The streaming wars have flooded the market with more content than ever before. According to Nielsen’s Total Audience Report, there were approximately 646,152 different titles to choose from across linear and streaming services — a nearly 10 percent spike compared to what was available in all of 2018. With new streaming services — Disney+ and Apple TV+ leveraging originals, in addition to those found on Hulu and Netflix — the study found that nine percent of all titles appeared exclusively on SVOD services.
Though there is currently an influx of content, the study found that customers want more. According to Nielsen, 93 percent of subscribers are looking at either maintaining their current level or increasing the number of streaming services they are subscribed to. As it stands, 47 percent of consumers between the ages of 18 to 34 have three or more services.
“I don’t see a plateau,” Peter Katsingris, Nielsen’s SVP of Audience Insights, told Deadline. “Streaming is definitely powering a rise we’re seeing in consumer time. Will there be pressure applied to other platforms? Time will tell. … Streaming is part of our lives now.”
Nielsen’s results are congruent to the results from a survey conducted by Ampere Analysis earlier this year. The study found that more U.S. customers are paying for three or more streaming services. The Wrap pointed out that 39 percent of people in the survey paid for at least three services in 2019, a six percent hike from 2018.
Ampere also found that the adding of streaming services is increasing internationally. In Europe, the number of households went from 16 percent to 22 percent with at least three subscriptions between 2018 and 2019. Ampere expects consumers will continue adding on as streaming services continue flooding the market.