March 5, 2020
Hub Entertainment Research’s annual “Evolution of Video Branding” study surveyed over 2,000 U.S. consumers ages 16-74 who have broadband access and watch at least an hour of TV per week to examine how consumers interact with entertainment content. The study found that online streaming services like Netflix continue to dominate more traditional TV networks. Netflix again ranked as the most indispensable network, with 39% of respondents naming the platform as the network they would keep if they could only keep a limited number. This ranks 11 percentage points higher than runners-up CBS and ABC, 13 higher than NBC, and 17 higher than ESPN. However, the five percentage point drop Netflix received compared to last year’s survey shows that competition among streaming services is also on the rise, particularly with the launch of new online streaming services like Disney+, which was considered indispensable by 14% of viewers surveyed.
The study also found that online streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ were much more indispensable among younger viewers, while traditional TV networks like CBS, NBC, and ABC performed better among respondents over the age of 35.
