Advanced Television

Just 22% of binge-watchers willing to wait for episodes

July 7, 2015

A survey exploring the shift in behaviours towards sustained viewing of content over a short time has found that unavailable episodes – defined as either impossible to find, or delivered within a sub-par playback experience – prompt nearly half of all OTT binge-watchers to give up on a series, with half of them neutral-to-unlikely ever to return. The survey also reveals the very real financial opportunities and implications of cultivating committed, engaged audiences.

The report, Binge Watching: The New Currency of Video Economics, commissioned by OTT video experience optimisation specialist Conviva, was based on a recent survey of 750 binge-watching consumers.

“Binge-watchers represent dedicated consumers,” said Hui Zhang, CEO of Conviva. “As the line between OTT consumption and content creation blurs due to shifting viewing models, publishers need to ensure they’re building long-term value with viewers.”

Key findings of the survey include:

  • Viewers report low tolerance for unavailable episodes: Only 22 per cent of respondents would wait for an episode to become available.

  • Computers are still king when it comes to binge-watchers: One quarter to just more than a third of viewers use devices ranging from pay-TV to game consoles, with the majority still watching from a computer or laptop.

  • Quality over quantity with binge-watchers: Only 11 per cent will replace an old series with a new one (and only if it’s great).

  • Once they’re gone, they’re likely gone forever: More than half of the respondents are less than fully committed to return to a series once they stop watching for any reason.

Categories: Articles, Consumer Behaviour, Content, OTT, OTT, Research