VoD consumer satisfaction driven by content availability
May 8, 2013
Vubiquity, a global provider of multiplatform video services, has revealed the results of a tracking study measuring consumer behaviours and attitudes toward VoD and TV Everywhere (TVE) in the US. In the survey, conducted by Frank N. Magid Associates during the fourth quarter of 2012, satisfaction with On Demand grew 5 per cent over 2010. The biggest areas of improved satisfaction were the quality of programmes (+6 per cent), availability of programmes in HD (+8 per cent) and the number of choices available (+6 per cent).
Among the most significant finding was that 65 per cent per cent of On Demand users agreed with the statement, “Everything I might ever want to watch is easily available” On Demand. In a similar survey Vubiquity conducted in Q4, 2010, only 12 per cent agreed with that same statement. Accordingly, the availability of more television content On Demand has resulted in greater perceived value for VoD services. When survey respondents were asked to rank available subscriptions and services by value, VoD was ranked number one (62 per cent), ahead of DVRs (60 per cent), HD channels (55 per cent) and premium channels (47 per cent).
“Vubiquity has seen a dramatic increase in the amount of television content we manage for VoD which directly correlates to what consumers reported in this study. In 2012, we managed over 85,000 total hours of Free on Demand (FoD) content, 86 per cent more than 2 years before, and the increase in HD was 285 per cent,” said Laurie Lawrence, CMO of Vubiquity. “And the amount of content continues to grow. Vubiquity’s expertise at quick-turn content for the C3 window enables content owners to monetise their FoD content, which leads to more content on the platform, driving increased value for the consumer, and in turn, for the service provider.”
Due largely to the increased availability of episodic television on demand, binge viewing grew in 2012. Seventy-six per cent of the survey’s respondents say they watched three or more episodes of a TV show consecutively in one sitting, with nearly 40 per cent indicating that they do this more often now compared with 12 months ago. Connected devices and TV Everywhere services are also helping to fuel this trend.
Close to 70 per cent of homes now have a TV screen with access to the Internet. Whether its via a Blu-Ray player, gaming console, Roku device or Smart TV, more households are able to access content on the TV screen via connected devices. Viewers are viewing content on other screens, most dramatically children’s animated content, where 35 per cent of respondents indicated that they use an alternate screen to access the On Demand content. Scripted and reality shows follow closely with 30 per cent and 28 per cent respectively.
With more content available than ever before, VoD’s value to consumers is growing. As fast turnaround of VoD assets becomes more pervasive, and fulfils customer expectations of next-day content availability, this trend should continue to help the market to monetise digital video content.
Connected devices are offering consumers increased access to content, making binge viewing of TV episodes On Demand the norm. VoD remains important in how TV programmes are discovered and provides opportunities for continued growth.