Study: Films, TV shows increasingly digitally-accessible
March 21, 2016
An SNL Kagan study on behalf of the MPAA looking at the availability popular film and TV titles on legal online platforms in the US has found that a significant majority of premium TV series were digitally available on at least one of the online services that were reviewed, including online VoD and TV Everywhere on-demand services.
The study – U.S. Availability of Film and TV Titles in the Digital Age – quantifies the availability and growth of legitimate digital offerings of film and TV series in the US based on a review of 33 major online video-on-demand distributors and 14 TV Everywhere on-demand services.
“Content creators and providers have truly embraced digital delivery. According to our research, premier content is highly accessible online for consumers, which is paramount in driving the growth of digital home video. This space is not dominated by one player, but rather, the majority of the content is available from at least five sources,” noted Wade Holden, research analyst with S&P Global Market Intelligence. “Consumers now have access to major motion pictures and TV series in the palms of their hands in a number of ways, whether it’s through the iTunes or Google Play store, Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime app or the TV Everywhere services. This competitive landscape has led to an explosion of choices for consumers both in terms of the types of content available and variety of pricing structures.”
Key findings include:
- 98 per cent of premium films and 94 per cent of premium TV series were digitally available on at least one of the online services that were reviewed, including VoD and TV Everywhere on-demand services.
- In the online VoD market, which provides access through online platforms in addition to TV set-top boxes and includes electronic sell-through, online rental, and subscription VoD, 97 per cent of premium films were digitally available on at least one of the online VoD services we reviewed – up from 94 per cent in 2013. The report also found that 93 per cent of premium TV series were digitally available on at least one of the online VoD services SNL Kagan reviewed – up from 85 per cent in 2013.
- On TV Everywhere on-demand services, which provide online access via an authenticated paid subscription, 96 per cent of premium films and 82 per cent of premium TV series were digitally available on at least one of the services reviewed.
- Moreover, the online availability of popular and critically acclaimed films and television shows was not limited to one or a few online services. 95 per cent of premium films and 84 per cent of premium TV series were digitally available on at least five of the online services reviewed.