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Report: Proliferation of Streaming Options Causing Confusion and Indecision Among Consumers

Oct 24, 2019  •  Post A Comment

The boom in streaming services, including several high-profile ones that will be premiering soon, is already causing a mass of confusion and indecision for consumers, NBC News reports, noting that Apple TV+ and Disney+ are set to launch next month and will join an already crowded landscape.

“Viewers in the 18- to 34-year-old range are spending as much as nine minutes trying to decide what to watch, according to Nielsen, the ratings service,” the story reports, adding: “Viewers need to consider not only how many services they need to purchase in order to watch all their favorite shows, but also how to keep up with the hopscotching of each show from one platform to another as licensing deals expire.”

The report cites the example of “Downton Abbey,” which debuted on PBS in 2010 and went on to bounce around the streaming universe, moving from Netflix to Hulu and later to Amazon Prime. The show is now on its way to NBCUniversal’s new Peacock streaming service.

“That confusion has given rise to a plethora of decision-assistance sites, such as Just Watch and Flixable,” the report notes.

The report quotes Mark Graham, editor-in-chief of Decider.com — which helps consumers navigate the streaming landscape — saying: “Services don’t do a great job of letting customers know what’s on and what’s not. There is a mass of customer confusion — and it’s only going to get more confusing.”

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