Maybe stream fatigue isn’t a thing anymore, with more Americans than ever before paying for at least three streaming services, according to a new survey released by Ampere Analysis on Monday morning.
In the U.S., 39% of respondents with internet access were paying for three or more streaming services as of about midway through 2019, according to Ampere’s survey of 22,000 people. That represents a 6% spike from the same time in 2018.
That figure may continue to trend upwards by mid-2020, too, as more streaming services continue to hit the market. Disney+ and Apple TV+ debuted last November, and NBCUniversal’s Peacock, Quibi and HBO Max are all set to launch this spring. Those services, coupled with stalwarts like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video, are making it increasingly tougher for viewers to cut the cord and remain on a budget.
(via Ampere Analysis)
It’s not just the U.S., either. Europe has seen an increase in the number of households paying for three or more services, going from 16% to 22% of households shelling out for at least three subscriptions between 2018 and 2019.
“While cord-cutting is a major issue in the USA, it has been a less significant challenge for the industry in many international markets,”Ampere analyst Minal Modha said. “However, our research shows that consumers in many global markets are increasingly combining SVoD products with a free broadcast TV service, placing future a growth obstacle in the path of incumbent pay TV service providers.”
The survey results indicate there may be a shift in the willingness of customers to pay for several services, after the number of services the average U.S. household paid for slightly dipped to 2.6 subscriptions last year. The survey’s results also coincide with a record number of satellite and cable TV losses in the U.S. during Q3 2019.
