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Research: Poor streaming UX can erode loyalty
Recent research from CTAM, the entertainment and technology marketing organisation, and Hub Entertainment Research, the insights agency, tracking how people choose and consume content, reveals the streaming industry’ s hidden retention challenge. Rather than price or content quality, the streaming user experience( UX) is cited by 36 % of viewers, and 43 % of viewers under 25, as the sole reason they’ ve cancelled a streaming subscription, according to the study. The research report, Value by Design: Building a Better Streaming UX and Discovery Experience, examines the importance of the streaming user experience to consumers’ overall satisfaction. Additional findings include:
• TV apps are evaluated against all apps across categories. Two-thirds( 68 %) of viewers do at least some of their decision-making outside of dedicated TV apps. Users judge their experience against all other apps across categories including
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Instagram and TikTok.
• TV apps are delivering; 90 % of those surveyed were very or somewhat satisfied by their user experience.
• But there is room to improve; 72 % experience at least one problem that leaves them“ extremely frustrated” and 80 % experience one problem that happens“ all the time”. Hub tested 20 UX problems to learn how often they happen and how frustrating they are when they do. Then 13 design solutions were tested, with five found to most likely add value to a subscription. The most damaging design and navigation issue was found to be‘ burying’ of common tasks like having to scroll too far for‘ Continue Watching’ and a hard-to-find‘ Watch List’. The study identifies some potential solutions, with the two that would most impact viewer behaviour including:
• Pinned‘ Continue Watching’ – 46 % loved this feature; 63 % say they would absolutely use it; 42 % think it would make their subscription more valuable; and 48 % say it would make them more likely to keep their
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subscription.
• Pinned Watch Lists – 39 % loved this feature; 56 % say they would absolutely use it; 36 % think it would make their subscription more valuable; and 43 % say it would make them more likely to keep their subscription. Viewers reward apps that open straight into content – relevant, actionable, and free of decision fatigue.
One survey respondent over age 35 said:“ When I open an app, I want it to already be where I left off or already doing what I need. The ones I like don’ t make me figure anything out.”
Young viewers have less tolerance when the app experience fails.
For Gen Z viewers, the idea of more relevant recommendations was highly appealing, with 59 % of viewers ages 13-24 saying that TV recommendations don’ t feel like they are designed for them vs 45 % of older viewers.
Younger viewers also make viewing decisions well before turning on the TV, with 43 % reporting they decide what to watch in advance vs 35 % of older viewers.
Plus, they look to social media
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for those recommendations; 48 % of viewers 13-24 said they hear about shows and movies from trailers on social platforms vs 38 % of older viewers.
“ This latest research highlights the pivotal role CTAM plays to give our members a big picture perspective on industrywide challenges,” said Vicki Lins, President and CEO, CTAM.“ Consumers by and large are satisfied with streaming apps, but a negative user experience can be a silent killer, quietly eroding loyalty while price and content grab the headlines. The full report for CTAM members reveals the extent of the threat posed by poor user experience, and how the industry can give consumers more clarity and control.”
“ This research underscores the extent to which TV apps are compared not just to other TV apps, but to all of the apps consumers use across categories,” added Jon Giegengack, founder of Hub Entertainment Research and one of the research authors.“ Viewers have high expectations, and even small moments of friction can quickly accumulate to cause frustration and abandonment.”
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Research: Smart TV Home Screen a critical touchpoint for film marketers
As the entertainment landscape shifts and viewing habits fragment, the Smart TV Home Screen is becoming a powerful driver of UK entertainment choices, influencing how viewers engage with films both in cinemas and at home. According to research from LG Ad Solutions, the Home Screen is not only where audiences discover what to watch – it’ s where they decide how and where to watch it.
Based on a study of over 1,000 UK connected TV users who go to the cinema, the findings underscore the Home Screen’ s growing impact on both cinema attendance and athome
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rentals and purchases:
• 93 % of cinema-goers have seen a new film promoted on their TV Home Screen
• 35 % say that promotion led them to go see it in cinemas( 11 % higher for LG Smart TV users)
• 80 % have been reminded by a Home Screen promo that a film was available to rent or buy
• 56 % have rented or purchased a film after seeing it promoted at home Beyond awareness, the research shows that Home Screen placements are driving highintent actions:
• 52 % go on to watch the trailer
• 51 % search for more information
• 43 % discuss it with friends
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or family
• TV remains the most influential channel for film discovery – cited by 68 % of respondents and outperforming social media ads by 15 points. The data also shows that 94 % of cinema-goers find Home Screen film promotions influential in their decision to visit a cinema. The data also highlights when and how viewers make decisions. Some 81 % of cinemagoers look up showtimes and 57 % buy tickets at least one day before attending, presenting an opportunity for studios to reach audiences early with dynamic, location-aware messaging.
“ The Smart TV Home Screen has become an important canvas for creative executions
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around film launches,” commented Sufyan Lakhana, AV Associate Director at Publicis Imagine.“ It provides a premium, uncluttered environment where creative can land at a moment when families are open to discovery and storytelling.”
“ Our research shows that the Smart TV Home Screen isn’ t just a place where viewers start their entertainment journey, it’ s where moviegoers are inspired to take action,” added Ben Orford, Head of Sales, Media & Entertainment Europe, LG Ad Solutions.“ For studios and distributors, it represents a powerful touchpoint to influence decisions both in cinemas and at home and capture consumer attention at the intersection of discovery, intent, and action.”
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EUROMEDIA 11 |