Six in 10 UK viewers take SVoD, computers still main device

Six out of 10 UK TV viewers pay for a subscription VoD service, according to research by OTT quality assurance and data specialist Conviva, with three in 10 saying they looked at the breadth of a content library as the key reason to stay with a service or churn.

The majority of online TV viewers still prefer viewing via a computer, with 79% saying they view content through this device, compared with 47% on tablets, 44% on smartphones, 29% on smart TVs and 26% each on game consoles and a group of other connected devices including Roku and Apple TV.

According to Conviva’s Don’t Break the Spell report, 35% cited quality of experience as the single most important factor in choosing an OTT service, compared with 32% citing the amount of content on offer. Twenty-three per cent cited price, while 7% cited a recognizable brand and 3% the number of devices supported by the service.

Breaking down the quality figure, 12% of respondents said that content availability and quality on connected devices was the most important factor in deciding whether to keep or cancel an online video subscription, while 10% cited availability and quality on smart TVs and 5% availability and quality on mobile. Five per cent cited quality of customer service and 29% cited the content library rather than a quality issue as the key factor. Some 41% of respondents declined to reply to this question.

A third of viewers said they would abandon a short video immediately if the resolution was poor or the video was interrupted, while 27% said they would abandon it within 30 seconds and 24% within one minute. Sixteen per cent said they would continue to watch regardless.

Conviva surveyed 400 UK consumers about their attitudes towards online TV.