DETROIT: American consumers are far more satisfied with streaming services, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, than they are with traditional cable and satellite TV providers, a new survey has revealed.
That is according to the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), which is based on more than 45,200 customer surveys collected over an 11-month period to March 17, 2018.
The ACSI included video-streaming companies for the first time in its annual report and assigned them an average score of 75 out of 100, compared with 62 for pay-TV operators, which itself represented an 11-year low after dropping 3.1% over the year.
Of particular note, the ACSI found that customers were more satisfied with streaming options by nearly every measure, although some brands stood out more than others.
Netflix, Sony PlayStation Vue and Amazon-owned Twitch topped the list, each scoring 78, followed by Apple iTunes and Microsoft Store (77) and YouTube Red (76), the streaming service that Google recently announced will be replaced by YouTube Premium.
Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Hulu and Vudu all met the industry average of 75, and they were followed by network channel subscriptions – CBS All Access (74) as well as HBO Now and Starz (both at 72).
Others measured by the ACSI were Sling TV (71), DirecTV Now (70), Showtime Anytime (70) and Sony Crackle (68), which even in last place in this category still rated higher than nearly all subscription TV services.
Video streaming services scored particularly well with consumers for the ease of understanding their bills (80), website satisfaction (80) and call centres (75), although they fared less well when it came to availability of the current season’s TV shows (71) and availability of new movie titles (69).
Commenting on the findings, ACSI managing director David VanAmburg said: “Video streaming services significantly outperformed subscription TV. Streaming services don’t have the hidden fees and six-month rates that subscription TV does, not to mention they’re cheaper and simpler.
“But because consumers don’t have many options when choosing a subscription TV provider, those businesses don’t see a lot of risk in customer dissatisfaction, and we’re unlikely to see dramatic changes any time soon.”
That is according to the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), which is based on more than 45,200 customer surveys collected over an 11-month period to March 17, 2018.
The ACSI included video-streaming companies for the first time in its annual report and assigned them an average score of 75 out of 100, compared with 62 for pay-TV operators, which itself represented an 11-year low after dropping 3.1% over the year.
Of particular note, the ACSI found that customers were more satisfied with streaming options by nearly every measure, although some brands stood out more than others.
Netflix, Sony PlayStation Vue and Amazon-owned Twitch topped the list, each scoring 78, followed by Apple iTunes and Microsoft Store (77) and YouTube Red (76), the streaming service that Google recently announced will be replaced by YouTube Premium.
Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, Hulu and Vudu all met the industry average of 75, and they were followed by network channel subscriptions – CBS All Access (74) as well as HBO Now and Starz (both at 72).
Others measured by the ACSI were Sling TV (71), DirecTV Now (70), Showtime Anytime (70) and Sony Crackle (68), which even in last place in this category still rated higher than nearly all subscription TV services.
Video streaming services scored particularly well with consumers for the ease of understanding their bills (80), website satisfaction (80) and call centres (75), although they fared less well when it came to availability of the current season’s TV shows (71) and availability of new movie titles (69).
Commenting on the findings, ACSI managing director David VanAmburg said: “Video streaming services significantly outperformed subscription TV. Streaming services don’t have the hidden fees and six-month rates that subscription TV does, not to mention they’re cheaper and simpler.
“But because consumers don’t have many options when choosing a subscription TV provider, those businesses don’t see a lot of risk in customer dissatisfaction, and we’re unlikely to see dramatic changes any time soon.”
Sourced from ACSI; additional content by WARC staff
