Institute of Media Environment Market Structure Survey on Flat-fee Streaming Video Distribution Services

posted on 2015.11.18

Institute of Media Environment Market Structure Survey on Flat-fee Streaming Video Distribution Services
Potential user base for flat-fee streaming video services at 20%

Just 7.2% of those surveyed currently use flat-fee streaming video distribution services, while 11.5% are potential users who say they are interested in using these services in the future. The two groups are very similar in terms of their basic attributes as well as their awareness of and behaviors with information media. This brings the total potential user base for flat-fee streaming services to 18.7%, a figure that likely translates to a potential viewership of around 20%. There is also a possibility that this figure will go as high as 30% among males in their teens and twenties and teenage girls.

The Hakuhodo DY Media Partners Institute of Media Environment, located in Minato-ku, Tokyo, and headed by Masaki Mikami, has finished conducting its Market Structure Survey on Flat-fee Video Distribution Services. The purpose of the survey is to describe the market structure of the flat-fee video distribution services that have been popping up recently while identifying user attributes.

Flat-fee streaming video distribution services are defined as both Japanese and overseas video services offering unlimited access to popular television drama series, anime, movies, and similar content for a flat monthly fee in the JPY 500–1000 range. Content can be streamed on all devices, including televisions, computers, smartphones, and tablets.

Key findings are listed below.

1.Both current and prospective flat-fee video streaming service users are younger viewers with high information sensitivity (see figures 2 and 3)

2.Streaming service users evaluate services based on whether they can relax and watch the programming on their own as well as on the number of available programs, and whether they are accessible from a variety of devices (see figure 4)

3.Most streaming service users watch the programming at home (see figure 6)

4.About 40% of streaming service users are fine with commercial interruptions (advertisements) if it means they don’t have to pay for the service (see figure 8).