51% of Americans and 46% of Europeans said ‘difficulty finding content’ can get frustrating, and often results in them rewatching something they’ve already seen. The findings from Comcast’s new Content Discovery in a Multiscreen TV World: Surfing and Scrolling in a Sea of Content report tally well with previous research that suggests difficulty finding content has quickly become a major pain point of streaming.
According to Comcast’s survey, almost two in three U.S. viewers (65%) across the U.S. and Europe spend more than six minutes looking for something to watch. In fact, only 28% of Americans (and 21% of Europeans) agreed that they can easily find content they want to watch on their device.
The problem is even worse for ‘indecisive viewers’ in the U.S., with 80% more likely to spend more than 11 minutes deciding what to watch. This total is closer to a survey released earlier this month which found the average time it takes viewers to decide what to watch is almost 12 minutes, double the time reported for the year before.
While Comcast found that European viewers tended to spend more time searching than Americans, one of the clear takeaways from the study is the frustration that arises from the sheer volume of content that’s now available.
“In today’s unbundled world of TV, consumers face a lot of challenges when it comes to discovering content. The goal of TV, whether traditional or streaming, has always been to make audiences feel entertained, not frustrated or overwhelmed,” said Travis Flood, Executive Director of Insights, Comcast Advertising. “This research provides actionable insights into the process so that content owners and streaming platforms can improve their offerings to enhance the content discovery experience and provide more value to their viewers.”
In terms of how users actually go about finding something to watch, 40% of Americans can be found scrolling through the platform’s home screen. While 49% in the U.S. also get recommendations from social media, recommendations from friends and family (55%) remains one of the most effective ways for people to discover new content.
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