Regular Users of Netflix in the US Watch 10 TV Shows Per Week via the Service; Level Has Doubled in Three Years

One-quarter of regular US users have watched on a mobile device in the past month – GfK

NEW YORK--()--Regular (monthly) Netflix users in the US have grown even more dependent on the service for viewing TV programming, saying they watch 10 shows per week via the platform – as well as 4 movies during the same timeframe. For TV content, this represents a doubling of the level (5 shows per week) found in the same survey three years ago.

Projected to the full population, this means that the average US consumer ages 13 to 54 watches roughly 5 TV shows and 2 movies per week via Netflix using one or more platforms.

The findings come from “Over the Top TV 2015: A Complete Video Landscape” – the latest study in GfK’s ongoing The Home Technology Monitor™ series tracking media technology and services. The new report includes trends from five prior “over the top” (OTT) studies conducted since 2010.

Click here to download an infographic based on this report.

Watching via Netflix on mobile devices has also more than doubled in three years, with 24% of regular Netflix users reporting viewing in the past month via one or more mobile platforms – up from 10% three years ago. Monthly viewing on TVs has risen from 36% to 47% among the same group, and watching on PCs (laptop or desktop) has jumped from 17% to 25%.

One-quarter (25%) of regular Netflix users also report “binge” viewing – watching three or more programs in one sitting – either “often” or “all the time.” Bingeing levels are highest among Generation Y (ages 13 to 35), with almost one in three (31%) reporting this behavior.

“Netflix is a TV ecosystem unto itself, and now an established force in the total TV marketplace,” said David Tice, Senior Vice President of Media and Entertainment at GfK. “But it represents just one aspect of an increasingly complex OTT picture, which also includes subscription services like Amazon Prime and Hulu, delivery systems such as Roku and Apple TV, and threatened encumbents like cable and satellite companies, which are trying to leverage their content with TV Everywhere options. The upshot is that OTT has now gone mainstream, and consumer expectations of control over their viewing experience continue to rise. When today’s teens become breadwinners, they may bypass traditional distribution channels in ways we cannot even imagine now – challenging all of today’s content players to stay up to speed and continue to experiment with delivery innovations.”

“Over the Top TV 2015: A Complete Video Landscape” also includes

  • Trends in ownership and use of two dozen devices that can be used to watch or deliver video content
  • Use of content distributers like DVD rental kiosks, iTunes, EST, and SVOD services
  • Deep dive usage characteristics of the three major US SVOD services
  • A brief look at those who report subscribing to new services HBO NOW and Sling TV

About GfK

GfK is the trusted source of relevant market and consumer information that enables its clients to make smarter decisions. More than 13,000 market research experts combine their passion with GfK’s long-standing data science experience. This allows GfK to deliver vital global insights matched with local market intelligence from more than 100 countries. By using innovative technologies and data sciences, GfK turns big data into smart data, enabling its clients to improve their competitive edge and enrich consumers’ experiences and choices.

For more information, please visit http://www.gfk.com or follow GfK on Twitter

Contacts

GfK Marketing and Communications, Consumer Experiences North America
David Stanton, 908-875-9844
Vice President
david.stanton@gfk.com

Release Summary

Regular (monthly) Netflix users in the US watch 10 shows per week via the platform – as well as 4 movies during the same timeframe -- according to a new GfK study.

Contacts

GfK Marketing and Communications, Consumer Experiences North America
David Stanton, 908-875-9844
Vice President
david.stanton@gfk.com