A survey found that 37% of SVOD buyers ages 65 and older prefer to watch new shows on a traditional live TV channel.
If a show is available simultaneously on both a subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming service and a live TV channel, adult SVOD buyers are more than twice as likely to watch it on a paid streaming service than on a regular live TV channel, according to new research from Aluma.
In addition, the younger the adult, the more likely they were to prefer to view a new show on an SVOD service versus a traditional TV channel. Only 28% of SVOD buyers ages 65 and older prefer to watch a new show via subscription streaming, one-fourth less than prefer to watch it on a live TV channel (37%). By contrast, SVOD buyers ages 55-64 are 1.4 times more likely to prefer a paid streaming service over a live TV channel, a rate that increases as age declines. Those 18-24 years of age are 5.3 times more likely to prefer SVOD over live TV channels when viewing a new show.
The survey identified the reasons most age cohorts prefer subscription streaming services to live TV channels. Namely, it has less advertising; viewers can watch shows at their convenience versus when scheduled; it’s where they watch shows most of the time; and it’s easier to find interesting content to watch.
Commenting on the findings of the report, Michael Greeson, Founder and Chief Analyst at Aluma, said: “The only age cohort that prefers watching new shows on live TV channels versus SVOD is age 65 and older. That is telling. All others prefer streaming over linear, even the 55-64 segment. This segment is primarily comprised of Late Boomers who were middle-aged adults when Netflix launched in 2007, yet they too prefer the SVOD experience over live TV.”
While older generations of buyers placed more weight than other cohorts on SVOD having less advertising, younger buyers were more likely to emphasise that subscription streaming is where they watch most shows and that it’s easier to search and find interesting content to watch.
Greeson added: “When networks consider where to debut programming to best reach younger adults, an SVOD-first strategy will work best. For new shows that traverse both older and younger adult audiences (e.g., Food Network), concomitant windowing, though difficult to negotiate, may be optimal.”
