Conquering Content is Hub’s annual exploration of how TV consumers discover, and decide to watch, TV content—including how the process differs by platforms (traditional vs. streaming), type of content (specifically, new vs. catalog shows), and device.
Our Hub Reports have consistently demonstrated that, especially for streaming services, content is just as important as price—and sometimes more important—as a driver of service adoption. And in particular, high-profile, exclusive content has a major impact on subscription decisions, especially for streaming services.
The challenge for content-dependent consumers is TV service clutter—with so many platforms available, each with its own slate of original content, consumers often don’t ever hear about shows they might be interested in. And for a medium that consumers use for entertainment or relaxation, it’s ironic that TV FOMO has become a thing.
In this year’s study, we’ll supplement our typical investigation of the importance of content and content discovery with a deep-dive into two subjects du jour: how content on free ad-supported services (FASTs) are shaking up the content-choice landscape, and how consumers feel about the recent rash of high profile show cancellations by platforms like HBO Max and Netflix. Do those developments cause consumers to fear that the recent content bonanza may be coming to an end, and if so, how does that impact their service use (or service cancellation) decisions?
Source: Interviews with 1,602 U.S. TV viewers with broadband age 16-74.