Flattening Streaming Curve?

(Above source: Piqsels)

A Strategy Analytics report suggests a correlation between the relaxation of government-mandated pandemic restrictions and reduced demand for streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.

In a national survey of more than 4,000 adults from March through May, 42% of respondents used Netflix in May, compared to 50% in April and 47% in March. Likewise, Amazon Prime, Hulu and Disney+ saw similar patterns as more people resumed normal activities.

Reduced streaming was not the case for some streamers, however. For example, the number of users of Apple TV+ and CBS All Access increased in both April and May.

“Ironically Netflix may have suffered through being the most popular SVOD [subscription video on demand] service, since it appears to have attracted many new but ultimately temporary users during the pandemic,” said Michael Goodman, Director, TV and Media Strategies and author of the report, COVID-19’s Impact on SVOD. “We still believe that Netflix numbers will exceed expectations overall during 2020, but now that the pandemic impact is waning, the company will face more traditional challenges associated with customer retention, win-back and targeting the right content to appropriate interests and demographics.”

The report was done before the recent spike in cases in states like Texas, which has put its reopening on pause.

For more information, visit Strategy Analytics.