Ofcom Data Shows Nearly Half of UK Households Pay for Video Subscription Service

LONDON – Ofcom revealed Wednesday that nearly half of UK households pay for at least one subscription video-on-demand (SVod) service. It found that 13.3 million households signed up to at least one of the most popular streaming services in 2019.

Amazon Prime Video on Apple TV

Ofcom Shows Clear Shift to Streaming

That means that 47 percent of household subscribed to at least one of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV, and Disney Life. That increased from 11.2 million households, or 39 percent, from the year before. Many households take out more than one subscription. The survey found that in total Brits took out 19.1 million subscriptions in total. The broadcast regulator also found that UK adults watch an average of 30 minutes of YouTube per day.

While Ofcom ultimately found that each viewer still watched an average of 3 hours 12 minutes of traditional television per day, the shift to streaming is clear. That figure was an 11-minute decrease from 2017. In particular, 16-24-year-olds were found to be watching half the amount of traditional television they did in 2010.

Encouragement for Apple

“Streaming services have grown from nothing to reach nearly half of British homes, noted Yih-Choung Teh, Strategy and Research Group Director at Ofcom. Maybe this will encourage Apple to make its TV+ service available in the UK sooner rather than later.

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