Research
Europe: VoD up 41%,
live streaming down
30%
Covid-19 has had immediate
impacts on streaming
consumption patterns and
engagement, with marked
differences in the past month
alone, according to Conviva’s
latest streaming data report.
In this unprecedented time
for streaming, Europe-based
video publishers face distinct
challenges.
Key findings in the report
include:
l Streaming was stable
in March for European
publishers – On a global
scale, streaming jumped
more than 20% as compared
to two weeks prior,
with the Americas
contributing
significantly, up
nearly 27% in the
same time period.
The overall stability
in Europe masks a
number of drastic
shifts in consumption
patterns.
l Sports consumption
has collapsed – Sports
content in Europe has
typically accounted
for 30% share of
viewing –the effect
of near-universal
suspension of sport
in Europe has been
profound. Comparing
the last week of
March vs. the first week,
sports viewing hours were
down 91%.
l Entertainment
consumption is up –
Entertainment consumption
rose by 39% in Europe. With
its larger share of viewing,
this was sufficient to cancel
out the drop attributed to
sports.
l News consumption has
skyrocketed – As viewers
stay up to date on the
latest, news increased over
130% and tripled its share
of viewing.
l VoD consumption has
overtaken Live – On-demand
content consumption is up
41% whilst live consumption
18 EUROMEDIA
has dropped 30%.
l US streaming
powerhouses distract –
Coincidental launch of some
US streaming services in
March have distracted some
viewers from the home-
grown streaming platforms.
Television’s transition to the
Internet will accelerate – The
increase in VoD consumption
is likely to indicate a longer-
term shift to on-demand
viewing behaviour.
Back catalogue significance
will increase – A trend that
was well underway before
Covid-19, as demonstrated
by the vast sums paid for
shows such as Friends, The
Office, and Seinfeld, is likely Survey: 75% of UK say
broadband “coping
well”
to accelerate in Europe. As
the release rate of fresh
premium content reduces and
captive audiences rediscover
old content, the quantity and
quality of back catalogues will
be more important than ever.
Sports will bounce back
with a vengeance – Europe’s
appetite for sports content
hasn’t diminished. A pivot to
eSports amongst sports-centric
publishers has demonstrated
demand remains. With several
tournaments touted to
recommence behind closed
doors, demand for sports
broadcasting will be higher
than ever. behaviours adapt to these
challenging times,” advises
Adrian Baschnonga, global
lead telecommunications
analyst. “Elevated levels of
home working alongside a
broadening range of online
behaviours underline the
importance of robust networks
now and in the days, weeks
and months
The research also reveals
that news quality is a priority
among households at a time
when news consumption is
on the up: half of consumers
have looked at news content
more often since the crisis
began. PSBs are benefitting
from the desire for quality,
with 40% of consumers relying
Covid-19 is prompting a shift
in UK households’ digital
activity. According to EY’s
survey of 2,000 UK consumers,
many consumers are
increasing usage of services
they already have – 29% have
used TV streaming services
more often, 30% report an
increase in home working via
collaboration applications and
35% are making more mobile
phone calls.
“We are seeing a step-
change in demand for
digital connectivity and
content in the wake of
coronavirus, as household
more heavily on them for news
content and 77% believing they
are coping well with the crisis
since it began.
The new wave of digital
demand is also apparent in
households’ evolving needs
in terms of customer support:
nearly half (46%) would be
happy to use automated
customer service and virtual
assistants to ensure quick
access. This comes at a
time when many customer
support functions are under
strain – close to one quarter
(24%) of consumers who have
accessed a customer service
centre during the crisis have
had a poor experience. In
addition, 23% of respondents
are concerned that businesses
may not be able to keep their
personal data safe during the
pandemic.
Meanwhile, broadband and
mobile network providers are
perceived to be coping well
by 75% and 73% of consumers
respectively, with only 7%
and 5% voicing negative
perceptions. However, other
industry actors rank further
down: only 54% think social
media platforms are faring
well while and just 45% have
a positive view of print media
performance.
This good news for telcos
and TV providers is echoed
by consumer indications of
loyalty: 89% of households are
unlikely to switch broadband
provider and 93% are unlikely
to switch mobile and pay-
TV provider due to the
coronavirus situation. At the
same time, more than three
in four households think their
current packages are sufficient
to meet their needs during
the crisis (77% for TV and
streaming services, 79% for
broadband packages and 81%
for mobile packages).
When asked about
specific actions their service
providers should take to help
with the Covid-19 situation,
ensuring reliable and resilient
performance ranked as
the top consideration for
broadband providers (42%)
and mobile providers (40%).