Advanced Television

VoD services take root in France

March 19, 2018

Almost 2 out of 5 French Internet user have already used VoD or SVoD services, a steady increase according to Médiamétrie’s VoD360 study.

Over the last 12 months, 13 per cent of the population indicated they had rented at least one video, and 20 per cent have used a SVoD service. SVoD’s primary strength lies in the diversity of content. Users of SVoD aged 15 years and over in particular are “series-addicts” . Despite the domination of American series, 56 per cent of respondents said it was important for them to have an SVoD catalogue that contained French productions of films and series.

Some 37 per cent of internet users aged 6 years and over in France said they had already used VoD or SVoD services (as the subscriber or otherwise) at least once. This represents an 11-percentage point increase on 2016.

Over the last 12 months, 20 per cent of internet users have used an SVoD service at least once, whilst 37 per cent of internet users could spontaneously name a VoD or SVoD platform. A stable figure,  despite the arrival of acknowledged new players. The VoD market is characterised by a pattern of platform creation and demise. What with the arrival of new players, the ad infinitum versions of the umbrella brands, and the abundance of services on offer, it can be a challenge to form a clear and simple picture of these platforms and services.

SVoD is a service that is shared

On average, three people actually use one SVoD within the same household.

The profile of SVoD users is broadening as these usages become more widespread amongst the population. This audience includes more women, is hyper-connected and more typically subscribes to a paid-for channel than internet users as a whole would. It also shows a strong affinity for video activity, regardless of the screen used.

Platform accessibility and a wealth of content: the winning combination

SVoD’s primary strength lies in the diversity of content. All programme genres are available to watch: series (91 per cent), films (87 per cent), cartoons (44 per cent) and documentaries (40 per cent).

Users of SVoD aged 15 years and over in particular are “series-addicts” who watch insatiably: 92 per cent watch several episodes in a row and 83 per cent binge watch*. In total, each user watches more than 11 series on average in a year, including more than seven that are available exclusively on a platform.

Moreover, series addicts have adopted all the functionalities available on the platforms: picking up a programme where they had left off, multi-screen access and account sharing were the most popular.

The wealth of recent and quality content, coupled with ease of access and ease of use, have allowed the platforms to achieve some very high satisfaction scores: 8.3/10 on average.

Call for the French Touch

Among the top 10 most followed SVoD series, there is a notable supremacy of American series, despite a manifest desire to see more “Made in France” creations: 56 per cent of respondents said it was important for them to have an SVoD catalogue that contained French productions of films and series.

VoD rentals slow but steady

13 per cent of the population indicated they had rented at least one video during the previous 12 months, which was two percentage points higher than the previous year (11 per cent) .

Owing to the viewing quality offered, the TV set remains the preferred screen for video rentals. On average each year, a VoD user rents five times, mostly for films.

In general, VoD users are overequipped with screens and oversubscribed to paid-for services. Furthermore, they regularly enjoy audio-visual activities such as going to the cinema or watching video in all its forms (free / paid for on the internet, DVD, recordings, and even pirated).

Only 8 per cent of Internet users indicated that they had already purchased a VoD. The profile of these buyers was quite similar to the profile of VoD rental users, and they used several screens. Although films remained a big attraction, series and cartoons were also popular content types.

On average each year, a household bought four videos, and the heaviest consumers were those homes with children under 15 years of age (8 videos per household annually).

Methodology

The VoD360 study was conducted online (CAWI) from December 27th 2017 to January 15th 2018 among 4,130 web users in France aged 6 years and over.

Categories: Articles, Catch Up, Consumer Behaviour, Markets, OTT, Premium, Research, VOD