A Hit-Driven Biz: 40% of Consumers Sign Up For an SVOD Service to Watch a Specific Show

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And of those, 70% stick with that service after they're done watching it, new Hub Entertainment Research report says

Family watching TV
(Image credit: FreePik)

As Comcast/NBCUniversal are finding out the hard way with their struggling Peacock service, it's hits that drive subscriptions.

According to a new Hub Entertainment Research survey of 1,604 adult U.S. broadband users, 40% of them said they signed up for a subscription streaming service in order to watch one specific coveted movie or series. That number is up from 34% when Hub conducted its Conquering Content survey in 2020.  

(Image credit: Hub Entertainment Research)

Here's the really interesting part: Among those consumers who signed up just to watch one show, 70% of them stuck with the SVOD service after they finished watching the series or movie.

(Image credit: Hub Entertainment Research)

Other Notable Morsels from Hub's Survey

Usage of ad-supported streaming services including Pluto TV, Roku Channel, Tubi and IMDb TV was up 11% from 2020, with a majority of consumers (53%) saying they "sometimes" watch content on one of these platforms. 

Notably, Hub said that 46% of those who sometimes watch these ad-supported services do so with no specific show in mind, suggesting that AVOD and FAST channels are now being used to sate the channel-surfing impulses of former pay TV grid hoppers. 

Also notable: 71%  of respondents said they discovered the show(s) they're currently into on a streaming service, up from 68% last year and just 52% in 2017. 

(Image credit: Hub Entertainment Research)

Also, after peaking in 2020, Netflix has fallen back as the destination for consumers' "recently discovered favorite show," with 35% saying they're watching it on the No. 1 streaming service vs. 38% last year. 

(Image credit: Hub Entertainment Research)
Daniel Frankel
Daniel Frankel

Daniel Frankel is the managing editor of Next TV, an internet publishing vertical focused on the business of video streaming. A Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has covered the media and technology industries for more than two decades, Daniel has worked on staff for publications including E! Online, Electronic Media, Mediaweek, Variety, paidContent and GigaOm. You can start living a healthier life with greater wealth and prosperity by following Daniel on Twitter today!