Hub Research: Major Streamers Are More Likely To Be The First Place Viewers Turn To Watch TV

Hub Research just released a new study which provides a lot of insight into viewing behavior, both on linear TV as well as streaming.

Key findings from Hub’s annual “Decoding the Default” study include:

Major SVODs combined now surpass live TV as the "first place to turn to watch.” While headlines continue to proclaim the death march of cable, live TV (via cable, vMVPD or antenna) is still a default destination for 38% of viewers:



Netflix is the top SVOD default, on par with cable TV as a "first stop" to watch. 26% of respondents said Netflix is the first place they turn to when they want to watch something, on par with the 26% of viewers who say traditional cable (excluding vMVPD and antenna) is their default source:



Different kinds of content anchor viewers to SVODs, live TV and FAST services. 42% of viewers who default to a major SVOD say that "favorite shows" connect them to that service.  In contrast, live programming (sports, news) continues to make traditional cable a default source, while those who default to a free ad-supported (FAST) service say that "variety" is the big draw:



Loyalty to SVODs is notably stronger compared to traditional MVPD sources. Default usage helps stickiness, but only so much: when viewers are asked to choose a service to drop, live TV from MVPD does not hold up as well as streaming services.  Even among devoted cable viewers who say it is their "first choice" for viewing, they are less loyal to that service (24% say they will drop), compared to SVOD "default" users (3%-13%).