Viewers, like cable TV subscribers, demand streaming channel packages.
It’s simpler than ever to get rid of your cable subscription thanks to a slew of streaming services that provide hundreds of hours of entertainment.
People are streaming more than ever before, according to Nielsen’s latest State of Play report(opens in new tab), yet 64% of viewers say they want a bundling solution that lets them pick and select services. Isn’t there a way to get the channels you want in a package? That’s cable, isn’t it?
In addition to wanting a cable-like package of services, many people also desire a simplified way to locate information. According to the study, there are 817,000 distinct programme titles available online across traditional TV and streaming providers in the United States. Disney Plus, HBO Max, Peacock, Paramount Plus, AMC Plus, and Discovery Plus have all joined Netflix and Hulu in the previous several years.
With so many platforms and the news that HBO Max and Discovery Plus would be amalgamated, over half of the poll respondents said it’s hard to find the material they want to watch. Overwhelmed by too many choices, poll respondents express an abundance of choice, according to the research.
Analysis: Streaming bundles are the way of the future.
According to Nielsen, streaming is here to stay and is expected to become the primary method of content consumption for the majority of consumers in the near future.
Although viewers have expressed their displeasure, they are nonetheless hooked to their television sets. Nielsen estimates that the average adult spends four and a half hours a day watching television, with more than half of the time spent watching live television. The finest cable TV alternatives are becoming increasingly popular among cord-cutters because live sports and news are here to stay.
According to 93 percent of respondents, they plan to continue using their current subscriptions or sign up for new ones.
Currently, more than half of viewers have at least four subscriptions and spend at least $20 each month. More than one-fifth of people pay at least $50 a month for streaming services (I’m one of them).
There will be an increase in the need for bundling as more consumers stream video and add more services to their account. The Disney Bundle (which includes Disney, Hulu, and ESPN Plus) and the Paramount Plus/Showtime pair are two examples of firms now bundling their own services.
Even the old-school phone and cable providers are getting in on the act now! With Verizon’s Plus Play, customers can manage all of their streaming service subscriptions in one place. Apple TV and Comcast’s Xfinity are partners.
In reality, these services are just meant to make it easier to manage subscriptions, not to find new material. This week, Plex added new discovery and watchlist tools that work across several streaming providers. According to TG’s Henry T. Casey, who put the theory to the test, the trending row has pulled in new shows including Slow Horses from Apple TV Plus, movies like Apollo 10 1/2 from Netflix, and shows like Better Nate Than Never from Disney Plus and Julia from HBO Max.
Bundling subscription management and discovery across various services would be the optimum form of bundling. It would be even better if the bundle was reduced in price. With the combination of HBO Max and Discovery Plus, we hope this will happen.
Perhaps that’s a step too far. The savings would have to come from the bundler, as Netflix and Disney are unlikely to agree to such a plan. That’s a disaster waiting to happen, just like MoviePass. Bundling, on the other hand, is plainly a demand. Someone somewhere will find out how to make it work eventually.