Streaming service sees strong uptake as consumers tune in amid the pandemic
Just weeks after its launch in the United Kingdom, Disney+ in April emerged as the country’s third-largest subscription video on demand (SVOD) player, with 4.3 million subscribers.
Disney’s SVOD service, which started operating in the U.K. on March 24, already carved out a 16.8 percent share of subscribers by the end of April, according to survey data from the Omdia Consumer Research – Devices, Media & Usage Intelligence Service – Premium. This put Disney+ in a league with the established market heavyweights, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, which claimed 58.4 percent and 46.9 percent of online subscribers in the U.K.
“Disney+ arrived in the U.K. just as COVID-19 social distancing and quarantine measures commenced,” said Maria Rua Aguete, senior research director, video, TV and advertising for Omdia. “Streaming services like Disney+ and Netflix have become the biggest winners during the lockdown as consumers have sought new entertainment experiences to keep themselves entertained. The content and user experience offered by these services have proven to be their key differentiators. In particular, the current catalogs offered by these services have become increasingly alluring to viewers, given than the pandemic has halted production of new video content.”
The Omdia survey is an online survey conducted twice a year examining consumer behavior, with a focus on television and video services. Rua Aguete revealed her SVOD research findings at the Videoscape Europe event held today.
Streaming services like Disney+ also are reaping the benefits as subscriptions fall for competitive pay TV and over-the-top (OTT) sports-focused platforms, such as DAZN,
These same dynamics are also propelling the success of Disney+ in other regions. Disney is now the No.-4 ranked SVOD provider in the United States. Disney in April claimed a 25 percent share of U.S. SVOD subscribers, compared to 29 percent for Hulu, 47 percent for Amazon Prime Video and 60 percent for Netflix.
One out of four U.S. households now has access to Disney+, Omdia’s survey revealed.