Most viewers watch only one program on major streamers

You might be surprised to learn that of most premium streaming video-on-demand (SVOD) services in the United States, more than half of viewers watch only one of the top programs on a given platform. recent report From third-party streaming viewership firm Samba TV. This may sound blasphemous to the proud binge watcher accustomed to going from series to series, but it is in line with recent viewing habits.

In other words, when a subscriber logs on to Netflix, HBO Max or Disney+, they are likely to select only one of the top 50 titles offered on that platform before calling it a day. This makes these titles the most valuable in their respective libraries because of first-watch selection, a criterion that major streamers pay close attention to.

Ashwin Naveen, Co-Founder and CEO, Samba TV, said, “An important finding in the Q2 report suggests that streaming platforms need to think differently about how they market their content. “With more than $40 billion to be spent on new content this year alone, consumers are overwhelmed with choices. Platforms need to make sure they not only attract built-in fans but a broad audience that is interested. We are running smart strategies before launch to attract content.”

Samba TV found that the top program viewers watched just one of the streamer’s top 50 shows during the second quarter on HBO Max (62% of subscribers who sampled just one title), Apple TV+ (60%), Hulu (30 percent), and Apple TV+ (60%). 55%) and Amazon Prime Video (55%). Disney+ (35%) and Netflix (33%) fared slightly better than the rest of the pack, convincing viewers of an additional title after their first selection. (Samba TV collects viewership through its proprietary automatic content recognition technology on 28 million US devices opt-in to smart TVs, but does not account for non-TV devices such as mobile phones and laptops).

According to Samba TV, the most reaching shows among single-program viewers in the US throughout Q2 were:

HBO Max: “Sesame Street”
Apple TV+: “Central Park”
Hulu: “The Kardashians”
Amazon Prime Video: “The Boys”
Disney+: “Encanto”
Netflix: “Stranger Things”

Using HBO Max as an example, throughout Q2 Samba found that 62% of Max viewers only watched one of the service’s top 50 shows. Families who watched only one HBO Max show were the most likely to be “Sesame Street,” according to the report. The same holds true for other streamers and their respective top picks.

Interestingly, HBO Max recently removed 200 episodes of “Sesame Street” as part of a larger strategic cost-cutting measure to pull back from live-action kids and family content. Perhaps the company should reconsider that decision before abandoning the genre altogether.

Meanwhile, “The Boys” and “Stranger Things” have cemented themselves as flagship series for their respective streamers, while “Encanto” remains one of the most popular movies ever on streaming in terms of US viewership. One is, ever since Nielsen started tracking streaming viewership in the middle. 2020 (And the appeal of the animated film for kids demands repeat viewing not long after its November 2021 release.) “Central Park” topping Emmy winner “Ted Lasso” a big surprise for Apple TV+ Maybe, which has built up a carefully curated library of quality shows, but has struggled to create breakout broad-appeal hits.

Still, as top choices for one-program audiences, these titles are highly prized for engaging rare users, an audience demographic Netflix is ​​known to highly prioritize. If a streamer can more actively engage a lesser audience, it reduces the risk of that subscriber canceling their subscription and increases the platform’s retention rate. Remember, streamers are all about securing that sweet, sweet monthly recurring revenue.

Samba TV found that “Stranger Things” was the most popular show on Netflix, HBO Max and Disney+ over the past six months, with the entire series garnering nearly 9 million tune-ins. That momentum helped Netflix reverse course from Q1, when the top shows in February and March saw progressively lower viewership. Disney+ saw a similar increase in June from “Star Wars” prequel series “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” which garnered 5 million views.

At the same time, HBO Max has struggled to produce a new show that has garnered 2 million views since the release of “Euphoria” in the first quarter (though Samba found that the brand-new “House of the Dragon” The series premiere attracted 4.8 million US families in the first four days of availability).

While first-choice shows are critically important as gateway titles for their streamers, the lack of audience interest that is displayed in a sample of multiple titles underscores the obstacles these services face in retaining viewers. Is. This is a particularly concerning trend as spending habits are threatened by an impending recession in the coming months.

According to a report by Screen Engine/ASI and streaming network Filmrise, just one in five consumers plan to add an additional SVOD service next year, while 79 percent plan to maintain or even reduce their current subscription. reports to. As a result, streamers need to figure out how to funnel viewers from their top content choices — whether it’s “Sesame Street” or “Stranger Things” — to additional programming within their walled surroundings.

“In today’s content streaming wars, just because you create it, doesn’t mean viewers will come in,” Naveen said. “We need to be more strategic about how we drive engagement before, during and after launch.”

As the battle continues to escalate within the so-called streaming wars, these consumer selections can be used as strategic indicators as rival companies battle us for our attention span and subscription dollars.