The subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) space continues to thrive as an increasing number of consumers find themselves signing up for various services. The true titans of this space are, of course, HBO Now and Netflix. A new report from Strategy Analytics, that also includes Amazon Video and Hulu in the analysis, provides several interesting metrics that detail just how close this race for SVOD supremacy is between HBO Now and Netflix.
While Netflix has an undeniable lead in total number of subscribers, HBO Now is the clear winner when you look at the 14 customer service categories this study analyzed. The report shows HBO Now winning in 11 of the 15 different categories. Those categories include: availability of past season’s TV shows, overall number of shows, number of TV shows, number of original programs, type of movies available, number of movies, availability of current seasons TV shows, children’s programming, number of hit movies, discoverability, recommendations, quality of original programming, quality of the movies, cost of the service and overall customer satisfaction.
HBO Now took first in every category except for children’s programming, recommendations, cost of the service, and, most importantly, overall customer of satisfaction–Hulu took children’s programming and Netflix won all rest. Amazon Video did not place first in any of the categories listed. It is interesting to note, that in addition to winning the children’s programming category, Hulu outscored Netflix in six more.
“When considering the bigger picture, Netflix clearly benefits from its brand ‘halo’ whilst HBO Now suffers from a negative association with cable’s legacy issues, however, once one gets into the weeds, the reality is that HBO subscribers are the most satisfied with nearly all elements that make up a strong SVOD service,” added Michael Goodman, Strategy Analytics director, digital media strategies.
“People have been talking about it being a Netflix vs. Amazon battle in terms of which service viewers choose, with the others left to pick up the scraps. However, if HBO continues on this vein, we’re more likely to see a situation where people will have one ‘blockbuster’ service like HBO or HBO Now and either a Netflix or Amazon in support,” Goodman said.
The SVOD space is expected to continue to grow in 2017, making this an important space to keep an eye on. With so many major companies making significant investments in the space, we can expect the competition to continue to heat up as the year goes on. Hopefully, that means continuing to better the viewing experience for consumers with SVOD services.
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