Netflix subs bundling other streaming services

One in five US streaming subscribers now pay for three or more services, with investment in original content increasingly cited as a key reason for signing up, according to a report by 451 Research.

According to 451 Research’s quarterly Voice of the Connected User Landscape (VoCUL) survey, 19% of streaming subscribers are paying for three or more services – up four percentage points on the previous year.

According to the report, consumers are creating their own bundles of video services, starting with Netflix, taken by 95% of multiple streaming consumers, and Amazon Video, taken by 82%. Consumers then add add a combination of subscription and à-la-carte platforms including Hulu, HBO Now and iTunes.

Among all survey respondents who pay for a streaming service, 79% say they subscribe to Netflix and 53% to Amazon Video. Amazon Video has made the most significant gains, up five percentage points on the previous year. 

About a third of streaming subscribers said they chose services on the basis of the amount of original content they provided, up eight percentage points year-on-year. Some 36% of Netflix subscribers cited this the reason, up nine points, along with 36% of Amazon users, up 14 points.

The number of Amazon viewers who said the now watch more original content than anything else has leapt from 7% to 31% in two years. The number of Netflix users saying they now watch more original content than other content has increased from 20% to 32% over the same period.

Access to movies, cited by 50% remains the primary reason why consumer spay for streaming video, followed by the ability to view complete seasons of TV shows, cited by 45%. 

According to the survey, Roku remains the leading device for the consumption of streaming video among US subscribers, with 31% owning a Roku streaming player and 10% owning a Roku Streaming Stick or Express device. Roku is followed by Apple TV, used by 35% of subscribers, and Google Chromecast, used by 26%.

The fastest growing device was the Amazone Fire TV stick, up two points to 13%, and theAmazon Fire TV box, up one point to 10%.

“Netflix and Amazon have spent billions creating exclusive original content to differentiate themselves within a competitive streaming TV market, and our latest surveys show that it’s resonating with customers,” said Andy Golub, managing director of 451 Research’s Voice of the Connected User Landscape end-user surveys and research.

“Original content has become a much more important factor over the past year in choosing streaming services, and the data shows consumers are simply watching more of it.”