A new consumer survey from Hub Entertainment Research finds that most streamers are unable to explain clearly to others what separates one service from another.
The survey comes at a time when streaming services are competing for exclusive programming rights and working to develop original content that makes their service stand out from the pack — an effort that is paying off better for some more than others, according to survey data released by Hub on Monday.
The data shows most consumers (81 percent) said they’re confident in their ability to explain what makes Netflix separate from the rest, while 77 percent said the same for Amazon’s Prime Video and 68 percent said as much for Disney Plus. All three services saw confidence in that respect fall by as much as 3 percentage points compared to the prior year.
Apple TV ranked last across measured services, with only 48 percent of respondents saying they can confidently explain why that service stands out from the rest, followed by Warner Bros Discovery’s (WBD) HBO Max at 61 percent.
HBO Max and Comcast’s Peacock were the only two services in Hub’s charts that showed year-over growth in confidence, something Hub attributed to high-profile titles like “The Pitt” on HBO Max and more sports rights for Peacock. The latter app offered the Winter Olympic Games and the Super Bowl this year, boosting its visibility among consumers, who were surveyed in February while those sports were ongoing or had just concluded.
YouTube continues to blur the lines between traditional streaming services and digital video platforms: While many viewers still associate YouTube with creator-driven content, an increasing share now views it as comparable to a TV network or streaming service.
That shift is more pronounced among younger audiences, with 32 percent of viewers under 35 describing YouTube in those terms, compared to 24 percent of those 35 and older.
“As the industry faces more consolidation, streamers need to consider how their originals strategy can move beyond seasonal hits and lever up to more brand-defining distinctions that make them stand out from the crowd,” said Jason Platt Zolov, a senior consultant at Hub and the study’s author.
The full report, “The Evolution of Video Branding,” is available to view by clicking or tapping here.
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