More than four-fifths of UK turn to streaming during lockdown
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Editor
| 17 February 2021
The Covid-19 driven streaming boom of 2020 has been a recognised phenomenon but an Amdocs survey has revealed some deeper subscription habits during lockdown – such as drivers of loyalty and what consumers would give up data for improved offers - which may reshape the industry going forward.
Lifestyle BT 26May2020
The software provider to media and communications companies commissioned research looking into UK consumers’ digital subscriptions - which includes streaming, cable, music, gaming, e-learning and wellbeing - surveying the views of 1,000 people in the UK.

Looking at cable and streaming subscriptions, Amdocs found that more people in the UK now have an OTT/streaming subscription (83%) than a traditional cable/satellite TV one (69%). In fact, a third of the sample said they had two or more steaming subscriptions and 14% had three or more. Additionally, more than half (54%) said they use their OTT subscriptions more now than before the pandemic started.

The survey found that in general consumers regarded streaming services as delivering on their content needs. 70% of UK consumers that have streaming subscriptions said that they get all of the content that they need from services. Meanwhile, 59% of cable/satellite subscribers say that they get all of the content they need from satellite providers.

Yet nearly three-quarters (73%) said they would prefer to pay a lower price for a subscription package that had less content overall, but the content they got was
more tailored to their preferences. TV/streaming viewers were most in favour of a more restricted but personalised subscription.

When asked what drives loyalty to a subscription service in general, more consumers cared about the quality and quantity of content available to them, rather than price. Just under half (46%) of consumers said the quantity of content factors into their loyalty to a service, while content quality was indicated by slightly fewer (44%). Just 29% said price or availability of different pricing options.

Across all forms of subscription services, 61% of UK consumers were willing to exchange personal data to improve their subscription experience further, with the top requested benefits being access to more content (40%); access to the same content, but at a lower price (37%); and fewer ads (32%).

Commenting on the research, Raman Abrol, general manager and chief commercial officer at Amdocs said: “lockdowns have seen consumers wanting more from their subscription services. This data shows there is a real desire for more high quality content and bespoke content packages across the increasingly wide range of subscription services we now enjoy.”