27% of DTC Streaming Services Shared in Multiple Households, Says LRG

More than a quarter of direct-to-consumer video streaming services are used in more than one household, reported Leichtman Research Group Friday. Of the 27%, 13% are used and paid for by subscribers who share them with someone outside the household, and 12% are used in one household but borrowed from another household that is paying for the service, said the researcher. Some 69% are paid for and not shared with others outside the household, said LRG, while 16% of all households have at least one DTC service fully paid for by someone else. Four percent of services aren't paid for because they're included in another service, it said. Of those ages 18-34, 26% have at least one DTC service fully paid for by someone else, vs. 12% of those 35 and older. Among virtual MVPD subscribers, 77% are “very satisfied” with their service, up from 69% in 2018; 13% are very likely to switch from a vMVPD service in the next six months, vs. 27% in 2018; 18- to 44-year-olds have 63% of vMVPD subscriptions; and 20% of all vMVPD services are shared by multiple households, said LRG. Sharing of streaming services “should not solely be viewed as lost revenue, as the ability to share with others is also part of the retention strategy for the services,” said principal Bruce Leichtman.