One of SVOD’s biggest struggles, it seems, is one of free streaming’s biggest strengths.
A new study from Vevo and Publicis Media on consumers’ TV viewing habits found that ease of finding content to watch — the process known as content discovery — is a major factor driving viewers’ usage and enjoyment of FAST channels.
Data from the Vevo-Publicis study, shared exclusively with Variety Intelligence Platform, showed the top three free streaming attributes praised by users — both self-proclaimed FAST lovers and all FAST viewers — were the streaming channels’ “great selections” of film and TV titles, along with the services feeling “well organized.”
The latter point is especially noteworthy, considering users emphatically feel otherwise about SVOD platforms. In a May SmithGeiger survey for VIP+ on streaming user experiences, consumers frequently cited navigability issues as a major frustration with services such as Hulu, Max and Disney+.
Meanwhile, nearly 85% of FAST lovers said the platforms were “great for when I’m looking for something specific,” but further data from the study indicates they are often used for the opposite purpose.
Vevo and Publicis’ study, meanwhile, makes it clear there’s more to FAST’s appeal than ease of access. It seems evident that consumers miss the “just see what’s on” experience of cable, which they can easily find on FAST services.
According to the survey, FAST is the streaming format with the highest proportion of users who come to the platform with nothing specific in mind to watch. Nearly 60% of respondents said they “browse or scroll until I come across something” on FAST, versus 40%-45% for virtual MVPD, SVOD and paid AVOD users.
SEE ALSO: How Platform-Agnostic Companies Operate in FAST
In other words, users aren’t just flocking to FAST for its content selection but because the format makes it easy for them to find content they enjoy. With its linear streaming channel feeds, FAST has a low barrier to entry that extends beyond no-cost access. You simply enter the service’s app and see what’s on rather than browsing a seemingly endless library of on-demand titles.
The great irony of consumers’ exodus from the cable bundle to on-demand streaming is that TV viewers may actually prefer less freedom of choice after all. As VIP+ has discussed before, content discovery has been a major pain point for SVOD users, with many consumers complaining about the difficulty of finding something they want to watch.
WEBINAR REPLAY: FAST Leaders Chart the Format’s Future
If there’s a lesson here for subscription streamers, it’s that linear streaming channels may be a handy weapon to add to their arsenal. As VIP+ has extensively documented, FAST is only growing more popular, and the available data suggests struggling SVODs could benefit from its example.
Dig into the data-filled VIP+ subscriber report ...
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