With more than a dozen streaming platforms currently available on the market, there is excessive content being produced and added to such services. According to a new report, the vastness of content choice on streaming platforms is becoming overwhelming for consumers in the United States, but they do not plan on canceling any subscriptions.
New report reveals consumer complaints about excessive streaming options
According to a new “State of Play” report by analytics firm Nielsen, nearly half of consumers in the U.S. – 46% – are overwhelmed by the amount of content available which makes it difficult for them to find what they are looking for. It also makes it difficult for users to know which shows are on services they have subscribed to.
The report reveals that there are 817,000 unique programs across various streaming services, including TV series, movies, specials, documentaries, and more, as of February 2022. In 2019, there were over 646,000 titles available, which means there has been an increase of 26.5%. This can be attributed to the recent launches of services like Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock, and more.
“The inaugural State of Play really underscores the fact that we’ve entered the next phase of streaming, based on the trends we have been detailing about streaming over the past few years,” stated Brian Fuhrer, SVP, Product Strategy, Nielsen.
“We’ve moved from infancy into adolescence and all the complexities that one would expect at that point,” he added. “It’s not just that streaming is increasing year over year. Now consumers want access simplified, and the explosion of services has renewed discussions around bundling and aggregation. Ultimately, these challenges signal an opportunity as the industry harnesses streaming for long-term business growth.”
Despite feeling overwhelmed, consumer demand is still strong. As per the survey, 72% of respondents say that they love their experience with streaming services. A staggering 93% said that they plan to subscribe to more services or they do not intend to make any changes to their existing subscriptions.
The increase in content choice has also led to a rise in streaming time. Between February 2021 and February 2022, users’ average weekly time streaming video saw a year-over-year increase from 143.2 billion streamed minutes to 169.4 billion, an 18% increase.
Users do say they want an option that would make it easier for them to find the content they are looking for. 64% of respondents expressed an interest in a bundled video streaming service that would allow them access to different platforms of their choice.
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