Kantar, the world's leading marketing data and analytics company, today released its latest Entertainment on Demand (EoD) data on the UK’s streaming market. Kantar’s EoD study in Great Britain uncovers the following behaviours within the Video-on-demand (VoD) market between Jul to Sept 2024:
- Emmy awards for both FX’s The Bear and FX’s Shogun cemented Disney+ the top spot of new subscribers for the second consecutive quarter
- The Boys on Prime Video and House of The Dragon on NOW were the most enjoyed shows in Q3
- AppleTV+ held third place in share of new subscriptions, powered by a strong appetite for series three of Slow Horses
- Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT/EuroSport/discovery+) placed fourth, winning new subscribers with a focus on football and The Gold Rush on discovery+
- SVOD/AVOD services have shrugged off the launch of Tubi, but Pluto TV and Freevee are feeling the pressure of increased competition in the FAST sector
- 19.6m British households have at least one paid video streaming service in their household, up 77,000 vs. Q2 2024
Emmys success and high-profile collaborations propel Disney+
Off the back of a hugely successful Emmy awards season, Disney+ held the top spot in terms of new subscriptions added in the third quarter with a 21% share – a position it’s held now for two consecutive quarters since displacing AppleTV+ in Q2 2024. Emmy wins for both FX’sThe Bear and FX’s Shogun, shows which have consistently ranked in the top 10 most enjoyed titles in the UK, alongside The Acolyte and Greys Anatomy, provided Disney+ with a strong slate to appeal to new subscribers.
Disney+ also enjoyed significant success with promotional activity focussed on its £1.99/3 months offer. Successfully joining forces with household names such as Lloyd's Bank and Tesco also provided broader exposure to prospective subscribers and demonstrated that Disney+ does not simply rely on the love of the Disney brand to build its subscriber base. Strong third-party endorsement from industry awards and household brands showcases the quality of its shows and services to a wider audience, significantly contributing to its success in drawing in new subscribers in the UK.
Hit shows help Netflix subscriber engagement, as ad tier remains strong
The new series of Emily in Paris and Bridgerton, alongside The Umbrella Academy, helped Netflix continue engaging its existing customer base, with subscriber satisfaction consistently rising. However, it wasn’t enough to move the dial regarding absolute subscriber growth, which remains essentially flat vs the previous quarter. Churn at Netflix is, however, close to an all-time low, and with almost 60% of new subscribers choosing its ad tier, Netflix is well positioned to grow its bottom line in quarters ahead.
House of The Dragon is a catalyst for new NOW subscribers
The latest instalment of House of the Dragon helped NOW maintain its share of new paid subscriptions in the quarter, keeping a lid on churn. One in three new NOW subscribers joined to watch House of the Dragon, highlighting the huge power the series wields.
Prime Video holds firm, but it’s The Boys, not The Rings of Power, doing the heavy lifting
Prime Video held its share of new subscribers in the third quarter, but it was The Boys which was both the show attracting the most new sign-ups and doing the best job of engaging existing viewers. The Boys was the most enjoyed show across the whole of the UK, with LoTR: The Rings of Power in 12th position.
Tubi’s launch is felt among free, ad supported streaming competitors in the UK
On 2nd July, Tubi officially launched its free, ad supported streaming service in the UK, competing alongside similar services such as Freevee, Pluto TV and Samsung TV+. Whilst there was no noticeable impact on paid-for streaming services such as Netflix or Disney+, early data from the launch suggests a heavy overlap between customers with existing services playing in this space – in particular Pluto TV and Freevee. Both services saw a reduction in the number of active viewers since Tubi’s launch, indicating an intense battle for screentime. 48% of Tubi viewers also use Pluto TV, whilst the crossover with Freevee is 35% – although Tubi remains a small player at this stage, any significant growth is likely to directly impact its most immediate competitors.
“The launch of Tubi demonstrates the strength of paid video subscription services in the UK, having little impact on their subscription numbers. The big SVOD/AVOD streaming services are competing on production quality with leading shows keeping viewer engagement strong. However, Disney+ proves that the power of promotion can still make waves in the highly competitive UK streaming market. Industry accolades have further boosted the profile of its shows and subscription deals with British household brands are drawing new subscribers to the streaming service at a time when the market is beginning to show signs of new growth,” said Dominic Sunnebo, Global Insights Director at Kantar’s Worldpanel division.
Access the interactive data visualisation for more information.
