Advanced Television

France: 30% have used SVoD in last year

October 18, 2018

According to the last SVoD Barometer conducted by Médiamétrie, 30 per cent of French online users aged six years and older used an SVoD service during the past 12 months, which is 10 points higher than in December 2017.

This means that an estimated 13.6 million people watch series, films, documentaries or cartoons via a subscription-based video service. This increase exists against a backdrop of a growing number of general interest or specialist platforms and offers.

So what is the current state of play with SVoD in France and who does this increasingly attractive practice concern?

People are becoming more aware of SVoD; 50 per cent of French people can currently spontaneously name an SVoD service, which is 19 points higher than six months ago. And thanks to the overall ergonomics of the platforms, attractive prices, the variety of content and how easy it is to find, SVoD users are both greater in number and more avid; Eight out of 10 SVoD users (i.e. over 10 million online users) watch programmes every week, compared with only 6 per cent less than once a month.

“To make sure they don’t miss their favourite shows, SVoD users no longer hesitate to have different subscriptions”, said Marine Boulanger, Director of Médiamétrie’s Cinema & Entertainment department. Hence the reason for them using an average of 1.4 SVoD services simultaneously.

Further proof of their success is the time spent on these platforms: One in two SVoD users stated that they spent between one and two hours per day on them, while their biggest fans (28 per cent) used them for between two and three hours. For these people, SVoD now plays a predominant role in their overall consumption of videos.  Regarding the various platforms’ user numbers, Netflix is forging way ahead, followed by Amazon Prime Video and Canalplay.

TV series, which are very popular whatever their theme, are the key content for SVoD: comedy, action, thriller, science-fiction or fantasy. Series attract a young audience, including nine out of 10 SVoD users aged between 15 and 34.

Also, viewers binge-watch series: almost 79 per cent of SVoD users watched more than one episode consecutively during the past 12 months, regardless of whether they were from the same series.

Film audiences tend to be older: 87 per cent of people aged 35 and older watch films on SVoD platforms.

Local programmes are performing well: Six out of 10 SVoD users attach importance to the French catalogue available on the platforms.

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