Streaming Video Consumer Trends Q4 2018 Reaching The Post-Peak Attention Economy

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The 20,000 Foot View:  With streaming video subscriptions surpassing that of pay-TV in        2018, traditional linear providers are under growing pressure to better understand consumer consumption habits. Pay-TV failed to entice the younger audience to engage with its services as the digital landscape is successfully catering to their consumption needs. Over        accounted for        of total pay-TV subscribers in        2018. This compares to subscription video on demand (SVOD) services where over        only account for        of total subscribers. This failure to appeal to younger audiences resulted in pay-TV subscriptions falling five points behind SVOD, at        penetration, in        2018.        also illustrated an inflection point for digital and streaming services. Weekly active usage (WAU) for key apps and services have declined throughout 2018, which illustrates that the ceiling of the peak attention economy is nearing. With finite time and resources at their disposal, consumers are forced to specialise on select services. This means less time is spent on mainstream social and streaming services. Between        and        2018, Facebook’s WAU declined from        to        while YouTube’s went from        to       

Key Findings

• Pay-TV subscriptions        penetration) fell five points behind household SVOD subscriptions in        2018
• YouTube’s WAU declined four points year-on-year (YoY) from        in        2017 to        in        2018
• Binge watching among video subscribers declined from        in        2018 to        in        2018
• Demographic distribution for video subscribers remained largely unchanged in 2018 as SVOD services fail to acquire the older and digitally migrant audience
• Peak attention economy dynamics are more evident, with Facebook declining seven points YoY to        WAU, and nearly all social and streaming apps declining in        2018
• Video subscribers with three or more digital subscriptions declined from        to        between        and        2018
• WAU for Catch Up TV peaks in the UK at        in        2018,        points higher than in the US and Canada
• At        Hulu is the leading local SVOD in terms of WAU in the US, whereas the UK’s Now TV, Canada’s Crave TV and Australia’s Stan record penetrations of               and        respectively
       of SVOD subscribers are aged between        years old in        2018, up from        in       
• Catch Up TV WAU declined three points YoY from        in        2017 to        in        2018

Companies and brands mentioned in this report: Amazon Prime Music, Amazon Prime Video, Apple, AT&T, BBC, BBC iPlayer, Bravo, Comcast, Crave TV, DAZN, DirecTV, DirecTV Now, Dish Network, Disney, Disney+, EPL, Facebook, Foxtel, Hulu, Illico.tv, iView, MLB, NBA, Netflix, NFL, Now TV, Stan, Tencent, TenPlay, UEFA Champions League, Verizon, YouTube