The #StreamingWars So Far

Above and below are the results of a survey I posted on #LinkedIn last week. I asked respondents to rate streaming services they use - from 1 (Sucks!) to 5 (Awesomesauce!), with 0 for non-use. We received nearly 150 responses, so a relatively decent sample.

Context: for every 5 rating, the service was given 5 points. For every 4 rating, 4 points, and so on. However, for every 1 rating (Sucks), the service was given a negative 1 point, lowering their overall score.

Unsurprisingly, given their vast subscriber lead, #Netflix came out on top, bigly. However, when you dig into the numbers, their customer satisfaction really stands out, especially given the sheer volume of subs and usage they have.

#Amazon had only a few less total responses than Netflix, and #Hulu got a few less ratings than Prime. Yet 85% of Netflix' replies were Awesome/Good versus just 57% for Amazon. Hulu had 74% Awesome/Good, helping them stay on par with Prime. Also, Netflix had just 2% Meh/Sucks, and Hulu just 9%. Yet 24% of Amazon Prime users were dissatisfied with the service. What this says to me, is that Prime relies very heavily on the rest of the Amazon flywheel for the value of the Prime Membership, while delivering a subpar streaming service, whereas Hulu and Netflix provide measurably better streaming services, because that is all they do.

It is also clear that there are definitive #streaming tiers forming. Netflix is on a tier of its own. The second tier is getting pretty crowded. It's remarkable how quickly #DisneyPlus and #HBOMax have climbed into Tier Two with Hulu and Amazon - both services within striking distance of Hulu and Amazon in total usage, and BOTH equal to or BETTER on user satisfaction. This is even more remarkable given the number of respondents who complained about HBOMax' lack of #Roku and #Fire apps. Again, this demonstrates that Prime falls short on the quality of their streaming service, relative to their nearest competition. It's unclear whether this is due to their interface or content. But their outlier position here is obviously an issue.

Also remarkable is that #AppleTVPlus has failed to climb into Tier Two, despite being in market as long as Disney+ and much longer than HBOMax, and having spent as much, if not potentially more, on new content and marketing. Part of this is usage - they fall somewhat short of Disney and HBO on total usage. But more troubling is their user satisfaction, with just 35% Awesome/Good scores, and 15% Meh/Sucks. This is just a 20% net positive, compared to 63% for Disney+ and 43% for HBOMax.

For #Peacock there's good news and bad. Their usage is far less than HBOMax, despite similar time in-market, but their overall satisfaction is strong at 65% Awesome/Good, and net satisfaction of 44%, compared to HBO's 43%. This indicates that their biggest challenge, relative to HBOMax, is awareness and sampling.

#Quibi's biggest challenge does not appear to be awareness, since they had the same number of replies as AppleTV+, despite far less marketing and less time i-market - even many of those who said they had not tried Quibi remarked on knowing about it. Their issue? The more people try the service, the less they like it, with 70% Meh/Sucks ratings, and a net satisfaction rating of -57%, lower than any other SVOD by far, and third-lowest of all services. This MIGHT have to do with the fact that my audience is older than their target... maybe. But the sheer strength of the negative opinions (the only service to garner substantial ad hoc negative commentary, more Sucks than any other service, and the only SVOD with a net negative satisfaction score), seems to indicate something a bit more troublesome.

Interestingly, #PlutoTV sits in or near the same tier as Peacock and AppleTV+, with by far the most usage of all the AVOD platforms (unless you consider Peacock an AVOD, which you are totally allowed to do, since that's how they position themselves). However, as with all the AVODs, Pluto's net satisfaction stinks, with 42% Meh/Sucks, and a net rating of -16%. Overall, the AVODs have far less usage than the SVODs. This is likely due to a general lack of awareness (and lack of marking), but also due to the fact that LinkedIn skews older than the target demo of these services. That said, the overall negative net ratings of all the AVODs indicate issues for their business models - whether it's the interfaces, the fact that they carry ads, or the quality of the content they offer. I was, however, surprised at at how well IMDBtv performed - their usage was higher than I anticipated, and their net favorability, while still negative at -10%, was far better than all other AVODs (again, with the exception of Peacock).

NOTE: I mistakenly omitted #CBSAccess from this survey. That was a big error. I apologize to Viacom for that. It is worth noting, however, that of the nearly 150 responses, only two people mentioned them in their comments. So...

I will admit that this survey was far from the tightly wound, controlled quantitative research endeavors many of are used to from big research firms. This was only meant to be directional, and should be taken as such. BUT, when looked at directionally, and compared to all available data on these services, IMHO, the information feels directionally accurate. I am biased, but then again, let's all admit, so is all research.

Thanks so much to everyone who replied! Stay tuned for more surveys soon!

Evan