state general fund, municipalities and community media centers.

Although vMVPDs offer many of the same channel lineups as traditional cable TV, they have been exempt from paying franchise fees. Since these OTT (over-the top) services ride on the back of high-speed broadband provided by traditional cable TV, legislators like McMurtry see little difference between the two.

“This legislation is a much-needed update to the way consumers receive digital entertainment streaming services. Multimillion-dollar media companies are using our public rights of way to deliver their product, yet are not paying their fair share for that use,” McMurtry said. “Fees charged to traditional cable providers support our local community media centers, which are an important resource to local public, educational and government news and information. As consumers are offered alternative streaming methods, we need to modernize our law to assure that community media centers are supported.”

Approximately 85 legislators have signed on to the bill, which was proposed the same week that the FCC voted to deregulate local cable franchise fees, a move that opposing FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said “cuts at public, educational and governmental channels across the country.”

“It goes beyond placing reasonable limits on contributions subject to the statutory franchise fee and jeopardizes the day-to-day costs, like staff and overhead, required to run such stations,” she added.

A dozen states have already imposed similar fees on streaming services (or in the case of California, Colorado and Illinois, have individual municipalities that have adopted such fees), according to public interest group Mass Access, which voiced its support for the bill.

“For decades, the funding provided by cable companies has helped provide funding to support vital programs at the municipal level—including community media centers and PEG channels,” said Melinda Garfield, president of Mass Access. “Community Media centers and PEG channels serve the community, they are an important and vital resource that we need to protect. These new streaming services should be held to the same standards, accept the same responsibilities, and make the same contributions as cable companies.”

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.—Netflix accounts for the most time spent streaming video content by Latinx millennials, according to a new report from Horowitz Research.

The report, “FOCUS Latino: The Media Landscape 2019,” finds 34% of the time Latinx (a gender-neutral term for a person of Latin American origin) millennials spend streaming content is with Netflix. That compares to 28% of the streaming time spent by non-Hispanic millennials, the researcher said.

Among Latinx millennials, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu both follow Netflix with about 10% each, while the remaining 46% of the time this group spends streaming is done via YouTube, network sites and apps, TV provider sites and apps and others. A total of 38% of Latinx millennials with a TV identified Netflix as their “go-to” source, compared to 29% of all Hispanic TV viewers and 20% of viewers overall, the research organization said.

“Netflix has transformed the media landscape for Latinx millennial audiences by providing access to the innovative, culturally resonant and differentiated content they crave—in English, in Spanish and even bilingual—that many other mainstream media companies have been slow to lean into,” said Adriana Waterston, SVP of Insights and Strategy for Horowitz Research.

Latinx millennials find Netflix original content as well as well-branded content from major studios, mainstream broadcast and cable networks and Spanish-language networks, such as Telemundo, attractive, it said.

The research also examined Latinx millennial attitudes about Netflix content. Fifty-two percent of respondents from this group said they find it very relatable when a TV show or movie features characters who are bilingual or bicultural. Fifty-eight percent reported wishing there were more such content.

A total of 73% agreed Netflix does a good job offering content that appeals to people like themselves—a figure higher than any other streaming service tested, Horowitz Research said.

However, Latinx millennials share a frustration of other millennials with the ability to find new content. Nearly 40% of Latinx millennial streams said they feel that the “amount of content available today is overwhelming” and are finding it “harder and harder to find new shows to watch.”

The research also revealed an Achilles’ heel for Netflix. Forty-five percent of Latinx millennial Netflix users and 52% of non-Hispanic millennials users said they would consider cancelling their subscriptions if major networks like NBC and others pulled their content from the streaming service.

More information is available on the Horowitz Research website.

Last month, and hot off the heels of the Apple Plus TV announcement, Disney too signaled an industry-changing move by launching their own new streaming service, Disney+. Both developments were shrouded by speculation for quite some time, but now that both brands have made their plans public, industry discussion has turned to how the growing pool of streaming services can compete for viewers and the golden opportunity for cinematographers.

According to new research by analyst house Ampere Analysis, consumers believe the quality of content offered by Disney+ at launch (due to be November this year) will be higher than that of its SVoD rivals, Amazon, Netflix and HBO. Taking a quality over quantity approach, Disney’s launch content will be just a fraction of the size of the U.S. Netflix catalogue.

THE ORIGINALS OPPORTUNITY

The opportunity for streaming services to compete successfully for market share lies in the creation of quality original content. Apple is expected to spend $2 billion this year on original material for its Apple Plus TV in the hope to compete with shows from Netflix (which will spend $15B), Amazon ($7B) and others. UBS Analytics estimates Disney+’s investment of original content at around $800 million.

Ultimately, this is all good news for cinematographers and DoPs. Additional streaming services provide yet another opportunity to showcase their most creative work—from documentary features to cinematic dramas. However, with Disney’s reputation for premium cinema content and the likely subscriber demographic of Apple Plus TV, we anticipate both platforms will introduce quality standards to help DoPs futureproof their content with industry-leading kit and meet the ever-evolving creative demands of the industry and customers.

THE QUALITY DEMAND

Netflix has the right formula to meet these high standards. Part of its success comes down to the governance of its originals content, with the introduction of the Netflix Post Technology Alliance, which launched September 2018. The purpose of this program is to bring together industry leaders and manufacturers, committed to working closely with Netflix, to innovate production workflows and support creatives globally. Netflix understands that quality comes from all corners.

Four Canon EOS cameras were selected for the program, chosen by filmmakers behind many Netflix Originals, including the Academy Award-winning documentary ”Icarus,” feature film ”Our Souls at Night” and Emmy-nominated series ”Grace and Frankie.” Other Netflix Originals shot on Canon include: ”Hot Girls Wanted,” “Strong Island” and “The Confession Tapes,” with more currently in production.

PUSHING BOUNDARIES WITH TOP KIT

The importance of manufacturers’ unwavering commitment to supporting state-of-the-art productions from streaming services to blockbusters is made even more clear when you look at this year’s Oscar nominees for the 2019 Best Documentary Feature. All five were filmed with Canon kit—including “Free Solo,” Jimmy Chin’s production about professional rock climber Alex Honnold’s attempt to conquer the first free solo climb of famed El Capitan's 3,000-foot vertical rock face at Yosemite National Park. Such filming put the “Free Solo” filming team, and their kit, to the ultimate test of physical demand and endurance—to say they required reliable, quality kit is an understatement.

Other hotly discussed, award-winning productions this year includes Netflix’s “Roma,” which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards—winning Best Cinematography, Best Director and Best Foreign Language Film. This win is clear evidence that streaming services are creating content fit for industry-award recognition—a great opportunity for cinematographers.

4K AND BEYOND…

One of the conditions of Netflix’s Post Technology Alliance is around resolution. Netflix does not accept any content that is less than 4K, however the bar is rising and it is likely to be a focus for other services.

While 4K televisions are yet to become the norm in most households, the technology is becoming more affordable and as such, we’re naturally seeing the appetite for 4K content rise. Down sampling to 4K from higher resolutions has resulted in premium content that meets viewers’ increasing demands for high-quality content. However, as the expectations and needs of consumers continue to grow, requirements of the broadcast industry are shifting.

8K is also firmly on the industry’s radar, as there is no doubt that streaming services are already looking seriously at 8K to further futureproof their content and stand out from competitors. In terms of resolution, 8K has many other benefits as it surpasses what the eye can see. In the future, when the infrastructure is in place and internet speed increases, 8K will enable consumers to have incredible immersive experiences—allowing them to be part of the content from the comfort of their own home, including through VR.

These are exciting developments for cinematographers. New streaming services provide a plethora of opportunity to showcase their work alongside other original series and films, grabbing the hearts and attention of a global audience. There is no doubt that we will see more streaming services aiming to create high-quality, award-winning content that does not only compete with productions made by their fellow competitors but also mainstream blockbusters.

Stephen Hart Dyke is the European product marketing manager at Canon Europe.

This story originally appeared in TVT’s sister publicationTVBEurope’sJune print issue.

While some major players are getting ready to launch their own streaming service, Sony Pictures is closing the door on its own. It has been reported that ULTRA, Sony Pictures’ Home Entertainment streaming service for 4K TV and movies that launched in 2016, will shut down on July 26. According to the report, the online service had not been accepting new accounts, purchases or digital code redemptions since April 18.

To read the full story, visit HD Report.

STAMFORD, Conn.—Another OTT streaming service is entering the fray, but this one from Charter Communications will only be available to Spectrum internet customers that don’t subscribe to Spectrum video services. Spectrum TV Essentials will launch by the end of March and feature more than 60 live channels, as well as access to the channel’s On Demand content, for $14.99 a month.

“Spectrum TV Essentials is an OTT offering designed to provide Spectrum internet-only customers a new low-price, high-value video option,” said Tom Rutledge, Charter chairman and CEO in a press release.

TV Essentials’ offerings will focus on lifestyle, entertainment and news, but be essentially sports-free. The entire line-up will be available through the Spectrum TV app on all supported mobile and connected devices—this includes iOS and Android phones and tablets, Apple TV, Roku, Xbox One, Amazon Kindle Fire, Samsung Smart TVs and computers through SpectrumTV.com. Through the app, viewers can browse shows and movies by category or network, create a “Watch List” of favorite content, set parental controls and in the coming months Charter will introduce a Cloud DVR service on the app.

In developing TV Essentials, Charter came to agreements with programming partners Viacom, Discovery, A&E, AMC and Hallmark. Through those agreements, TV essentials will have the following networks available: A&E, AMC, American Heroes Channel, Animal Planet, AXS TV, BBC America, BBC World News, BET, BET Her, BET Jams, BET Soul, Bloomberg, Cheddar, CLEO TV, CMT, CMT Music, Comedy Central, Cooking Channel, Destination America, Discovery, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, DIY, Food Network, FYI, Game Show Network, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, HDNet Movies, HGTV, HISTORY, IFC, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, Logo, MotorTrend Network, MTV, MTV2, MTV Classic, MTV Live, MTVU, NewsmaxTV, Newsy, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Nick Music, NickToons, Outdoor Channel, OWN, Paramount Network, Science Channel, Sundance TV, Teen Nick, TLC, Travel Channel, TV Land, VH1, Viceland, The Weather Channel and WEtv.

Spectrum News will be included in the lineup in New York, Los Angeles, Tampa, Fla., Charlotte, N.C., Orlando, Fla., and other markets. Spectrum Originals will be available through the service starting in May.

This is the latest effort for the cable industry to bring back pay TV subscribers. Recently, Comcast has announced it is developing a direct-to-consumer streaming platform; AT&T, which already has DirecTV Now and AT&T Watch, is planning a direct-to-consumer service for sometime in 2019. These are in addition to other streaming services like Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, YouTube TV, PlayStation Vue, fuboTV and others.

LAS VEGAS—The popularity of Netflix, Spotify and other video and audio streaming services is well known, and now the Consumer Technology Association is putting a number to just what the popularity might mean for the tech industry.

CTA has included a projection for consumer spending on music and video streaming services for the first time in its semi-annual “U.S. Consumer Technology Sales and Forecasts” report. With the inclusion of streaming services, CTA forecasts that 2018 will break records with $351 billion in retail revenues ($266 billion wholesale), a 3.9 percent increase from 2017.

Streaming services—which include Netflix, Hulu and Sling TV for video and Spotify, Pandora and Apple Music for on-demand audio—are estimated to bring in $19.5 billion revenue for 2018. That projection is 35 percent higher than what CTA says was generated in 2017. The inclusion now of streaming services into its annual report is to “better capture the full expanse of the ever evolving and expanding consumer technology market,” said CTA in its press release.

Additional technologies that are expected to heavily contribute to technology retail revenue in 2018 include smartphones, laptops, televisions—particularly 4K/UHD televisions—automotive electronics and tablets. CTA estimates that these five categories will make up 51 percent of wholesale industry revenue.

A number of technologies are also continuing to grow in popularity according to the report. For instance, sales of connected devices are projected to reach 715 million in 2018, a 6.6 percent increase year-over-year. Some of the specific products expected to see strong growth in 2018 are smart speakers, smart home devices, virtual reality, drones and wearables.

CTA released this report as it is opening CES 2018 in Las Vegas. To see the full report, visit cta.tech/salesandforecasts.