British streamers keep faith in service subscriptions
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Editor
| 27 October 2022
UK homes are having to contend with a cost-of-living crisis that shows no signs of abating, but research from Bitmovin has revealed that almost three in five British people have not cancelled any streaming services despite the need to trim household expenditure.
ROKU BritBox 31Aug2021
Surveying 1000 respondents across the UK, the streaming infrastructure provider found that 57% noted value for money and the availability of their favourite content (48%) are what would keep them subscribed to video streaming services amidst the cost of living crisis. The research also found that almost a fifth (19%) of Brits valued the ability to use a streaming service across all devices as one of the top three reasons to keep a subscription.

Looking at basic attitudes to the paid subscription model, the majority (58%, rising to 67% in those aged 18-35) indicated that they were happy to pay that little bit extra for an ad-free experience. And just days before Netflix is to launch an ad-based service in the UK, a significant part of the survey (60%) were happy to watch ads when it came to free streaming services. However, it was also the case that if paying for a subscription, no matter the cost, viewers would like ad-free content.

Brits spent six hours per week watching paid-for entertainment streaming services and just three hours on free entertainment platforms on average. Mobile phones are the second most popular choice for viewing streamed content (44%), behind connected TVs (68%) - much higher than tablets (21%) and laptops (18%).

“Netflix’s announcement may agitate some users, however it is clear they are taking steps to help consumers through the cost-of-living crisis. The cheaper, ad-supported membership may open the platform up to a net-new audience, but at the same time, our research indicates loyal viewers are happy to pay that little bit extra. For Netflix, it’s the best of both worlds,” said Bitmovin CEO and founder Stefan Lederer commenting on the survey.

“What stands out from the research is that amid global economic challenges, consumers are looking for value for money in all aspects of their lives and video streaming services are not exempt. High-quality viewing experiences and the ability to stream seamlessly are consumer requirements now. And this is the case, across not just all devices, but also across a range of subscription types, from entertainment to fitness to education and more. These factors are fundamental when considering a streaming service’s value for money, with pure content no longer the be-all and end-all for subscribers.“