Unavailable episodes of TV programs will prompt 42% of all OTT binge-watchers to give up on a TV series, a new survey has found.
Conviva, which surveyed 750 binge-watching consumers aged 26-34 in mid-2015, defined unavailable episodes as those that were impossible to find or delivered with a sub-par playback experience.
And once viewers are gone, they are likely gone forever as more than half of respondents are less than fully committed to return to a series once they stop watching for any reason. Only 22% of them are willing to wait for an episode to become available.
Computers are still king for binge-watchers, most of whom watch OTT content on a desktop or laptop, while a quarter to just over one-third turn to devices like TVs and game consoles.
Additionally, binge-watchers value quality over quantity, with only 11% of them willing to replace an old series with a new one.
The real financial opportunities and implications of cultivating committed, engaged audiences were also revealed through the survey.
“Binge-watchers represent dedicated consumers,” said Hui Zhang, CEO of Conviva. “As the line between OTT consumption and content creation blurs due to shifting viewing models, publishers need to ensure they’re building long-term value with viewers.”