Barb survey - Netflix/Amazon/Now TV

[DarylM]

Barb have released the results of a survey estimating the number of households who subscribe to online video services.  24% of all households subscribe to either Netflix, Amazon or Now TV.

Their estimated figures are:

Netflix - 5 million households in the UK (an increase of 1.4 million since the end of 2014)

Amazon - 1.6 million households (up 0.5 million on 2014)

Now TV - just under 1 million (up 0.3 million on 2014)

Bear in mind that Now TV is intended as a service for people who don't have full Sky via a dish, so can't be compared directly to Netflix.  Sky still have more UK subscribers than Netflix.

More details here.

[DarylM]

One thing I take from that survey is that almost half of Now TV users also subscribe to Netflix.  So Netflix isn't so much competition for Now TV as a potentially useful partner.

If all 3 subscription services could find a way to work together (e.g. apps being on the same devices and smart TVs), they would all benefit.

A rising tide lifts all boats.

[4268]

I have all three services, I wonder how many other people do the same or two out of the three. I think their conclusion 24% of households subscribe is based on floored logic. I can get all three on my LG TV. I can get Netflix on my Amazon fire box which is now in my bedroom.

[SeeMoreDigital]

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@4268 wrote:
I have all three services.... I can get all three on my LG TV. 

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Me too! Currently they're all able to offer content that the other one doesn't 

[DarylM]

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@4268 wrote:
I have all three services, I wonder how many other people do the same or two out of the three. I think their conclusion 24% of households subscribe is based on floored logic. I can get all three on my LG TV. I can get Netflix on my Amazon fire box which is now in my bedroom.

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24% is a pretty high take-up rate for pay TV services which are only 4 years old.  Particularly considering that not all households have broadband.  But I expect there to still be plenty of room for growth.

According to the survey, it looks as if at the end of 2015 there were 6,781,000 households which subscribed to at least one of the services.  98,000 of which (1.4%) subscribed to all three.

[BicBasher]

I'm another one who subscribes to all three services, although I won't be surprised if Amazon catches up with Netflix at some point, thanks to aggressive marketing of Prime.

[Andy]

I'm not surprised Netflix are consolidating their place as the market leader. I think simplicity in understanding a product goes a long way to selling it, and Netflix is easy to understand, one payment gets everything, available on virtually every device you can think of (apart from NOW TV boxes!) It's a simple product that does what it says on the tin.

NOW TV and Amazon are both great as well and obviously I'm a fan of NOW TV (GoT does wonder for them!) but neither are as easy to understand for a SVOD-newbie - Amazon is buried within the Amazon site and deliberately advertised as a benefit of Prime membership rather than a product that can be purchased on its own (if you have the patience to find out how), and NOW TV has the complication of 5 different types of passes and a mixing together of catch up, live and boxset content.

As always thanks for posting the latest report @DarylM I enjoy reading these.

[SeeMoreDigital]

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@Andy wrote:

and NOW TV has the complication of 5 different types of passes...

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You make a good point...

Whilst I understand the reasons why NOW TV require all customers to submit their (credit/debit) card details, I can't help wonder if this policy might be off-putting for some potential (and existing) customers.

Cheers

[commanda6]

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@SeeMoreDigital wrote:

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@Andy wrote:

and NOW TV has the complication of 5 different types of passes...

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You make a good point...

Whilst I understand the reasons why NOW TV require all customers to submit their (credit/debit) card details, I can't help wonder if this policy might be off-putting for some potential (and existing) customers.

Cheers

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@SeeMoreDigital if I remember correctly, Netflix also asks you to hand over card details when you sign up for the trial.

Remember that now TV also uses your card details to hel verify your age, that's also part of the reason why they are needed. Card companies like Visa and MasterCard hold onto details like your age (probably, date of birth) which means nowTV can verify your age when they validate your card because of the way the law is in the UK. They are pretty much legally obliged to verify your age. So this probably isn't something we can get round.

I believe Netflix also also need to verify your age. In this way , if they want to operate in the UK

[SeeMoreDigital]

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@commanda6 wrote:

@SeeMoreDigital if I remember correctly, Netflix also asks you to hand over card details when you sign up for the trial.

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Indeed they do but from what I'm aware, they don't offer an pre-paid voucher code/pass system as an incentive. Which I suspect is the way most customers are attracted to Now TV.

That being said, yep I guess ones card details can be used to confirm a customers age. It's just a shame another way can't be adopted. On this basis I suppose it's impossible for anyone without a credit/debit card to access the NOW TV service - even if they have voucher passes... Which is a shame