New YouGov data: How Often Do Americans Really Watch Netflix, Hulu, Prime, and Disney+?
A new report from YouGov illuminates the frequency of use of four major platforms – Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, and Netflix.
The data focuses specifically on Americans who already have access to paid subscriptions, looking at how often they say they use each service.
Prime Video
A quarter (24%) of all Amazon Prime Video subscribers report watching once a week as their most common viewing frequency. This percentage is consistent across older age groups: 26% of adults aged 45–54 and 25% of adults aged 55+ report watching once a week.
Just 7% of consumers between 18 and 24 report watching many times daily, the lowest percentage of any age group. For this group, 2-3 times a week is the most popular frequency (26%). Although it gradually declines with age, that number is still a regular component of viewing habits.
Overall, rather than using Prime Video daily, most customers view it as their go-to source for weekly enjoyment.
Disney+
Disney+ exhibits a pronounced generational imbalance. One in five (20%) of customers between the ages of 25 and 34 report using the service multiple times each day, which is more than twice as many as those over the age of 55 (9%).
Additionally, younger folks are more likely to watch two to three times a week (26% of 18 to 24-year-olds), whereas older users visit once weekly. Compared to just 22% of members aged 25–34, almost a third (35%) of subscribers aged 55+ report watching once a week.
Age causes a sharp decline in daily use. While the daily viewership of 18-—to 44-year-olds is about even, elder audiences seem to consider Disney+ more of an occasional option.
Hulu
Compared to other platforms, everyday viewing is more prevalent among people with access to Hulu. Overall, two out of five users (39%) report watching at least once a day, either daily (17%) or multiple times (22%).
This is an age-neutral tendency. At roughly 23-24%, viewers between the ages of 35 and 54 are just as likely as younger users to report watching many times daily. Even among people over 55, 21% report watching many times a day, and 17% report watching once a day.
Although there is still some lower-frequency viewing (one or two to three times per week), Hulu appears to draw many regular viewers overall.
Netflix
Viewers of all ages continue to frequent Netflix, although younger folks are especially active users. A quarter (26%) of persons in the 25–34 age range who have access to a paid account report watching multiple times a day, while another 21% watch once daily. This indicates that over half utilize it every day.
Among those aged 35 to 44, usage is still high, with 21% watching once a day and 25% watching many times a day. Although 16% of viewers aged 55 and above report viewing multiple times a day, these percentages taper slightly among older viewers, although the decline is insignificant. Indeed, 20% of people in this age range still say they watch once daily.
Netflix maintains high weekly engagement even when it is not used daily. For instance, 23% of people over 55 report watching two to three times each week.
Who is streaming, and how frequently?
A few trends show up, even if overall consumption varies for each service. Although many users, particularly younger ones, incorporate Hulu and Netflix into their everyday lives, these services are nevertheless well-liked by people of all ages. While Prime Video continues to be a weekly routine for viewers of all ages, Disney+ attracts its most active audience from younger adults.
Instead of showing a universal trend, every platform demonstrates how various audiences influence their streaming preferences.
Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data for the US is nationally representative and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race.
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