Nielsen's State of Play Report Reveals that Streaming is the Future but Consumers Are Currently Overwhelmed by Choice

Rhea-AI Summary

Nielsen's inaugural State of Play report reveals a significant 18% increase in video streaming consumption, rising from 143.2 billion minutes to 169.4 billion minutes year-over-year. The study indicates that 93% of Americans plan to maintain or increase their paid streaming services. Despite this growth, 46% of viewers feel overwhelmed by the expanding number of platforms, which saw unique program titles rise by nearly 20%. In 2022, subscription video on demand (SVOD) accounted for 53% of streaming time, while consumers now have access to 817,000 unique titles.

Positive

• 18% increase in video streaming consumption year-over-year.
• 93% of Americans intend to increase or maintain their paid streaming services.
• SVOD accounts for 53% of total streaming minutes.
• Number of unique program titles increased to 817,000.

Negative

• 46% of consumers feel overwhelmed by the growing number of streaming services.
• Nearly 20% increase in unique program titles complicates content discovery.

Inaugural report identifies video streaming consumption at an 18% increase from last year in all available video content

NEW YORK, April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN), a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics, released its inaugural State of Play report, which highlights the increasing boom of video content in both linear and streaming in recent years. Overall, Americans increased their average weekly time streaming video by 18%, with a year-over-year increase from 143.2 billions of streamed minutes to 169.4 between February 2021 and February 2022. 

The report reveals two other key takeaways: streaming service consumption is expected to grow, with 93% of Americans reporting they will increase their paid streaming services or make no changes to their existing plans over the next year, and over the last three years there was an 18% increase in all available video content.

However, due to a nearly 20% increase in unique program titles over the past three years, nearly half of audiences (46%) feel overwhelmed by the growing number of services and platforms that makes it more difficult to find the content they're looking for. The State of Play report leverages Nielsen TV measurement and streaming data, insights from Gracenote, a Nielsen company, and findings from an online custom survey of U.S. video streamers.

Amid the seemingly overwhelming choices provided by new streaming platforms, subscription video on demand (SVOD) now accounts for 53% of minutes streamed. Of the 4 hours, 49 minutes per day that the average American spends watching content, 1:22 of that is through connected TV (CTV). 

In addition to providing streaming consumption trends and consumer sentiment, State of Play details how the streaming landscape has broadened beyond traditional SVOD services. Ad-supported VOD, multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) and virtual MVPDs (vMVPDs) have grown to account for 35%. And, the percentage of homes with YouTube TV—the vMVPD with the highest household penetration—has grown by over 160% since 2020.

Nielsen's State of Play report shows consumers now have over 817,000 unique program titles as of February 2022 vs. more than 646,000 as recently as December 2019. The increase in content also comes with an increase in consumption, as 18% of Americans are now paying for four streaming services vs. the 7% who did so in 2019. In February of this year, content from streaming platforms accounted for just under 29% of consumers' total time with TV, ahead of broadcast programming (26.4%) for the fourth straight month, according to Nielsen's The Gauge, its monthly total TV and streaming snapshot. In total, Americans watched nearly 15 million years' worth of streaming video content last year. 

When asked about whether bundled streaming services might make it easier for consumers to find the content they are seeking, 64% of respondents indicated they wish there was a bundled video streaming service that would allow them to choose as few or as many video streaming services that they wanted.

"The inaugural State of Play really underscores the fact that we've entered the next phase of streaming, based on the trends we have been detailing about streaming over the past few years," says Brian Fuhrer, SVP, Product Strategy, Nielsen. "We've moved from infancy into adolescence, and all the complexities that one would expect at that point. It's not just that streaming is increasing year over year. Now consumers want access simplified and the explosion of services has renewed discussions around bundling and aggregation. Ultimately, these challenges signal an opportunity as the industry harnesses streaming for long-term business growth."

For additional insights and findings, download the State of Play report.

About Nielsen

Nielsen shapes the world's media and content as a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics. Through our understanding of people and their behaviors across all channels and platforms, we empower our clients with independent and actionable intelligence so they can connect and engage with their audiences—now and into the future.

An S&P 500 company, Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN) operates around the world in more than 55 countries. Learn more at www.nielsen.com or www.nielsen.com/investors and connect with us on social media.

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FAQ

What recent trends did Nielsen report regarding streaming consumption?

Nielsen reported an 18% increase in video streaming consumption, with Americans streaming 169.4 billion minutes in total.

How many unique program titles are available now according to Nielsen?

As of February 2022, there are over 817,000 unique program titles available.

What percentage of Americans plan to change their streaming service subscriptions?

93% of Americans plan to increase or maintain their current paid streaming services.

What issues are consumers facing according to Nielsen's report?

46% of consumers feel overwhelmed by the increasing number of streaming services and platforms.

What percentage of streamed content comes from subscription video on demand?

Subscription video on demand (SVOD) accounts for 53% of total streaming minutes.