SVOD Viewing Continues To Rise

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A new Hub Entertainment Research TV Redefined study surveyed 1,608 U.S. TV viewers and found that viewing time for VOD services in the U.S. rose sharply over the past year. Hulu was the biggest mover ahead of rivals like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Ironically, Hulu viewers said they are watching less than a year ago.


Unsurprisingly, platforms with ad-skipping are favored among consumers. The study found that 86% of DVR users say they fast-forward through ads, while 27% expect shows on a network’s TV Everywhere app to be ad-free. Some 34% said the inability to skip ads in a TVE service is a “major frustration.”

In addition, 61% said they binge-view (watch three or more episodes back to back) frequency or occasionally, while 44% lean toward compressed season viewing (watching more or all of a season in a short span). About 43% said they frequently watch a show that lets them watch all episodes at once (simultaneous release), while 42% practice delayed viewing by waiting until enough episodes accumulate to allow for binge-viewing.

The study also found that two-thirds of viewers 18 to 34 engaged in account sharing. Netflix is the most shared account type across all age groups, ahead of HBO Now, Amazon Prime, Hulu, or a pay TV account.