The global subscription video on demand (SVOD) market is dominated in subscriber terms by the US and China, with both markets accounting for the majority of global users. However, beyond sharing scale the customer bases of the two SVOD markets have little in common. The Chinese subscriber base is both younger and less family orientated than in the US, with much of the payment and consumption being done by younger consumers away from the family TV set. China’s status as an emerging market also helps to explain the increased adoption of SVOD, powered by accelerated rates of smart phone engagement. Underpinning all of this is the regulatory protection that Chinese SVOD services receive, enabling them to scale the market more rapidly.

Companies and brands mentioned in this report: iQiYi, Kugou, Netflix, QQ, Sohu Video, Tencent, Tencent Video, WeChat Weibo, Whatsapp, YouTube, Youkou Tudou