Aussies hit a tipping point on streaming TV

In 2021, Australian adults were more likely to watch content on subscription streaming platforms than on linear free-to-air television.

Behind the headline 

That’s according to the 2021 Media Content Consumption Survey, conducted by the Social Research Centre, which found that: 

• 62% of Australian adults watched an online subscription service in 2021 (56% watched free video-streaming services), up from 60% in 2020 .
• 58% watched commercial free-to-air television (50% watched publicly owned free-to-air television), down from 61% in 2020.
• 79% of Australian adults had access to at least one video-streaming subscription service in their household in 2021, compared to 77% in 2020.
• 67% had a Netflix subscription in their household, compared to 27% for Disney+, 26% for Stan, 22% for Amazon Prime.
• But free-to-air television remains the most popular source for viewing news (59%) and sports (67%).
• Around a third (36%) of respondents reported watching online subscription services more than six hours per week on average. 
• Over a quarter (28%) watched commercial free-to-air TV more than six hours per week on average.

What’s the attraction?

• Being able to watch what they want when they want is the biggest draw (89%) for viewers of subscription services, while the absence of ads (76%) is also an important factor. 

Sourced from Australian Government [Image Mollie Sivaram on Unsplash]