A recent study finds that most cord-cutters really don’t like juggling multiple streaming services.
In its 2018 Digital Consumer Survey, Accenture highlights four key findings:
- Digital voice assistants are taking off
- Interest in connected devices is extending to self-driving vehicles
- Consumers want augmented and virtual reality to provide more than just “fun experiences”
- Cord-cutters want “simplified, flexible and engaging” experiences from their SVOD and OTT services
The last point, in particular, stands in stark contrast to other reported data. According to various reports, most Americans have at least 2 or more subscriptions to streaming video services. In the case of streaming video-on-demand, a majority of Americans have at least a Netflix account, followed by either Amazon Prime Video or Hulu.
Let Them Have Bundles
So what is it that cord-cutters really want out of their SVOD services? Better content and a single point of entry for the content they’re looking for.
The Accenture survey found that 51% of consumers feel they are paying for content they don’t actually want. Consumers now must hold multiple subscriptions in order to access the latest must-see titles. While there is some bundling of services currently happening (see VRV), most bundling is still only available through traditional cable services.
According to the survey, the vast majority of U.S. consumers don’t like this trend. Accenture finds 81% opt to not deal with multiple streaming video services. Instead, most use only a traditional pay TV option or hold just one streaming video service. Only 14% of consumers choose to instead cut the cord completely and then sign up for multiple services.
Single entry point options such as Amazon Prime Video help solve that issue for consumers. Still, with the SVOD and OTT market still young, consumer preferences are likely still difficult to predict.
Sam Cook is a full-time content strategist by day, a part-time freelance content writer since 2015. In another life, he was a high school English teacher for nearly a decade. Based in sunny New Orleans, he writes long-form educational content on technology, including Insurtech, Fintech, HRtech, and content streaming. He loves whittling down complex ideas within these areas that make decisions easier for buyers. When he’s not reading books with his son Miles and playing video games with the family, you can find him immersed in his growing collection of Euro-style board games.
