DTVE Data Weekly: European FAST usage case studies

The latest Omdia Consumer Research survey provided two FAST service case studies: Samsung TV Plus, owned by the eponymous TV manufacturer, and Pluto TV, owned by Paramount. Regarding the type of content viewers watch more frequently, there is the question of whether viewers watch live content, just as they would do on linear TV, or if they watch on-demand.

In terms of age, Samsung TV Plus has been in the EU5 countries since 2017, but its FAST features did not appear until 2019. Pluto TV launched in 4Q18 in the first of its EU5 countries, namely the UK and Germany. For the latter, a greater proportion of consumers in all EU5 countries “often watch TV/content on-demand,” with the UK exhibiting the greatest tendency at 45%. However, watching live films is the second option chosen in almost every country except the UK, where live sports replace it. This is because Pluto TV has dedicated sports channels, as well as the amount of time it has been in the UK market versus the other four countries.

Content

The usage of Samsung TV Plus tends to be similar to Pluto TV, but content is the differentiator. In the UK, movies are the second most-watched genre on Samsung TV Plus, while on Pluto TV, they are third after sports. A contrasting landscape exists in France, with sports in second place on Samsung TV Plus, leaving movies in third place, while on Pluto TV, sports are third. In Germany, there is a slightly uneven pattern compared to Pluto TV. On Pluto TV, around 20% of respondents in Germany watch lifestyle, themed, and news channels, while on Samsung TV Plus, almost 30% watch lifestyle content, and those who watch live news channels and themed channels fall below 20%.

After on-demand, the top specific content genres tend to be sports, movies, and either lifestyle or live news. One aspect to consider is how users watch FAST channels and whether they watch the content or simply have it on in the background. Of the Pluto TV monthly users in these five countries, almost two-thirds of them watch the platform casually, either once a week, multiple times a month (but less than once a week), or at least once a month. FAST channels have become a great alternative for content at no additional cost to the user, which is perfect for those trying to reduce costs.

Therefore, production companies and sports broadcasters should leverage these platforms by putting more attractive content on them, as they are expected to take a good chunk of the online video advertising market in the future.

Juan Villegas Leyba, is Omdia’s Research Analyst, Media & Entertainment