whipmedia.com
Streaming Satisfaction Report
Key Highlights
© 2022 Whip Media
All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners.
Streaming Satisfaction Report
Evolving Perceptions of Value:
The Shifting Sands of SVOD
Following its recent price increase and facing greater competition from rivals,
Netflix ranks last in the industry in terms of perceived value. This appears to
have fueled its recent subscriber losses in the US.
The contrast in perceived value between HBO Max and Netflix is stark, as
HBO Max emerges with a clear lead over Netflix and most other SVODs
across virtually all satisfaction and loyalty measures.
Apple TV+ made by far the biggest gains in customer satisfaction and likelihood
to keep a service, fueled by audience enthusiasm for its slate of original series.
US Edition | June 2022
whipmedia.com
Streaming Satisfaction Report
What a dierence a year makes. When we released a similar analysis
in 2021, Netflix was among the leading SVODs in customer satisfaction
and was the runaway leader as the indispensable streaming service.
The platform was at the top of its game, enjoying a lead it built in an
environment of minimal competition. But, after a period of remarkable
growth that was accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the SVOD
marketplace has matured. Consumers started comparing Netflix’s content
with that of its new competitors, took into account its recently increased
price, and the perception of the service took a hit. Perception met
reality on April 19, 2022, when Netflix announced a net loss of 200,000
subscribers worldwide, including over 600,000 in the US/Canada region.
Wall Street erased a third of the company’s value in one day. As a result,
observers re-evaluated the company’s future, as well as the subscription
video business as a whole.
Meanwhile, rival services HBO Max and Disney+ have solidified their
already favorable positions in consumers’ minds, and at lower price points
than Netflix’s. Apple TV+ has made the greatest gain in satisfaction, built
on the success of its original series, though it still trails most of the SVODs
in overall satisfaction.
While the industry sorts out how to make subscription video on demand
profitable, there is no doubt that the consumer continues to demand
SVOD. However, the marketplace is dynamic, and consumers often cancel
one subscription while acquiring another.
Whip Media surveyed nearly 2,500 users of our TV Time app in the US
to uncover their satisfaction with, and perceptions of, these services.
Satisfaction as a metric is more sensitive than just looking at subscriber
counts. After all, many people stay with a service for a time, even if they
are less than happy, before they cancel. Many have speculated about
why the consumer may have behaved a particular way, but these results
put specific weight to these platforms’ elements, revealing why users are,
or are not, churning. This is especially relevant for Netflix, as the causes
of their recent losses, and projected ones, are put into clear focus. The
results are instructive for all, though, as understanding how consumers
view their oerings is key to succeeding.
Introduction
whipmedia.com
Streaming Satisfaction Report
HBO Max has the highest satisfaction (very satisfied plus satisfied) among
the major SVOD platforms. In 2021, HBO Max also led on this question,
but it now has a higher margin of victory. Netflix ranked a very close
second last year but fell to fourth on the list, due to a 10 point decline,
the most significant in the survey. Apple TV+ made the strongest move to
the upside, increasing 14 points in satisfaction. Last year it was the lowest
performing service on this measure; it has now moved ahead of Amazon,
Discovery+ and Peacock.
100%75%50%25%0%
HBO Max
2021
Disney+
Hulu
Netflix
Paramount+
Apple TV+
Amazon
Discovery+
Peacock
HBO Max Cements Its Lead As The Most
Satisfying SVOD, Netflix Falls
Overall SVOD Satisfaction | 2022 vs. 2021
Very Satisfied + Satisfied
Only participants who were subscribers to the specific platform
at the time of the survey could respond to the question.
2022
92%
88%
89%
90%
75%
62%
75%
72%
62%
94%
88%
87%
80%
79%
76%
72%
72%
68%
whipmedia.com
Streaming Satisfaction Report
Most SVOD users plan to hold onto their services, but across a range of
likelihoods. Like last year, HBO Max, Hulu, and Disney+ form the top tier on
this question. Amazon is there too, but given their lower satisfaction scores,
this likely has much to do with other benefits of Prime membership. Netflix
saw the biggest decline, a 12 point decrease. It was top of the list last year,
but is now ranked fifth. Apple TV+ made the strongest gain, up 19 points.
Netflix Users Less Likely To Keep The Service
Than Last Year, Apple TV+ More Likely
100%75%50%25%0%
HBO Max
2021
Hulu
Disney+
Amazon
Netflix
Paramount+
Apple TV+
Discovery+
Peacock
Likelihood To Keep Service | 2022 vs. 2021
Very Likely + Likely
2022
Only participants who were subscribers to the specific platform
at the time of the survey could respond to the question.
89%
89%
86%
86%
93%
73%
54%
70%
63%
91%
88%
87%
86%
81%
75%
73%
69%
67%
whipmedia.com
Streaming Satisfaction Report
Netflix continues to be the service that a plurality of consumers view as
indispensable. However, that dominance has been significantly diminished
over the past year. HBO Max picked up 6 of the 10 points Netflix declined on
this question, moving past Hulu into second position. Netflix’s lead over its
closest competitor is down to only 12 points; last year it was 20. It is worth
noting that among respondents with children, Disney+ goes up to 18% on
this question, moving it into second place, but only a point ahead of HBO
Max and 2 ahead of Hulu. No other service made a change of more than 2
points in that category.
Is There An Indispensable Service?
50%40%30%20%10%0%
Netflix
2021
HBO Max
Hulu
Disney+
Amazon
Paramount+
Apple TV+
Discovery+
Peacock
Other
None
If You Can Only Keep One, Which One? | 2022 vs. 2021
2022
41%
13%
21%
9%
6%
2%
1%
1%
1%
3%
3%
1%
1%
31%
19%
17%
14%
6%
3%
4%
3%
2%
whipmedia.com
Streaming Satisfaction Report
Subscribers were asked to evaluate each of the SVODs in terms of the
quality of their original series, library series and movies. For these three
types of content, HBO Max and Disney+ clearly lead in top two box
satisfaction (very satisfied or satisfied). Viewers also see Apple TV+ as
having high-quality original programs, but recognize that their library and
movies are lacking. While Netflix also scores well with its original series, it
is worth noting that it is 9 points lower than the similarly priced HBO Max.
Netflix ranks ahead of most services on movie quality, but significantly
behind HBO Max and Disney+.
Amazon, even with its large catalog, ranks only above Apple TV+ for quality
of library. Hulu’s strong performance on library is notable, benefitting from
titles provided by its corporate parents Comcast and Disney.
Elements Of Satisfaction
Quality Of Programming
100%75%50%25%0%
HBO Max
Quality of Original Series Quality of Library Series Quality of Movies
Apple TV+
Disney+
Netflix
Hulu
Paramount+
Amazon
Discovery+
Peacock
Quality Of Content Satisfaction
Very Satisfied + Satisfied
Only participants who were subscribers to the specific platform
at the time of the survey could respond to the question.
whipmedia.com
Streaming Satisfaction Report
HBO Max leads in satisfaction with variety for every content category,
with Disney+ close behind. Netflix’s variety of originals earns them a
more competitive position than on quality, but it still lags behind HBO
Max and Disney+ on library and movies.
Hulu’s library is again competitive with the leaders’, while Apple TV+
is far behind everyone. Amazon is again unimpressive on all three
types of content, despite its large amount of titles. It ranks behind
Discovery+ for variety of series (originals or library). Discovery+’s brand
is narrower than Amazon’s, so this result should be of particular concern
to Amazon. It is also noteworthy that Paramount+ and Peacock, both
backed by major Hollywood studios, rank rather low on satisfaction with
their variety of movies.
Variety Of Programming
100%75%50%25%0%
HBO Max
Variety of Original Series Variety of Library Series Variety of Movies
Netflix
Disney+
Apple TV+
Hulu
Paramount+
Discovery+
Amazon
Peacock
Variety Of Content Satisfaction
Very Satisfied + Satisfied
Only participants who were subscribers to the specific platform
at the time of the survey could respond to the question.
whipmedia.com
Streaming Satisfaction Report
Despite faltering on content satisfaction measures, Netflix is clearly
best in breed for both user experience and suggesting content
to subscribers. It is somewhat surprising that Amazon, the most
experienced streamer after Netflix, ranks near the bottom on both of
these aspects. Given their data-driven focus, one might expect their
recommendation engine would rank higher than most. It stands to
reason that, given their large amount of content, their satisfaction
scores could increase with some improvement in this area.
User Experience / Program Suggestions
100%75%50%25%0%
Netflix
User Experience Program Recommendation
Disney+
Hulu
HBO Max
Apple TV+
Paramount+
Discovery+
Amazon
Peacock
User Experience / Program Recommendation Satisfaction
Very Satisfied + Satisfied
Only participants who were subscribers to the specific platform
at the time of the survey could respond to the question.
88%
82%
76%
75%
71%
66%
64%
62%
61%
71%
62%
61%
63%
47%
48%
58%
48%
44%
whipmedia.com
Streaming Satisfaction Report
Satisfaction with the value a service provides is a key measure because
it reflects the relationship between quality of content and price. The
contrast in perceived value between HBO Max and Netflix is perhaps
the most important finding of this research. These services are similarly
priced, (per month, Netflix standard service is $15.49, HBO Max ad-free
is $14.99) and yet HBO Max is considered the most satisfying value of
all the services we surveyed and Netflix was lowest.
The platforms at the bottom of the list, Peacock, Apple TV+ and Netflix, are
essentially the same in terms of top two box satisfaction. However, when
we look at bottom two box satisfaction, which combines unsatisfied and
very unsatisfied, users’ negative feelings towards Netflix come into clearer
focus. A noteworthy 20% of Netflix users expressed dissatisfaction with the
service, 8 points higher than the next closest platform.
Value
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Hulu
Paramount+
Amazon
Discovery+
Peacock
Apple TV+
Netflix
Disney+
HBO Max
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Discovery+
Hulu
Paramount+
Amazon
Peacock
Apple TV+
Netflix
Disney+
HBO Max
Value Dissatisfaction
Very Unsatisfied + Unsatisfied
Only participants who were subscribers to the specific platform
at the time of the survey could respond to the question.
Value Satisfaction
Very Satisfied + Satisfied
Only participants who were subscribers to the specific platform
at the time of the survey could respond to the question.
whipmedia.com
Streaming Satisfaction Report
Video subscriptions continue to increase in general, but consumers
are also canceling services more, often to move on to others. Last year,
32% of our respondents said that in the last 12 months they canceled
at least one of the SVODs in our survey. That number rose by 12 points
this year–and most of the platforms felt it. No platform saw a decrease
in their cancelation rates versus last year. Apple TV+ had the biggest
increase, though we can’t say how much of that was due to expiring
free promotions from device purchases.
Churn
80%60%40%20%0%
None
2021 2022
Apple TV+
Paramount+
Netflix
Peacock
Disney+
Hulu
HBO Max
Amazon
Discovery+
Other
Canceled The Service | 2022 vs. 2021
68%
4%
4%
6%
6%
6%
5%
5%
4%
4%
2%
6%
6%
6%
56%
13%
9%
9%
8%
6%
4%
6%
whipmedia.com
Streaming Satisfaction Report
Some of the SVODs made changes to their oerings that we theorized
might impact subscriptions. We asked respondents specifically about
these issues to gauge their eect.
Why Did People Cancel Certain Services?
Value was clearly on the minds of those respondents who canceled
Netflix. The number one reason our respondents cited for canceling
Netflix was the price increase (69%). It is noteworthy that respondents
were not limited to one answer on this question. The good news for
Netflix was that only 22% cited seeing “all the programming I was
interested in” as a reason. Cancelers of HBO Max and Disney+ cited
that reason about twice as much.
They increased the
subscription price
I was not getting
enough value from it
The library programming
didn’t interest me
The original programming
didn’t interest me
I saw all the programming
I was interested in
The user experience
was unpleasant
Other - Please Specify
Netflix
80%60%40%20%0%
Why Cancel Netflix?
Among Those Who Canceled Netflix n=233
whipmedia.com
Streaming Satisfaction Report
As a response to the pandemic’s impact on theater attendance, HBO
Max eectively used Warner Brothers films to help drive subscriptions
by putting them on the service at the same time they were premiering in
theaters. That policy ended at the beginning of 2022 and we wondered
if it impacted them negatively. Not so much: Only 14% of those who
canceled cited this issue as a reason. Users were far more likely to cite
exhausting all the content they had interest in as a driver to leave.
HBO Max
I was not getting
enough value from it
They discontinued premiering
movies on HBO Max at the same
time they premiered in theaters
The library programming
didn’t interest me
The original programming
didn’t interest me
I saw all the programming
I was interested in
The user experience
was unpleasant
Other - Please Specify
Why Cancel HBO Max?
Among Those Who Canceled HBO Max n=139
80%60%40%20%0%
48%
43%
14%
13%
12%
9%
22%
whipmedia.com
Streaming Satisfaction Report
Disney made several films available for streaming simultaneously with
their theatrical premieres in 2021 for an additional cost. This hasn’t
happened in 2022, and it doesn’t appear to be a driver of Disney+
cancelations. At only 5%, this reason was chosen far less than the “I saw
all the programming I was interested in” option (44%).
Disney+
I was not getting
enough value from it
They discontinued the option to pay to
view a movie on the service at the same
time it was released in theaters
The library programming
didn’t interest me
The original programming
didn’t interest me
I saw all the programming
I was interested in
The user experience
was unpleasant
Other - Please Specify
Why Cancel Disney+?
Among Those Who Canceled Disney+ n=143
80%60%40%20%0%
45%
44%
26%
19%
5%
5%
23%
whipmedia.com
Streaming Satisfaction Report
By exploring the satisfaction with specific elements of their product, the
platforms, and their suppliers, can understand how to better serve their
customers. The results certainly confirm that content counts. While Netflix
is at the top of the class for ease of use and program recommendation,
users’ satisfaction with the service has dropped significantly because they
feel the price paid for the programming oered is not as equitable as it
was a year ago. HBO Max, Disney+ and Hulu form the top tier in overall
satisfaction and value satisfaction, so they are pleasing their customers.
The others have areas they can address.
Apple TV+ has made great strides over the last year in overall satisfaction
on the strength of its original series, but it still ranks near the bottom of
the SVODs in overall value, despite a relatively low price. Suppliers with
libraries to sell can justly claim that adding their product to the platform
fills the single biggest hole in the oering and will make Apple’s value
proposition to the consumer much more compelling.
Both Paramount+ and Peacock have made modest gains in satisfaction
versus last year. In the case of Paramount+, our respondents view the
quality of their original series as on par with Hulu’s and their library ahead
of Amazon’s. The perceived variety of both its originals and library is well
behind Hulu’s though, so suppliers can pitch projects to help diversify their
slate. Peacock’s original series ranked lowest in the survey so content
providers have an opportunity with them too. Both services should see
gains in satisfaction with their series and movies libraries as more of their
licensed titles are returned to them from existing output deals.
Amazon’s service clearly has a perception problem. Their library is
enormous, yet viewers’ perception of their quality and variety are ranked
near the bottom of the list on satisfaction. The low regard expressed for
their program recommendations is also puzzling, given their data driven
approach and tech talent. However, part of program recommendation
relies on having titles that users will like, and the results aren’t
encouraging there.
Conclusions
whipmedia.com
Streaming Satisfaction Report
TV Time, a Whip Media company, is the world’s largest TV and movie tracking app for consumers. Every day,
over a million people use TV Time to keep track of the shows and movies they’re watching, discover what to
watch next and engage in a global community of more than 21 million registered fans.
For more information, visit whipmedia.com
ABOUT TV TIME
ABOUT WHIP MEDIA
Streaming Satisfaction Report
Finally, there is Netflix. Despite its well reported subscriber losses, and declines
in satisfaction, Netflix is still in a healthy position. Its satisfaction scores for both
quality and variety of original and library series remain strong. Its user experience
is the best of all the SVODs. However, its service is now generally priced higher
than its competitors (depending on the tier), and the competitors also have highly
regarded content. They will continue to need compelling shows to compete, and
they might want to more frequently do additional seasons of their hits, a strategy
they’ve often shunned. That will help build their library and, maybe, prevent churn.
Understanding customer satisfaction is imperative, especially when their
perceptions don’t match reality. It also clarifies the size of known issues and lends
them urgency. The industry may be aware of some of these issues, but the data
shows that viewers know them too, and are acting on that information.
The survey was fielded with 2,460 US TV Time app users from April 29 to May 4, 2022. All results were weighted to balance
with the US general population by gender and age (18-54). The 2021 survey was gender and age balanced for 13-54.
METHODOLOGY
Whip Media is reimagining content licensing to create a smarter, more connected entertainment ecosystem.
We help leading entertainment companies succeed in today’s high-volume, high-velocity global content
environment with a market-leading cloud software platform that combines unique, actionable insights with
scalable, connected workflows for licensing, content planning and financial operations.
1 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/netix-q1-2022-earnings-1235132028/
