Unsurprisingly, consumers are growing irritated at the rising amount of streaming video providers (did you know Chik-Fil-A is starting its own service?) and the difficulty in finding things to watch, according to a new TiVo survey of U.K. consumers.
According to the TV software company that made its mark in DVR technology that is now pivoting to smart TV operating systems, only 16% of viewers know what they want to watch then they start browsing streaming platforms, resulting in what TiVo calls “habit browsing.”
With more streaming providers in the U.K., consumers were using an average of 6.5 streaming platforms in the second quarter, up from 6.0 in the same period last year. In addition, 61% of viewers say they switch between more than one app in a typical viewing session, increasing from 55% in the second quarter. That means less time actually consuming the content they’re looking for and more time spent searching through endless interfaces.
TiVo Survey Finds Streaming Services Struggle to Match User Preferences
TiVo’s report also looked at the lack of personalized recommendations, which the data suggests is driving this browsing behavior. The report finds that 19% of viewers say they struggle to find something to watch, and 18% start and abandon content several times a session.
For a variety of reasons, viewers are making their dissatisfaction known with their wallets, as 34% plan on cancelling some of their streaming video subscriptions within the next six months, mirroring similar complaints associated with the rising costs of these services voiced at the start of this year.
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Despite these factors, viewing time is on the rise, as daily viewing time rose to 3.8 hours per day, increasing to 4 hours for families with children.
“As streaming options multiply, viewers are facing continued frustration when it comes to finding something to watch, showing ongoing discontent with the difficulty of finding material that suits their personal preferences,” said Gabriel Cosgrave,general manager of EMEA at Xperi, TiVo’s parent company.
“TV manufacturers need to prioritize key smart TV features such as aggregated and unbiased content offerings, and user experience features like hyper-personalization and natural voice search so that consumers find content they love quickly.”
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