What you need to know
The popularity of video subscription streaming services continues to rise, with 44% of people currently using one, rising to 69% among 16-24 year olds. The upcoming launch of Disney+ in March 2020, following on the heels of Apple TV+ which launched in November 2019, will shake up the TV and video landscape. Disney+ in particular has the content library to act as a genuine rival to Netflix.
The video games market is set to become more subscription and streaming orientated, reflecting the journey seen with both video and music. Apple, Google and Microsoft have, or are about to, introduce new subscription services that boost the availability of gaming across devices.
Music streaming services, particularly Spotify, are investing more heavily in podcasts. In January 2020 Spotify introduced real-time targeted advertising into its podcasts on the streaming service.
While print book purchasing remains stable, the number buying DVDs and CDs continues to drop. New HMV owner, Sunrise Records, is investing in re-positioning the chain’s purpose and brand image to be about expertise and experience.
While many people are reading newspapers and magazines on smartphones, the appeal of Apple’s News+ aggregator app, which launched in the UK in September 2019, is still to be proven. Most national newspapers have not partnered with the app, preferring instead to focus on their own digital paywall models.
YouTube remains by far the dominant player in terms of social media video, with only 15% of those who watch online video not having viewed videos on the platform in the last three months. Longer videos have become a more important aspect of the video platform, opening up opportunities in terms of content creation and advertising.
Products covered in this Report
This Report examines people’s media habits in terms of purchasing and activity over the last three months. The primary media areas of focus are video, audio and print media.
Video – includes TV shows and films delivered through DVDs, Blu-ray discs, pay-TV subscriptions like Virgin Media or Sky, and streamed video services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. It also includes short-form online videos on platforms such as YouTube and Facebook.
Video Games – includes PC, console and mobile games.
Music and audio – refers to CDs, digital downloads and streaming services such as Spotify or Apple Music.
Print media – refers to newspaper, magazine and book titles in either a digital or physical format.
Physical print media – ie newspapers, magazines and books, as opposed to websites and e-books, are referred to as ‘physical print media’ when a distinction between physical and digital is drawn.
The special focus topic of this Report is video on social media.
