Nearly 9-in-10 households (86%) have at least one streaming video service from one of the top 15 subscription video on-demand (SVOD) or direct-to-consumer (DTC) services, according to a new study about sharing video streaming from Leichtman Research Group.
Half of households have four or more DTC streaming video services.
All this can mean hefty bills for streaming services; however, not all DTC services are paid for directly by those who use them. More than a quarter (27%) of all DTC services are used in more than one household. In most cases, a household that pays for the service shares it with another household, but 2% of households share the cost of a DTC service with another household.
An additional 5% of services are not paid for because they come free with another service.
“Overall, 17% of households have at least one DTC service that is fully paid for by someone else,” Bruce Leichtman, Leichtman Research Group, Inc. president and principal analyst, said in a prepared statement.
Sharing Video Streaming Study
Other findings from the study:
- Among ages 18-44, the mean number of DTC streaming services is 4.8 – compared to 4.0 among ages 45-54, and 2.5 among ages 55+
- Ages 18-34 account for 55% of all DTC services that are fully paid for by someone else
- 14% with Netflix have the service fully paid for by someone else – compared to 13% with HBO Max, and 12% with Hulu
- Adults ages 18-44 account for 59% of all with a vMVPD pay-TV service
- 73% of vMVPD subscribers are very satisfied with their service – compared to 77% in 2021, and 69% in 2018
- 22% of all vMVPD services are shared by multiple households, including 8% of all vMVPD services that are fully paid for by someone outside the household.
The popularity of streaming services grew markedly during the Covid 19 pandemic.
