Streaming Users "Overwhelmed" by Choices, No Plans to Cut Back Study Finds

By Russ Burlingame

If you feel like you have too many streaming services, and too many options, you aren't alone. A new study by Nielsen says that almost half of all viewers are feeling "overwhelmed by the number of streaming choices. Still, the same study found that 90% of respondents plan to keep what they have or even add more, rather than cutting back on the scope of their subscriptions. The "State of Play" report uses data from the company's TV and streaming ratings, as well as information from Nielsen's Gracenote content-recognition service, and a survey of streaming users.

The report also indicates that the total number of hours spent on streaming platforms increased by 18% year over year in 2021. There is also about 25% more content now than there was at the end of 2019, with Nielsen reporting there are 817,000 unique program titles (series, movies, specials and other programming) available via streaming services — an increase of some 171,000 titles.

Per Nielsen, "The list of unique program titles in the U.S. tops 817,000 and continues to grow, much like the array of streaming platforms and apps that deliver many of those titles. There is no mistaking consumer appetites for streaming content, as 72% of Americans say "I love my user experience with video streaming services," and 93% plan to increase their streaming options or make no changes to their existing plans. But the vastness of platform choice has become overwhelming for audiences."

"We've entered the next phase of streaming, based on the trends we have been detailing about streaming over the past few years," Brian Fuhrer, senior vp product strategy at Nielsen, said in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter). "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."

And, yes, the report suggests that with so many platforms to keep track of, a significant number of viewers (64%)  would opt in to a bundle that provided numerous streaming services for one price (assuming they could choose which ones), which...well...just kind of sounds like cable?

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