Report: 72% of US Audiences Identify Themselves as Binge-Watchers; Binge Releases Retain Viewers Better Than Weekly
Self-control can be hard, and the early days of streaming left some viewers with habits that are now too ingrained to break. Samba TV’s “State of Viewership” report for the first half of 2023 is shedding light on the viewing habits of streaming customers in the United States, and the numbers contained good news for services like Netflix and Prime Video.
The report shows that 72% of U.S. streaming customers identify themselves as “binge-watchers.” These viewers tend to make quick work of a series they’ve chosen to binge as well; 47% of households that watched the top bingeable premieres released in the first half of 2023 finished the available episodes within five days of their release.
Netflix is the master of the binge-release model. Eight of its binge-released series in 1H of 2023 saw more than half of audiences who finished the show within 31 days of starting it watch all available episodes within five days. “MH370: The Plane that Disappeared” led all titles, with 65% of audiences finishing it within five days of its debut on the service.
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Samba’s data also reveals that when viewers have the opportunity to binge a series as fast as they want, they’re much more likely to finish an entire season. Bulk releases saw 45% of people who started a show finish it, as compared to 39% for multi-part drops and 35% for weekly releases. Even legacy shows like “The Mandalorian” on Disney+ and “Succession” on Max struggled as compared to binge-release titles.
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Streamers are struggling to differentiate themselves from their competitors, and release strategies are playing a bigger and bigger role in that battle. Samba’s numbers indicate that binge-releasers may have an advantage with one particular age group: Millennials, 70% of whom say they’re more likely to keep a subscription that uses the bulk release method.
There’s evidence to suggest that binge releases and weekly releases both have their place, but Samba’s data makes clear that on average, the binge release has the edge. It’s not likely to be adopted on a platform like Max, where executives want users to feel like a TV episode release is a special event. But platforms like Disney+ may want to look into the binge release method, as data shows it generates better engagement and retention among users.
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”