French SVOD usage up 25% in 8 months

Friday, October 14th, 2016
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SVOD: A growth driven by a regular use and a positive User Experience

  • Towards SVOD mainstreaming?

LEVALLOIS — In 2016, 15% of French web users were users of Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD). This is a 25% increase compared to our previous barometer conducted eight months ago. Two-thirds of current users say they have used SVOD for under a year and 43% under 6 months.

Médiamétrie France Key SVOD Figures Infographic

Awareness of SVOD is also increasing: 4 out of 10 web users spontaneously mention an SVOD service, and over 6 out of 10 recognise at least 2 platforms when we list various SVOD services.

Nearly half of “SVODers” use SVOD services daily, and 3 out of 4 use it at least once per week. This intensive use testifies to high satisfaction levels of SVODers with their respective platform. Eighty percent of them plan on continuing their subscription for the next 6 months. Only 1 user out of 10 wants to fully abandon SVOD.

Profile of SVODers

SVOD users set themselves apart by their profile and their screen use. They are mostly men (57% vs 51% for all web users) and mainly young: 61% of SVOD users are under 35, while they only make up 38% of web users.

Subscription video fans are adept at managing multiple screens: nearly 1 out of 4 SVOD users is equipped with 4 screens – a TV, computer, mobile phone and tablet. This becomes evident as their multi-screen uses are more developed than those of other web users.

While nearly half of SVODers exclusively use their television set to access their platform, the majority of them connect through internet device screens (computer, tablet, smartphone).

SVOD platforms allow a shared use of their service by letting subscribers create a user profile for each member of the home. Users can also watch different shows simultaneously. Each member can use his/her own screen whenever to watch his/her programme.

This freedom leads to differing practices: for example, while 43% of SVODers focus on a single screen and share their subscription with a single person, 16% share with several people, using at least 2 screens. On average, there are 2.6 users per subscriber home.

In terms of content, SVOD users are fans of cartoons/manga; they do not, however, take much interest in documentaries. As for series, SVOD users demonstrate sharing and discovery: they particularly appreciate discovering new series and discussing their finds with their friends.

SVOD Offers New User Experience

SVOD offers a new user experience in the consumption of video content. Subscription video services by nature favour new, recently-surfaced practices, such as “binge-watching.” More than 8 out of 10 SVOD users admit to having SVOD sessions lasting at least 1 hour, which corresponds to at least 2 episodes in a series. They are 91% more likely to prefer watching several episodes back-to-back than just 1 at a time.

With the development of 4G and the wide availability of mobile screens (smartphones, tablets, etc.), video content can travel, liberating itself from its original screen. We are seeing ATAWAD uses developing. SVOD platforms have been able to adapt by offering users an experience based on a multi-screen experience (switching screens to view the same content, simultaneous use, etc.) and save time (notifications when a programme becomes available, automatic recommendations).

However, platforms have not completely met viewers’ expectations in terms of recent content, particularly for films, which are subject to the media’s timeline rules.