30% of French online users aged six years and older used an SVoD service during the past 12 months, 10% higher than in December 2017, according to Médiamétrie. This means that an estimated 13.6 million people watch series, films, documentaries or cartoons via a subscription-based video service. This increase exists against a backdrop of a growing number of general interest or specialist platforms and offers.
People are becoming more aware of SVoD, analysts say. 50% of French people can currently spontaneously name an SVoD service, which is 19% higher than six months ago. Thanks to the overall ergonomics of the platforms, attractive prices, the variety of content and how easy it is to find, SVoD users are both greater in number and more avid.
Eight out of ten SVoD users (over 10 million online users) watch programmes every week, compared with only 6% who watch less than once a month. Médiamétrie’s Marine Boulanger remarked, “To make sure they don’t miss their favourite shows, SVoD users no longer hesitate to have different subscriptions,” hence the reason for them using an average of 1.4 SVoD services simultaneously.
Further proof of their success is the time spent on these platforms. One in two SVoD users stated that they spent between one and two hours per day on them, while 28% used them for between two and three hours. For these people, SVoD now plays a predominant role in their overall consumption of video. Regarding user numbers, Netflix is way ahead, followed by Amazon Prime Video and Canalplay.
TV series are key content for SVoD, be they comedy, action, thriller, science-fiction or fantasy. Series attract a young audience, including nine out of ten SVoD users aged between 15 and 34.
Also, viewers binge-watch series. Almost 79% of SVoD users watched more than one episode consecutively during the past 12 months, regardless of whether they were from the same series. Film audiences tend to be older. 87% of people aged 35 and older watch films on SVoD platforms. Meanwhile, local programmes are performing well. Six out of ten SVoD users attach importance to the French catalogue available on the platforms.
