60% of UK streaming subscribers open to switching services

60% of SVOD users in the UK are open to switching between streaming services, according to MTM’s latest ScreenThink report. 

The research, based on 3,000 UK online adults, says subscribers are responding closely to price and promotions and increasingly weighing up whether individual services continue to offer value. 

The average SVOD user now has access to 2.9 paid services, while 18% say they cycle between subscriptions every month. 21% say they cycle through subscriptions less regularly.

Promotions are also playing a significant role in subscription decisions, with 40% of respondents influenced by promotional offers.

More than a third of NOW subscriptions were taken out at a discounted rate, while users of services including NOW, YouTube Premium/Lite and Apple TV are also more likely to mention retention deals as a factor in staying subscribed. 

Meanwhile, 42% of pay-TV customers are considering switching provider, while 37% are considering downgrading, which is a slight decrease since MTM’s previous report. Cost of living pressures, perceptions of value and the availability of streaming alternatives are among the factors driving these considerations. 

56% of sports fans feel the way sports rights are divided between services is unfair, with only 13% saying they care more about who broadcasts sport than being able to access it. Just 15% are confident they know which service is showing a specific game or tournament. 

The findings suggest that, alongside securing rights, broadcasters have an opportunity to strengthen their relationship with fans by making access clearer and demonstrating how their investment contributes to the wider sports experience.

49% of sports fans believe broadcaster investment enables innovations that improve the fan experience, while 51% recognise the benefits of broadcasters’ financial support for UK sport. 

YouTube is also continuing to grow as a viewing destination, with 23% of 16-34s saying they turn to the platform first.

Rob Collier, strategy director at MTM, said: “More choice is giving consumers access to a wider range of content, but it is also making loyalty harder to secure. With six in ten SVOD users open to cycling between services, providers need to give audiences a clear reason to stay with them and make the value of their offering easy to see. 

“That applies to sport too. Fans recognise the value broadcasters bring, but with rights spread across more services, making content easier to find and access is increasingly part of the viewing experience”.