“In an era of big data, personalization is critical for marketers looking to develop authentic and meaningful relationships with consumers. The same is true for content platforms, and that’s a trend we’re seeing among some of the newer video streaming entrants. Compared with the early days of streaming, when platforms largely aimed to satiate all audiences at one fell content swoop, a handful of platforms are taking a more focused engagement approach.”
Source: Nielsen
AT A GLANCE:
On the Nielsen Insights blog, the media analytics company examines how streaming platforms are steadily evolving their user experiences to help connect audiences with content. Rather than trying to appeal to everyone, as competition rises platforms will be more likely to target specific audiences via marketing, content and advertising.
“When we look at the total US TV universe, we see that White audiences account for 66% of the minutes of linear TV programming viewed in the month of June 2021,” Nielsen reports. “Across linear TV programming and some of the major subscription on-demand (SVOD) platforms, the percentages were even higher.”
The company points to its Gracenote Inclusion Analytics division, which shows that while there have been shifts in representation of many diverse identity groups in front of the camera, “there is still a notable opportunity for publishers outside of the more traditional channels seeking to engage racially and ethnically diverse viewers with unique content that reflects their unique experiences.”
As choices for consumers continue to expand, content turns out to be the key differentiator, Nielsen suggests, especially when companies can identify needs that are underserved. SVOD remains at the top of the streaming space, comprising 51% of minutes viewed in June 2021. The next tier, which accounts for 36% of the viewing share, includes by ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD), multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) and virtual MVPDs (vMVPDs).
AVODs, MVPDs and vMVPDs are attracting a more diverse audience than traditional TV and SVOD options, Nielsen says. For example, Black audiences accounted for 24% of all minutes viewed across all AVOD services in June, including Fox-owned Tubi and ViacomCBS-owned Pluto TV. Hispanic audiences are also flocking to AVOD services, especially YouTube, which accounts for 21% of viewing minutes among Hispanics in June.
How Should We Gauge Streaming Success?
Age demographics are also a factor in viewing habits that streaming companies “can hone in on,” Nielsen notes. “Unsurprisingly, Disney+ attracts the biggest share of minutes viewed among people 2-17, given its extensive back catalogue of animated classics as well as content from across Disney’s associated brands and franchises, such Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars. Persons 55 and older are at the opposite end of the spectrum and dominate linear TV viewing. But that doesn’t mean they’re not streaming, as this audience accounts for a notable share of time with Amazon Prime Video and several of the newer AVOD and MVPD/vMVPD entrants.”
Want more? Head over to the Nielsen website to read the full story.